UK Senior Accounting | London, UK

BBVA; London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

BBVA is seeking a Lead Accountant for its London branch, responsible for ensuring the integrity and compliance of financial information while leading the accounting team. The ideal candidate will possess a CPA, have experience in financial institutions, and demonstrate strong leadership and analytical skills, with fluency in both Spanish and English.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in financial accounting within financial institutions.
• 3+ years in a leadership role.
• Fluent in Spanish and English.

Responsibilities

• Lead the accounting function ensuring integrity and regulatory compliance.
• Prepare local and IFRS financial statements, oversee tax obligations.
• Design and maintain internal accounting controls.

Skills

Customer Targeting

Empathy

Ethics

Innovation

Proactive Thinking

Education

Degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Tools

ERP systems (e.g., SAP)

Job description

Excited to grow your career?

BBVA is a global company with more than 160 years of history that operates in more than 25 countries where we serve more than 80 million customers. We are more than 121,000 professionals working in multidisciplinary teams with profiles as diverse as financiers, legal experts, data scientists, developers, engineers and designers.

The CIB UK Finance team is in charge of the accounting, regulatory reporting, Cost management, Planning & budgeting, Liquidity & Capital efficiency and Tax in the UK Branch.

About the job:

Purpose of the Role:

Lead the accounting function of the branch, ensuring the integrity, reliability, and regulatory alignment of financial information, with a focus on accounting supporting business growth, and fostering cross-functional collaboration within the finance area (Tax, Regulatory Reporting, Accounting BBVA SA...).

Key Responsibilities:

Accounting Control and Business Evolution

• Analyze and explain accounting variations based on business performance and evolution.
• Ensure that the accounting structure scales appropriately with the growth and complexity of the branch.
• Maintain close collaboration with treasury, financial control, tax, and risk teams, ensuring consistency and quality in financial reporting.

Financial Reporting and Compliance

• Oversee the preparation of local and IFRS financial statements, ensuring regulatory compliance and timely delivery.
• Coordinate the monthly, quarterly, and annual accounting closing processes.
• Ensure fulfillment of tax and regulatory obligations and manage internal and external audit processes.

Internal Controls and Continuous Improvement

• Design and maintain strong internal accounting controls (reconciliations, policies, SOX compliance if applicable).
• Lead automation and process improvement initiatives, including ERP and financial reporting tools.

Group Coordination and Head Office Relations

• Act as the operational liaison with the corporate accounting team, ensuring alignment with global policies.
• Coordinate local implementation of group accounting guidelines, tools, or standards.
• Ensure high-quality reporting to the group for consolidation and group-level reporting processes.

Team Leadership

• Lead, develop, and motivate the accounting team.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the team.

Candidate Profile:

• Education: Degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field. Certified Public Accountant (CPA) required.
• Experience: 7+ years in financial accounting within financial institutions, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Knowledge: Local and international accounting standards (IFRS), tax regulations, internal controls, reporting, ERP systems (e.g., SAP).
• Languages: Fluent Spanish (for interaction with head office) and English.
• Key Competencies: Leadership, analytical thinking, results orientation, effective communication.

Skills:
Customer Targeting, Empathy, Ethics, Innovation, Proactive Thinking

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