Senior Accountant

Regal Care Trading Ltd; Orpington; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading care home group in the UK is seeking a Senior Accountant to oversee core accounting activities across multiple care homes. The role requires a qualified accountant with strong management accounting skills, excellent proficiency in Excel, and experience working with multi-site operations. Responsibilities include financial reporting, budgeting, cashflow management, and mentoring junior team members. This position provides an opportunity to make significant contributions to financial controls and operational insights within a growing organization.

Qualifications

• Experienced in month-end ownership and management accounting.
• Proficient in multi-site accounting.
• Strong analytical thinking and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead monthly close process and ensure timely reporting.
• Prepare monthly management accounts and variance analysis.
• Support budgeting and forecasting across care homes.

Skills

Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA) or qualified by experience

Significant experience in management accounting

Strong Excel skills

Excellent attention to detail

Clear communicator

Education

Accountancy qualification (ACA / ACCA / CIMA)

Tools

Sage Accounting Software

Power BI

Job description

Senior Accountant

We are a growing care home group committed to delivering high-quality, person‑centred care. We’re looking for a Senior Accountant to take ownership of core accounting activities across our care homes, support robust financial controls, and provide clear, practical insight to operational leaders. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys combining strong technical accounting with real‑world, multi‑site operational finance.

Senior Accountant Key Responsibilities

Financial reporting & month‑end

Lead the monthly close process across multiple care home sites, ensuring accuracy and timely reporting.

Prepare monthly management accounts (P&L, balance sheet, cashflow) with meaningful variance analysis.

Maintain reconciliations for key balance sheet accounts (bank, payroll, accruals, prepayments, fixed assets, intercompany).

Produce pack‑level reporting for leadership, including KPIs relevant to care (e.g., occupancy, fee yield, agency spend, care hours).

Budgeting, forecasting & performance support

Support annual budgeting and periodic forecasting, working closely with Home Managers and operational teams.

Track performance against budget, identify drivers of over/under spend, and recommend actions.

Payroll, staffing costs & supplier management

Partner with payroll to ensure payroll journals, accruals, and cost allocations are correct (including overtime/agency).

Review agency and staffing invoices for accuracy, compliance, and proper coding.

Oversee supplier account management: aged creditors, payment runs, supplier statement reconciliations, and cost control.

Model scenarios related to occupancy, staffing, inflationary pressures, and fee changes.

Cashflow & working capital

Monitor cashflow and support short‑and medium‑term cash forecasting for multiple sites.

Improve working capital through disciplined debtor management (where applicable), supplier terms, and accruals accuracy.

Compliance, controls & audits

Ensure compliance with relevant accounting standards, and internal policies.

Maintain strong financial controls in a multi‑site environment, including approval workflows and coding discipline.

Prepare audit schedules and support year‑end processes, liaising with external auditors and advisors.

Systems & process improvement

Drive continuous improvement in finance processes and reporting, reducing manual effort and increasing accuracy.

Support finance systems enhancements (e.g., accounting software, expense systems) and user training.

Team support & stakeholder management

Mentor and support junior finance team members; review work and provide coaching.

Build strong relationships with Home Managers and central functions, translating finance into operational insight.

Document processes and create clear guidance for site teams on finance procedures.

Person Specification for this Senior Accountant role

Essential

• Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA) or qualified by experience with strong relevant track record.
• Significant experience in management accounting and month‑end ownership.
• Confident with multi‑site or multi‑entity accounting (care, healthcare, hospitality, or similar operational sectors desirable).
• Strong Excel skills and experience working with accounting systems (Sage preferably).
• Excellent attention to detail, analytical thinking, and ability to meet deadlines.
• Clear communicator who can work effectively with non‑finance stakeholders.

Desirable

• Experience in the care sector, social care, healthcare, or regulated environments.
• Exposure to occupancy‑led revenue models, staffing ratios, and agency cost management.
• Experience supporting audits.
• Experience improving processes, controls, and reporting automation (Power BI or similar a plus).