Senior Financial Accountant

ACCA Careers; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working with no core hours

30 days annual leave

8 bank holidays & 1 privilege day

Civil Service Pension scheme (28% avg.

Job summary

Companies House in the United Kingdom is seeking a Senior Financial Accountant to join the Financial Accounting team. You will manage month-end and year-end activities, oversee journals and reconciliations, and contribute to IFRS-based financial reporting and government disclosures.

Key duties include supporting the Chief Technical Accountant with the Annual Report and Accounts, drafting notes, ensuring controls, and liaising with external audits.

Qualifications

• Extensive accounting experience.
• Strong technical knowledge of IFRS and financial reporting.
• Experience producing financial accounts with technical judgements.

Responsibilities

• Manage monthly Financial Accounting timetable including journals and reconciliations.
• Oversee processes like intangible assets and VAT with robust evidence.
• Prepare IFRS-compliant models and notes for annual report and penalties.
• Support production of the Annual Report and Accounts and board reports.
• Draft financial statements, notes, and disclosures for stakeholders.
• Apply FReM, IFRS, and MPM; escalate complex judgements.
• Manage NAO external audit and provide audit evidence.
• Maintain robust controls and assist government reporting.

Skills

IFRS knowledge

Financial accounting

Month-end close

Audit liaison

Education

Fully qualified chartered accountant (ACCA, CCAB, CIMA, or equivalent)

Job description

Location

Crown Way, Cardiff, CF14 3UZ; Queen Elizabeth House, 1 Sibbald Walk, Edinburgh, EH8 8FT; Erskine House, 20-32 Chichester Street, Belfast, BT1 4LB

Job Summary

Are you a qualified accountant with a passion for financial accounting and reporting?

Do you have experience of producing financial accounts with the confidence to make technical accounting judgements?

If so, we have two fantastic opportunities to join our Financial Accounting team at Companies House as a Senior Financial Accountant.

Why choose Companies House?

At Companies House we take a proactive approach to wellbeing by promoting a welcoming culture, healthy work life balance and supporting colleagues to be their best in work because we know people are the key to our success.

Our Benefits Include

• Flexible working with no core hours (between 6am and 8pm)
• 30 days annual leave
• 8 bank holidays & 1 privilege day
• Enrolment into the Civil Service Pension scheme, with an average employer contribution of 28%

Job Description

Financial Accounting ensures that Companies House’s financial results are accurately reported in line with relevant accounting standards and government reporting requirements.

As a Senior Financial Accountant, you will manage key month-end and year-end activities, including journals, balance sheet reconciliations, financial controls and technical accounting matters. The role also contributes to the preparation of monthly Board reports.

A key part of the role will be supporting the Chief Technical Accountant with the production and timely laying of the Annual Report and Accounts, including the Agency Accounts and Trust Statement. You will help prepare financial statements and disclosures, working papers and audit evidence, while applying IFRS/IAS, FReM and Managing Public Money requirements.

In addition, the role plays a key part in ensuring the completeness and accuracy of financial data in line with NAO accounting requirements, supported by strong financial controls and robust evidence.

Specific Responsibilities And Day To Day Tasks Include

• Managing the monthly Financial Accounting timetable across relevant Companies House company codes, including journals, balance sheet reconciliations, reviews and delivery of monthly actuals in line with BIST and WGA reporting deadlines.
• Overseeing key financial accounting processes, including intangible assets and VAT, ensuring appropriate accounting treatment, robust reconciliations and supporting evidence.
• Preparing IFRS-compliant accounting models, reports and working papers for Late Filing Penalties and Powers and Sanctions penalty income, including supporting calculations, accounting judgements and financial reporting requirements.
• Supporting the Chief Technical Accountant with the production and timely laying of the Companies House Annual Report and Accounts (ARA), including preparing year-end accounting information, working papers, supporting schedules and audit evidence.
• Supporting the Chief Technical Accountant with drafting relevant financial statements and notes to the accounts, including supporting calculations and disclosures, and obtaining and assuring information from stakeholders.
• Interpreting and applying FReM, relevant IFRS requirements and Managing Public Money (MPM) to areas of responsibility, supporting technical accounting assessments and escalating complex or significant judgements to the Chief Technical Accountant.
• Managing the NAO external audit, including responding to audit queries and providing high-quality supporting evidence.
• Maintaining robust financial controls and audit trails, identifying risks and opportunities to improve financial accounting processes.
• Working collaboratively across Finance and the wider organisation to obtain, challenge and assure financial information required for monthly, statutory and wider government reporting, including Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) where required.

