National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
Management Accounting Manager
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About the Role
At NPL, we set the standards by which the world is measured. Our work underpins solutions to global challenges — from tackling climate change and advancing medical breakthroughs to enabling next-generation communications technology.
Our Finance team plays a critical role in shaping NPL’s success. By partnering across the organisation, we create a clear strategy and vision, monitor performance, and provide insights that drive informed decisions and sustainable growth.
As the Management Accounting Manager, you’ll be a key member of the finance leadership team and manage a team of circa 20 qualified and part-qualified staff. You will ensure that the Management Accounts team delivers accurate and timely management accounts, supported by a clear understanding of financial performance.
In this role, you will also play a key role in enhancing systems and processes to strengthen financial governance & control, to safeguard assets and manage financial risk.
What you’ll be doing:
- Lead the performance and potential of the team, building a highly motivated, customer focused and high performing team, promoting and sharing best practices
- Lead the month end close process including the preparation of monthly management accounts including full P&L and balance sheet analyses to ensure financial performance is accurately reflected and deadlines are met
- Provide clear management account reporting & KPIs which explains financial performance versus forecast targets.
- Lead collaboratively with the Commercial Finance team to enable the business to understand financial results and business performance
- Deliver existing Executive Monthly reporting and develop enhanced future reporting
- Maintain strong financial governance, ensuring systems are in place that safeguard the assets & control financial risk
- Implement efficient and effective financial controls, ensuring they are followed and reviewed regularly, including monthly balance sheet reviews as well as supporting the financial audit by providing a clear explanation of relevant accounting and controls
- Support the Budgeting and Forecasting processes
- Develop relationships with key stakeholders to ensure external compliance is fully understood and applied in a timely manner; ensuring the financial information reported to DSIT is meeting their needs and requirements
- Lead on the exploitation of the ERP system across Finance to drive improved ways of working, controls and financial information
- Continuously review and develop processes, identifying opportunities to simplify, standardise, and drive efficiencies
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About You
We are seeking a highly skilled and commercially astute Management Accounting Manager to play a pivotal role in delivering high-quality reporting. The successful candidate will bring proven experience in leading teams with diverse skills, building effective relationships, challenging constructively, and working collaboratively across the organisation.
What you can bring to the role:
- You will be a qualified accountant with proven post-qualification experience in a similar role
- An experienced people manager with demonstrable experience of coaching and developing a medium-sized team
- Experience of leading the month end process and producing monthly management accounts and variance analysis
- Strong background in financial reporting, controls and compliance
- Ability to combine technical expertise with excellent analytical and communication skills
- Highly collaborative
- High proficiency in Excel and ideally have experience of financial reporting tools (e.g., Power BI, Dynamics).
- Ability to balance competing priorities and meeting tight deadlines
About Us
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here - The measure of us - Overview.
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NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.
At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity. As part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More about this on our Diversity & Inclusion page.
We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of rewards, benefits and recognition. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success. To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.
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