Senior Financial Accountant

JR United Kingdom; Stockport; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK retailer is seeking a Senior Financial Accountant to join their finance team in Stockport. This pivotal role will involve managing financial accounts and leading two direct reports, enhancing financial control processes and delivering key management information. We are looking for a qualified accountant with relevant retail finance experience and strong analytical abilities to provide a data-driven financial support service.

Qualifications

• Solid experience in retail finance, ideally in a direct-to-consumer environment.
• Strong Excel skills including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP, etc.
• Proven experience in a retail or consumer-focused finance role.

Responsibilities

• Produce monthly management accounts and financial account reconciliations.
• Manage the month-end close process and budget forecasting.
• Support internal departments with financial reports and analysis.

Skills

Excel

Problem Solving

Analytical Thinking

Attention to Detail

Communication

Process Improvement

Education

Fully qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA or CIMA)

Job description

Social network you want to login/join with:

As the Senior Financial Accountant, you’ll report directly to the Head of Finance and play a pivotal role in the end-to-end delivery of management and financial accounts. You’ll support the timely production of accurate, relevant financial information for both internal decision-making and external statutory reporting.

Sitting at the heart of the Finance team, this role requires strong business partnering capabilities to act as a critical link across both the purchase and sales ledger functions. You’ll help shape an effective, insight-driven financial support service—delivering high-quality financial outputs through budgeting, forecasting and periodic management accounts to stakeholders across the business.

You’ll also be responsible for managing and developing two direct reports: the Assistant Management Accountant and the Senior AP Controller.

We’re looking for someone with solid experience in retail finance, ideally from a direct-to-consumer environment or within a large, dynamic business.

Key Responsibilities:

• Produce monthly management accounts, including financial account reconciliations
• Post key journals, such as those relating to commercial partnerships, marketing accruals, import pricing variances and inventory adjustments
• Manage the month-end close process
• Create divisional and company-wide financial reports, including income statements and overhead reporting
• Prepare and submit VAT returns, EC Sales and Intrastat to HMRC
• Maintain accurate prepayments and accruals schedules
• Assist in budgeting and forecasting cycles, including uploading plans into the ERP system
• Produce detailed income statements for retail operations
• Support internal departments with tailored financial reports and analysis
• Manage intercompany invoicing and reconciliation with international entities
• Continuously improve financial control processes and reporting systems
• Coordinate statutory audit and corporation tax filings with external auditors
• Collaborate proactively with internal stakeholders across departments
• Support wider business initiatives and ad-hoc finance projects as required

What We're Looking For:

• Fully qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA or CIMA)
• Strong Excel skills including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP, SUMIF(S), INDEX MATCH and SUMPRODUCT
• High attention to detail with a process-improvement mindset
• Organised, adaptable and capable of managing competing priorities
• Analytical thinker with sound problem-solving skills
• Self-starter with a strong sense of ownership
• Team-focused and supportive, driven to help wider objectives as well as your own
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to liaise confidently at all levels
• Proven experience in a retail or consumer-focused finance role
• Comfortable influencing senior stakeholders with data-led insights

For more information, please contact Fraser Graham today.