About The Team

The Financial Accounting team sits within Finance & Commercial and is responsible for delivering high-quality financial accounting, statutory reporting and financial control across Companies House. We are a collaborative team working closely with colleagues across Finance and the wider organisation. Our work covers month-end and year-end reporting, production of the Annual Report and Accounts, external audit, technical accounting, fixed and intangible assets, leases, expected credit losses, revenue recognition and wider government reporting.

It is an exciting time to join the team, with an evolving financial and regulatory landscape, increasing technical accounting requirements and significant finance system transformation ahead. The team is also focused on building capability and sharing knowledge, providing opportunities to develop technical accounting expertise and gain experience across a broad range of financial reporting activities.

We value teamwork, continuous improvement and professional development, and encourage colleagues to share knowledge, challenge existing processes and work together to deliver high-quality outcomes.

Please Note

• You will be based at either our Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast office where you will be expected to attend on a regular basis.
• Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.
• Due to the nature of the role and team structure, this is a full time position and the successful candidate will be required to work a full time working week, however, we can consider applications from those looking to work compressed hours.
• Applicants who are progressed from sift to interview will be required to provide evidence of the required qualifications in advance of the interview taking place.

Person specification

• Extensive accounting experience.
• Strong technical knowledge of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
• Experience of producing financial accounts and making technical accounting judgements, and then explaining those judgements to others.
• Extensive experience working in a finance role within a finance function, gained in either the private sector, public sector, or within Audit and Assurance services.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to network and build relationships at all levels.
• Customer service empathy and focus and people management skills.
• Strong Excel and presentation skills.
• Extensive experience working in a finance role within a finance function, gained in either the private sector, public sector, or within Audit and Assurance services.
• At least two years of post-qualification experience, demonstrating the ability to apply professional accounting knowledge in a complex financial environment.

We're Looking For a Senior Financial Accountant With

• Extensive accounting experience.
• Strong technical knowledge of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
• Experience of producing financial accounts and making technical accounting judgements, and then explaining those judgements to others.
• Extensive experience working in a finance role within a finance function, gained in either the private sector, public sector, or within Audit and Assurance services.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to network and build relationships at all levels.
• Customer service empathy and focus and people management skills.
• Strong Excel and presentation skills.Extensive experience working in a finance role within a finance function, gained in either the private sector, public sector, or within Audit and Assurance services.
• At least two years of post-qualification experience, demonstrating the ability to apply professional accounting knowledge in a complex financial environment.

Qualifications

Fully qualified chartered accountant (ACCA, CCAB, CIMA , or equivalent) qualification.

If invited to interview, you'll be required to provide evidence of the qualifications required in advance of your interview. Please note we are not able to accept part qualifications or applications from those with the intention to study. Successful candidates will need to provide evidence of their fully qualified chartered accountant (ACCA, CCAB, CIMA , or equivalent) qualification in order to progress to interview.

Behaviours

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

• Application of accounting standards and financial reporting requirements to the preparation of statutory financial accounts, including financial statements and disclosures.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £48,147, Companies House contributes £13,948 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

We believe that our success is driven by the well-being and satisfaction of our team members at all levels of the organisation. At Companies House we’re committed to providing a comprehensive benefits package that goes beyond the ordinary, ensuring your career journey with us is not only fulfilling, but also rewarding. We pride ourselves on offering a quality work-life balance with our employee wellbeing being central to our working practices.