Finance manager

The Finance team is responsible for maintaining accurate accounting and reporting across Argos fixed assets, technology costs and leases. Working closely with Finance, Technology, Property, audit and an offshore delivery partner, the team ensures capital expenditure, depreciation, technology-related costs and lease balances are recognised correctly and supported by effective controls. This is an opportunity to lead a specialist accounting area with broad business visibility and a clear focus on simplification, automation and better financial insight.

Responsibilities:

• Own the accurate and timely accounting for fixed assets, technology costs and leases across the relevant Argos entities.
• Prepare and review periodic, interim and year-end accounting packs.
• Reconcile additions, work in progress, depreciation, disposals, technology costs and lease movements.
• Ensure statutory and management reporting is supported by reliable data.
• Oversee Oracle Projects, fixed asset registers and associated interfaces.
• Lead lease accounting activities with particular focus on IFRS 16.
• Provide technical guidance.
• Support budgets and forecasts.
• Coordinate audit evidence.
• Assess the impact of accounting policy or standards changes.
• Lead and develop the Financial Accountant.
• Manage delivery from the Accenture offshore team.
• Drive improvements in processes, controls, data quality, standardisation and automation.

Requirements:

• You will be a qualified accountant with demonstrable technical accounting knowledge and practical experience of fixed assets, capital expenditure, technology costs or lease accounting.
• You will be able to interpret and apply relevant IFRS requirements, particularly IFRS 16 and standards covering property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, while maintaining effective balance-sheet controls and reconciliations.
• You will be comfortable applying judgement to complex accounting matters and explaining conclusions clearly to Finance, Technology, Property, audit and delivery-partner stakeholders.
• You will bring proven experience of setting priorities and managing delivery through colleagues or service partners, together with the organisation required to meet demanding reporting deadlines.
• A recognised professional accountancy qualification, such as ACA, ACCA or CIMA.
• Demonstrable experience of accounting for fixed assets, capital expenditure, technology costs or leases, including periodic or statutory reporting.
• Practical knowledge of IFRS 16 and relevant accounting requirements for property, plant and equipment or intangible assets.
• Evidence of owning balance-sheet reconciliations, audit evidence and reporting controls, including resolving material errors or reconciling items.
• Proven experience of setting priorities and managing accounting delivery through a direct report, offshore team or external service partner.

Desirable:

• Oracle experience would be beneficial but is not essential.

Conditions:

We take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Starting off with colleague discount, you'll be able to save 10% on your shopping online and instore at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat, and we regularly increase the discount to 15% at points during the year. We've also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You’ll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 20% of salary, depending on how we perform. You will receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy up to an additional week's holiday, and we provide private healthcare. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest free car loan of up to £10k, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, salary advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. And if you ever need it there is also an Employee Assistance Programme. We give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.