Senior Financial Accountant (6 Month FTC)

Role Overview

The Senior Financial Accountant is a key member of the UK Finance team with a remit spanning finance operations, financial control and financial reporting. 

This is a delivery-focused role suited to a technically strong accountant who is comfortable owning detailed reconciliations, journals and reporting outputs in a regulated banking environment. The role requires strong attention to detail, structured working practices and the ability to operate to tight reporting deadlines.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Controllership

• Act as the Financial Controller’s key partner across financial controllership, supporting finance operations, reporting and tax.
• Take responsibility for executing the majority of month-end close activities, ensuring outputs are accurate, complete and delivered on time in line with IFRS and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure the integrity of the general ledger and chart of accounts, with direct responsibility for balance sheet reconciliations, including bank and key control accounts.
• Perform mid-month reconciliations and ledger reviews to identify issues early in the reporting cycle.
• Monitor key balance sheet and control accounts to proactively address potential misstatements before formal close.
• Ensure appropriate coding and cost allocation discipline throughout the month.
• Execute and maintain financial reporting models required for a scaling bank (including IFRS 2, IFRS 9 and IFRS 16), adhering to model risk management requirements, with a strong willingness to deepen technical understanding over time.
• Support the external audit process by coordinating and delivering high-quality documentation and analysis, ensuring audit requests are addressed accurately and efficiently.
• Assist with internal audit activities, ensuring timely, well-evidenced responses to findings and recommendations.

 

Finance Operations & Tax

• Execute a broad range of day-to-day finance operations activities, including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and cash settlements, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and strong control discipline.
• Partner with external advisors on tax compliance and reporting, including corporation tax, VAT partial exemption, R&D tax credits and PAYE Settlement Agreements (PSA).
• Ensure all financial operations operate within the Bank’s governance, risk and control framework, maintaining strong oversight of financial data quality and reconciliations.

Controls and Processes

• Design, implement and continuously enhance internal controls to strengthen financial governance and mitigate risk in a high-growth environment.
• Collaborate closely with Treasury, Risk, Operations, Product and Technology teams to support cost control, asset capitalisation and other finance-related processes.
• Act as a key business partner to Group Finance and UK stakeholders, ensuring alignment, transparency and high-quality financial information flows.

Culture

• Foster a culture of accountability, integrity and continuous improvement across all financial control processes.

Requirements:

Education & Qualifications

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, ICAS, CPA or CIMA)
• Several years post-qualification experience (or equivalent practical experience) within banking, financial services or another regulated environment.

Technical & Professional Skills

• Strong core accounting knowledge with practical experience applying IFRS in a financial reporting environment.
• Hands-on experience delivering month-end close, balance sheet reconciliations and financial reporting in a controlled environment.
• Understanding of UK tax fundamentals (corporation tax, VAT), with experience working alongside external advisors.
• Experience working with advanced accountings ledgers (Microsoft Dynamics / Business Central / Navision preferred).
• Strong Excel skills.
• Strong attention to detail and a clear commitment to quality and control.
• Well organised, able to prioritise effectively and deliver to tight deadlines in a fast-paced, regulated environment.
• Confident communicator, able to work effectively with Group Finance and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.