The Role
The Management Accountant maintains the general ledger, prepares management accounts, supports month-end and year-end close, performs reconciliations and variance analysis, and assists with VAT, tax, audit, and cash-flow reporting. The role partners with operational teams, supports AP, AR, and credit control, maintains financial controls, and contributes to Sage 200 enhancements and an upcoming ERP implementation. It also provides financial insight, supports process improvements, and helps develop junior finance staff.
Summary Generated by Built In
Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Management Accountant is responsible for maintaining an accurate general ledger within the finance system (currently Sage 200) and supporting a robust month-end close process. The role plays a key part in ensuring high-quality financial reporting, strong financial controls and reliable data across the business.
The role also supports ongoing finance process and systems improvements, working closely with the CFO and Financial Controller to enhance reporting, efficiency and control. In addition, the Management Accountant will provide financial insight to support decision-making and help develop junior team members within the finance function.
Line Manager: Chief Financial Officer
Location: Full-time in London office for initial training period, then hybrid
(three days in office, two days working from home)
Contract Type: Permanent
Key requirements
Financial reporting & month-end close
Skills & experience
Essential
Benefits
Application deadline: 11 November 2026
The role also supports ongoing finance process and systems improvements, working closely with the CFO and Financial Controller to enhance reporting, efficiency and control. In addition, the Management Accountant will provide financial insight to support decision-making and help develop junior team members within the finance function.
Line Manager: Chief Financial Officer
Location: Full-time in London office for initial training period, then hybrid
(three days in office, two days working from home)
Contract Type: Permanent
Key requirements
Financial reporting & month-end close
- Maintain an accurate general ledger in accordance with UK GAAP.
- Prepare monthly management accounts, including P&L, balance sheet, cash flow reporting, and commentary.
- Perform balance sheet reconciliations and supporting schedules with analysis, to ensure accuracy and completeness.
- Provide P&L variance analysis (actual vs budget/forecast) with clear commentary and insight into key business drivers.
- Support the monthly, quarterly and year-end close processes to ensure timely and accurate reporting. This includes posting journals such as accruals, prepayments, deferrals, banking and other month-end adjustments.
- Maintain the daily cash flow forecast schedule with the support of the wider team.
- Assist the Financial Controller and sub-team leaders with reporting on monthly key metrics across the department.
- Maintain integrity of the finance system, including chart of accounts, FX processes, subledgers and reporting structures.
- Review and analyse monthly sales commission calculations for accuracy and consistency ahead of payroll processing.
- Act as a finance partner to the Sales, Marketing and Operational teams, ensuring accurate and timely financial data flow across the business.
- Support stakeholders in understanding financial performance and improving data quality, completeness and timeliness.
- Provide ad hoc analysis, forecasting input and financial insights to support decision-making.
- Ensure accuracy and timeliness of VAT returns, corporation tax provisions and National Statistics submissions.
- Support the year-end accounts and annual audit process through preparation of schedules, supporting documentation and resolution of auditor queries.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of finance processes, controls and systems.
- Support enhancements to Sage 200 and wider finance processes to improve efficiency, accuracy and reporting capability.
- Support the transition to a new mid-tier finance system / ERP, with an expected go-live date of 1 April 2027. There may be a second stage to migrate sales and operational data onto the same platform.
- Promote best practice and support embedding improved ways of working across the finance function.
- Support the Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Credit Control teams to ensure subledgers are accurately maintained and reconciled to control accounts.
- Ensure proper allocation of receipts, payments and transactions, and support cash flow forecasting.
- Undertake ad hoc analysis, reporting and finance tasks as required by the CFO and Financial Controller.
Skills & experience
Essential
- One to three years’ experience as a post-qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) with relevant industry experience in a fast-paced, project-driven environment.
- Solid working knowledge of UK best practice for core finance processes (AP, AR, GL accounting, banking), compliance, reporting and systems.
- Strong analytical ability and commercial awareness.
- Strong technical accounting expertise, including UK GAAP, VAT and taxation.
- Excel skills at intermediate level or above; proficient with VLOOKUPS or index match functions and pivot tables as a minimum, and laying out clear working files.
- Creative industry experience — e.g. media, entertainment or travel.
- Experience with improving finance systems, controls and processes.
- Systems implementation exposure is a plus.
Benefits
- Enthusiastic and results-driven with a can-do attitude and calm under pressure.
- Organised and detail-oriented, with high accuracy and a conscientious approach.
- Ability to manage deadlines, prioritise workload and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Collaborative team player with a positive and solution-focused mindset.
- Strong communicator with the ability to engage effectively across all levels of the business.
Application deadline: 11 November 2026
Skills Required
- One to three years of post-qualified experience as an ACA, ACCA, or CIMA accountant
- Relevant industry experience in a fast-paced, project-driven environment
- Working knowledge of AP, AR, general ledger accounting, banking, compliance, reporting, and finance systems
- Strong analytical ability and commercial awareness
- Technical accounting expertise, including UK GAAP, VAT, and taxation
- Intermediate-level or higher Microsoft Excel skills, including VLOOKUP or INDEX MATCH and pivot tables
- Creative industry experience, such as media, entertainment, or travel
- Experience improving finance systems, controls, and processes
- Finance systems implementation experience
- Strong communication, organization, prioritization, accuracy, and teamwork skills
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The Company
What We Do
APL Media Limited is an award-winning publisher and content marketing agency focused on the travel and lifestyle sectors. It creates multichannel content for consumer and trade audiences, including magazines, directories, newspaper supplements, guides, websites, social media campaigns and video. The company also develops branded campaigns and produces events such as industry awards, food festivals and reader experiences, combining print with digital support.
