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Operational Accounting Manager
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Operational Accounting Manager
Location: West London
Function: Finance
Working Pattern: Hybrid
The Opportunity
We are supporting a large, international organisation in the appointment of an Operational Accounting Manager to play a key role within its Finance function in West London.
This is a pure operational accounting role, responsible for ensuring the accurate, controlled and efficient delivery of core accounting activities across multiple entities. The position will work closely with an established Shared Service Centre (SSC) and will be responsible for ensuring activities delivered through the SSC meet the required standards for accuracy, controls, timeliness and service.
Alongside strong day-to-day accounting leadership, there is a significant focus on process improvement, standardisation and automation. The successful candidate will be expected to challenge existing processes, identify inefficiencies and help create a more scalable and effective operational finance environment.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Accounting & Month-End
- Take ownership of the operational accounting cycle across multiple legal entities.
- Lead and coordinate the month-end, quarter-end and year-end close, ensuring accurate and timely completion.
- Maintain strong ownership and control of the balance sheet, including review and approval of balance sheet reconciliations.
- Review and approve journals, accruals, prepayments, provisions and other general ledger entries.
- Oversee accounting for fixed assets, payroll, intercompany transactions and other key balance sheet areas.
- Ensure accounting activities comply with IFRS, Group accounting policies and internal control requirements.
- Investigate and resolve accounting issues, aged balances and reconciliation differences.
- Support internal and external audit requirements, ensuring appropriate documentation and evidence is maintained.
Shared Service Centre Management
- Act as a key finance contact for the Shared Service Centre, overseeing the quality and timeliness of accounting activities delivered by the SSC.
- Establish clear ownership, service expectations and controls between local Finance and the Shared Service Centre.
- Review accounting outputs produced by the SSC and ensure issues are identified and resolved promptly.
- Work with SSC leadership to improve processes, controls and service levels.
- Ensure accounting processes are appropriately documented, standardised and consistently applied.
- Support the effective transition of appropriate finance activities into the Shared Service Centre where required.
- Drive greater accountability and ownership across the end-to-end accounting process rather than operating in functional silos.
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Process Improvement & Finance Transformation
- Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise and automate operational accounting processes.
- Reduce manual activity and unnecessary complexity within month-end and wider accounting processes.
- Drive improvements to the speed and quality of the financial close.
- Review existing processes and controls and implement more efficient ways of working.
- Work with Finance Systems and other stakeholders to improve the use of ERP and finance technology.
- Develop clear process documentation, controls and performance measures.
- Support finance transformation initiatives and the continued development of the Shared Service Centre model.
- Create a culture of continuous improvement across operational accounting.
Controls & Governance
- Maintain a strong financial control environment across operational accounting.
- Ensure reconciliations, journals and accounting activities are appropriately reviewed and evidenced.
- Identify control weaknesses and implement practical improvements.
- Ensure clear segregation of duties and accountability between local Finance and the SSC.
- Support statutory reporting, audit and compliance requirements.
- Ensure consistent application of Group accounting policies across entities.
Team Leadership
- Lead, develop and coach members of the operational accounting team.
- Build strong technical accounting and operational finance capability within the team.
- Establish clear responsibilities, objectives and performance expectations.
- Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and high-quality delivery.
- Work collaboratively with Finance colleagues, Shared Services, Tax, Treasury, auditors and other stakeholders.
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Candidate Profile
We are looking for an experienced Operational Accounting / Financial Accounting leader who has worked within a large, complex organisation and understands how a high-performing operational finance function should operate.
You will ideally have:
- ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent accounting qualification.
- Strong experience within operational accounting, financial accounting or record-to-report (R2R).
- Experience working within, alongside or managing activities delivered through a Shared Service Centre.
- Strong end-to-end understanding of the month-end close process.
- Excellent balance sheet and general ledger accounting knowledge.
- Experience across areas such as accruals, prepayments, fixed assets, intercompany, payroll accounting and reconciliations.
- Experience managing accounting across multiple legal entities.
- Strong financial controls and governance experience.
- A demonstrable track record of process improvement, standardisation and automation.
- Experience improving or shortening month-end close processes.
- Strong ERP and finance systems knowledge.
- Experience within a large multinational organisation; experience within pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, FMCG or another complex international environment would be advantageous.
- Previous experience managing and developing accounting teams.
- The ability to challenge existing processes and drive change while maintaining strong accounting controls.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role will mean creating a highly controlled, efficient and scalable operational accounting environment: delivering a reliable month-end close, maintaining a clean and well-controlled balance sheet, improving the relationship and operating model with the Shared Service Centre, reducing manual processes and continually improving the quality and efficiency of accounting operations.
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