Finance Accountant

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i) ROLE PURPOSE

To be a key member of the Group Financial Reporting team, supporting accurate and timely financial reporting for Belron Group. The role has specific responsibility for group consolidation support, intercompany, half year and year end reporting processes, monthly flash reporting, non-recurring items, share-based payments and weekly sales reporting.

ii) KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Support the Group Financial Reporting Manager with the group consolidation process, ensuring timely and accurate reporting of flash results and monthly group accounts to senior stakeholders. This includes reviewing submissions, posting consolidation journals and working with Group Finance, Tax and Treasury to understand key reporting matters.

Support the Group Financial Reporting Manager with HFM change requests, including gathering and documenting requirements, coordinating with relevant stakeholders and working with the finance systems team to implement agreed changes.

Own and manage the group intercompany process, ensuring intercompany balances are matched, investigated and resolved on a timely basis. Work closely with central teams issuing recharges and country finance teams receiving costs, calculate the profit in stock adjustment, maintain the group intercompany policy and support compliance with agreed processes and controls.

Understand, analyse and document non-recurring items in the P&L, preparing summary schedules to track these items and explain movements to senior managers. Work with the FP&A team to ensure actual non-recurring items are clearly communicated and appropriately reflected in forecasts and the budget.

Calculate share-based payment charges at half year and year end, including preparation and review of related true-up calculations and supporting analysis.

Prepare monthly commentary explaining key variances against prior year and budget, with specific responsibility for understanding Corporate entities and providing clear insight into the drivers of performance.

Support the half year and year end reporting and audit processes by collating the IFRS questionnaire and Head of Finance approval form, preparing supporting analysis and responding to auditor queries. Review results with the Head of External and Group Reporting and Group Financial Controller, and coordinate follow-up actions arising.

Be responsible for weekly sales reporting, ensuring the report is accurate, timely and supported by appropriate checks. Respond to queries on reported data, work with customer teams to improve NPS reporting and partner with the finance systems team to maintain automation and implement agreed reporting format changes.

Assist with the preparation of the year end Group statutory accounts as required, including ownership of selected disclosures, preparation of supporting analysis and investigation of balances to ensure the numbers are fully understood and appropriately supported.

Identify and deliver process improvements across Group Financial Reporting, supporting a strong control environment through effective reconciliations, review processes, monitoring and reporting of control effectiveness. Make effective use of AI and automation to improve workflows, reduce manual effort and enhance the quality, consistency and efficiency of reporting outputs.

Take responsibility for ad hoc requests as they arise and support the Group Financial Reporting Manager with queries as required. These may relate to technical accounting issues, reporting matters, process improvements, system changes or other business-driven priorities.

iii) KEY RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNICATION:

The individual will work with a wide range of stakeholders across Belron’s Global finance community and as such will need to share issues and work on joint outputs. There will be a need to communicate openly and clearly, and the key relationships are:

·         Group Financial Reporting team members

·         Group Treasury team

·         Group Tax team

·         Group FP&A team

·         Country and Corporate finance teams

·         External Auditors (KPMG)

There may be a need to balance the different priorities of these stakeholders.

Graduate or equivalent level of education.

ACA, ACCA or equivalent qualified accountant, including newly qualified candidates.

• Financial accounting experience, including month end reporting, analysis and preparation of accurate financial information.

• Exposure to, or strong interest in developing within, group reporting, including consolidation, intercompany transactions and multi-currency reporting.

• Ability to prepare clear supporting analysis and respond effectively to audit or stakeholder queries.

• Confidence working with stakeholders across finance and explaining financial information clearly.

• Experience using HFM or another group consolidation and reporting system.
  
• Experience working in a head office, group finance or shared service environment with multiple stakeholders and deadlines.

• Experience in either retail or automotive industry.

• Experience of a listed company environment.

• Experience of acquisitions and disposals.

Knowledge & Skills (essential)

• Strong numerical and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret financial data, identify issues and explain key movements.

• Advanced Excel skills and confidence working with large data sets.

• Good understanding of IFRS, with the ability to apply accounting standards to practical reporting matters or develop this quickly in role.

• Collaborative working style, with the ability to build effective relationships across finance teams.

• Strong communication and organisational skills, with the ability to manage deadlines, explain financial information clearly and build effective working relationships.

Knowledge & Skills (desirable)

• Knowledge of group consolidations, intercompany eliminations and foreign currency reporting.

• Experience preparing management accounts, posting journals and improving reporting processes.

• Able to manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality outputs under time pressure.

• Strong team player who takes ownership, supports colleagues and contributes beyond core responsibilities where required.

• High attention to detail, with a strong focus on accuracy, quality and integrity of financial information.

• Curious and questioning mindset, with the confidence to challenge, investigate issues and escalate matters appropriately.

• Proactive, adaptable and motivated to identify improvements and add value to the team.