Senior Management Accountant

Howden Group; Witney; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Howden Group is seeking a recently qualified accountant to support the management accounting and financial control function. The role focuses on upholding the integrity, accuracy and timeliness of financial reporting and provides exposure to a global finance environment.

You will work with the Financial Controller, assist with audits, and drive process improvements while ensuring compliance with Group policies.

Qualifications

• Recently qualified accountant with strong accounting foundations.
• Strong management accounting and financial control background.
• Detail-oriented with a dedication to financial accuracy and integrity.
• Experience in working with external auditors.
• Proactive in identifying process improvements and driving efficiencies.
• Collaborative and able to build positive relationships with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Support month-end and quarter-end reporting to agreed timelines.
• Maintain balance sheet integrity with reconciliations and reviews.
• Support the Financial Controller in maintaining robust financial controls and documentation.
• Prepare debt monitoring dashboards and aging analysis.
• Prepare cash flow forecasts and monitor actual performance against assumptions.
• Contribute to quarterly analytical reviews of P&L and Balance Sheet.
• Assist with end-to-end audit processes and respond to auditor queries.
• Provide information required by Group Tax (Corporation Tax and VAT).
• Review work by Management Accountants and Assistant Management Accountants.
• Support compliance with Group accounting policies and statutory standards.
• Assist improvements to processes to strengthen financial control and efficiency.

Skills

Management accounting

Financial control

Attention to detail

External auditors

Process improvements

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Recently qualified accountant

Job description

Who are we?

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It's what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities - work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering - you'll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

This role supports the management accounting and financial control function; upholding the integrity, accuracy, and timeliness of financial reporting. The position also plays a key role in supporting the Financial Controller in maintaining and developing a strong financial control environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Support month-end and quarter-end process ensuring accurate reporting to agreed timelines.
• Support balance sheet integrity through preparation of balance sheet reconciliations and review of those prepared by the Management Accountants
• Support the Financial Controller in maintaining a robust financial control environment, including documentation and evidencing for key controls
• Preparation of debt monitoring dashboards and aging analysis, including calculation of bad debt provision
• Preparation of cash flow forecast, monitoring actual performance to cash assumptions and highlighting risks and opportunities
• Preparation of quarterly Analytical review of P&L and Balance Sheet for the Group Finance team
• Support end to end audit process, including liaising with auditors, supporting audit queries, co-ordinating with non-finance teams and evidence provision
• Preparation of information required by Group Tax team (Corporation Tax and VAT)
• Support review of work completed by the Management Accountants and Assistant Management Accountants
• Support compliance with Group accounting policies and statutory standards.
• Support implementation of improvements to processes to strengthen financial control and increase efficiency

Key Skills/Experience

• Recently qualified accountant
• Strong management accounting and financial control background
• Detail-oriented with a dedication to financial accuracy and integrity
• Experienced in working with external auditors
• Proactive in identifying process improvements and driving efficiencies
• Collaborative and able to build positive relationships both with both financial and non-financial stakeholders

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity - there is no one Howden type. Instead, we're looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

Permanent