We have an excellent opportunity for a Financial Accountant to join a Finance team on a 12-month fixed-term contract basis.
The successful candidate will collaborate closely with members of the Finance department and key external stakeholders to support the financial close process, management and group reporting, and the preparation of statutory financial statements.
Key Responsibilities
- Assist with the month-end close process, ensuring assigned accounting tasks are completed in accordance with internal procedures, reporting deadlines, and control requirements.
- Ensure all general ledger inputs are properly validated, checked, and recorded accurately and within agreed timelines.
- Prepare and post fee income and rebate income journals, ensuring correct ledger allocation and reconciliation with internal records and third-party providers.
- Process investment-related journals using source information from outsourced service providers, ensuring all related reconciliations are completed accurately, including new money bank reconciliations.
- Prepare and complete assigned bank reconciliations, investigating and resolving reconciling items promptly to ensure no unexplained balances remain at month-end.
- Post and reconcile inter company transactions, resolving differences with group entities and ensuring balances are fully agreed for reporting purposes.
- Perform new money bank reconciliations along with monthly premium and claims reconciliations.
- Post policyholder reserves and unit-linked liabilities monthly using data supplied by the actuarial team.
- Process IAS-related adjustments relating to investment contracts.
- Process and post branch invoices, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with internal accounting policies.
- Support the preparation of semi-annual and annual statutory financial statements.
- Prepare monthly management accounts for insurance reporting purposes.
- Maintain accurate procedures, documentation, and audit trails.
- Identify opportunities to improve financial processes, controls, and reporting efficiencies, while supporting additional ad-hoc tasks requested by senior management or the CFO.
Skills and Competencies
- Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookup formulas, and data analysis techniques.
- Fast learner with strong communication skills and the ability to work independently when required.
- Strong attention to detail and a proactive approach to work.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight reporting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Organised, resilient, and solution-oriented, with a strong focus on resolving issues efficiently.
- Professional and credible when engaging with both internal and external stakeholders.
Qualifications and Experience
- Newly qualified accountant.
- Proven experience in life insurance accounting, with an interest in working within a dynamic insurance environment.
- Previous experience within a leading audit practice would be advantageous.
- Experience with month-end close and reporting processes is desirable.
- Knowledge of SAP and Tagetik systems would be beneficial.
- Familiarity with AI-enabled tools such as Microsoft Copilot would be considered an advantage.
