Head of Accounting (UK)

Evotec; Abingdon; Hybrid; GBP 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

25 days holiday + holidays

Private health insurance

Private dental cover

Life assurance

Wellbeing support

Discretionary bonus

Refer a friend scheme

Job summary

Evotec in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, seeks a Local Head of Accounting (UK) to oversee UK entities’ accounting, ensure statutory reporting integrity, and act as the main finance lead interfacing with the global organisation.

You will lead month-end close, regulatory compliance, and audit coordination while partnering with Tax, Treasury, Controlling, and HR on accounting matters.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of UK GAAP and IFRS.
• Experience with ERP systems.
• ACA/ACCA qualification or equivalent experience.
• Progressive accounting experience, ideally in multinational environments with team leadership.
• Excellent communication and people leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee accounting activities for UK legal entities, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting.
• Manage month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closing processes per group deadlines.
• Review and approve accounting entries, reconciliations, and local reporting deliverables.
• Ensure compliance with UK GAAP and IFRS and internal controls (SOX/ICFR).
• Coordinate statutory financial statements and filings; liaise with auditors and tax advisors.
• Drive UK accounting process improvements aligned with global finance transformation.
• Lead, coach, and develop the UK accounting team.

Skills

UK GAAP knowledge

IFRS knowledge

Internal controls

ERP systems

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Communication and leadership

Problem solving

Education

University degree in Business Administration/Accounting/Finance

ACA/ACCA qualification

Multinational experience in accounting

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

We are looking for a Local Head of Accounting (UK), to join our Global Accounting organisation. This is a permanent position, based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

The Local Head of Accounting (UK) will be responsible for overseeing all accounting activities for the UK legal entities and ensuring the integrity of statutory and management financial reporting. The role acts as the primary finance lead for UK accounting matters and serves as the key interface between the global finance organisation and local business stakeholders.

Role: Head of Accounting (UK)

Role Type: Permanent

Salary: Up to £90,000 p/a, plus excellent company benefits

Hours: Full time, 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Location: Hybrid, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee all accounting activities for UK legal entities, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting
• Manage month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closing processes in accordance with group reporting deadlines
• Review and approve accounting entries, reconciliations, and local reporting deliverables
• Ensure compliance with UK GAAP and IFRS
• Oversee preparation and coordination of statutory financial statements and related filings
• Act as primary contact for statutory auditors, tax advisor's, and UK regulatory authorities
• Monitor changes in UK accounting and regulatory requirements and assess business impact
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, SOX/ICFR requirements, and corporate accounting policies
• Maintain a robust and audit-ready local control environment
• Support internal and external audits
• Ensure appropriate documentation of accounting processes and controls
• Partner with Tax, Treasury, Controlling, Procurement, HR, and operational stakeholders on accounting-related matters
• Support business initiatives and special projects from an accounting perspective
• Provide technical accounting guidance to local stakeholders
• Act as escalation point for complex accounting issues and judgemental matters
• Drive continuous improvement of UK accounting processes in alignment with global finance transformation objectives
• Support implementation of new accounting policies, systems, and process changes
• Contribute to harmonization and standardization initiatives across the accounting organization
• Lead, coach, and develop the UK accounting team
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

Additional Requirement's

• Strong knowledge of UK GAAP and IFRS
• Solid understanding of internal controls, SOX/ICFR frameworks, and audit processes
• Solid knowledge of VAT and Corporate Income Tax
• Experience with ERP systems
• Strong technical accounting and analytical skills
• Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders and competing priorities
• Excellent communication and people leadership skills
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities
• Strong background in-house accounting

Required Qualifications

• University degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or related field
• ACA qualification (ACCA considered where supported by relevant experience)
• Progressive experience in Accounting, ideally within multinational environments and managing teams
• Progressive experience in Audit

Company Benefits

• Pension on completion of (but not subject to) your 3-month probationary period. Contributions 6% for employees (salary sacrifice) and 6% for the employer. The employee can opt to increase their contribution, and the employer will match the increase up to a maximum of 7.5%.
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and additional length of service days awarded on the anniversary, up to a maximum of 30 days.
• Private health insurance with BUPA for the employees and their partner/family under the company scheme.
• Private dental cover, after 3 months of service.
• Life assurance at four times your annual base salary.
• Well being support 24/7 and counselling services.
• Permanent health insurance provides 75% of the base salary after the qualifying period.
• Eligibility to participate in the Company Bonus Scheme. This is a discretionary benefit.
• Refer a friend scheme, recognition awards and many more!