Financial Accounting Manager

AKG UK Company:

AKG UK – Shared Services

Position Title:

Financial Accounting Manager

Role Status:

F/T

Delegated Authority Level:

6

Reports To:

Head of Commercial Finance

Roles Reporting to this Position:

None

Primary Purpose and Objectives:

To lead financial accounting and reporting across AKG UK, ensuring the integrity of the financial records, balance sheet and statutory reporting across multiple legal entities. The role is responsible for maintaining compliance with relevant accounting standards, leading the year-end and external audit process, overseeing key financial controls and supporting the Head of Commercial Finance and Finance Director with accurate and reliable financial information. The post-holder must be a fully qualified accountant with strong technical financial accounting and reporting experience.

Key Relationships/Interactions

Internal

• Head of Commercial Finance and Finance Director
• Wider Finance and Shared Services teams
• Facilities, Legal, Compliance and operational colleagues
• AKG Group Finance team
• Department and business unit leaders

External

• External auditors
• HM Revenue & Customs and other relevant statutory bodies
• Tax, accounting and other professional advisers
• Banks, finance providers and other financial institutions where required
• External suppliers and third parties providing information relevant to financial reporting, leases or audit

Key Responsibilities

Financial Accounting and Reporting

• Lead the month-end and year-end financial close processes, ensuring activity is completed accurately and within agreed timescales.
• Maintain the integrity of the general ledger and balance sheet across the relevant UK entities.
• Ensure all material balance sheet accounts are supported by timely, accurate and appropriately reviewed reconciliations.
• Review complex or unusual accounting matters and ensure appropriate accounting treatment is applied.
• Prepare statutory reporting information and support the production of annual financial statements.
• Maintain appropriate accounting policies, records and supporting documentation in accordance with relevant reporting standards.

Audit and Statutory Compliance

• Lead and coordinate the external audit process across the relevant UK entities.
• Act as a principal Finance contact for external auditors, coordinating information requests and resolving audit queries.
• Monitor audit findings and ensure agreed actions are implemented within appropriate timescales.
• Coordinate the preparation of relevant Group reporting schedules, statutory financial information and annual financial notes.
• Oversee the accurate and timely preparation and submission of VAT returns and other financial or tax submissions within the role’s remit.
• Work with external advisers, Group Finance and relevant internal teams to address technical accounting, tax and reporting matters.

Financial Control and Balance Sheet Integrity

• Develop and maintain effective financial controls across the areas within the role’s responsibility.
• Identify control weaknesses, accounting risks and potential financial misstatements and ensure appropriate action is taken.
• Maintain oversight of accruals, prepayments, provisions, fixed assets, leases and other material balance sheet areas.
• Ensure IFRS 16 lease accounting is maintained accurately, working with Facilities and other relevant teams to capture new leases and changes promptly.
• Provide clear and timely reporting of material financial risks, opportunities and control issues to the Head of Commercial Finance and Finance Director.

Cash, Payments and Treasury

• Support cash flow forecasting and monitoring, working with the wider Finance team to maintain appropriate visibility of liquidity requirements.
• Provide appropriate review and approval of payment activity within delegated authority.
• Maintain effective controls over banking, payments and other treasury-related activity within the role’s remit.
• Support the resolution of banking, payment and cash management queries as required.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Management

• Work collaboratively with Finance, Facilities, Legal, Compliance and operational teams to support accurate and timely financial reporting.
• Build effective working relationships with external auditors, HM Revenue & Customs, advisers and AKG Group Finance.
• Provide clear and timely updates on financial controls, reporting, audit planning and material issues.
• Explain technical accounting matters clearly to finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• Ensure queries and issues are managed effectively and resolved within appropriate timescales.

Quality and Continuous Improvement

• Identify and implement opportunities to improve financial reporting, controls, systems and ways of working.
• Promote high standards of accuracy, professionalism and attention to detail.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant accounting standards, tax requirements and professional developments applicable to the role.
• To deliver role responsibilities in line with AKG values and all relevant policies and procedures.
• Any other duties appropriate to the level of this role, for which the post-holder has the necessary training or experience.

Essential/Desirable Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Fully qualified accountant with current membership of a recognised professional accountancy body, such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent.
• Strong post-qualification experience in financial accounting, financial reporting or a comparable technical finance role.
• Strong working knowledge of UK GAAP/IFRS and relevant financial reporting requirements, with the ability to research and apply accounting standards.
• Experience leading month-end and year-end financial close processes.
• Experience maintaining balance sheet integrity through effective reconciliations, review and financial controls.
• Experience coordinating external audits and responding to technical audit queries.
• Experience working across multiple legal entities or business units.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify accounting risks and implement practical solutions.
• Advanced Excel skills and strong financial systems capability.
• Clear written and verbal communication, including the ability to explain technical financial matters to non-finance colleagues.
• Ability to manage competing deadlines and deliver accurate outputs within a controlled environment.
• High standards of integrity, professional judgement and confidentiality.

Desirable

• Experience within employability, education, healthcare, publicly funded services or another regulated environment.
• Experience using Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central or a comparable finance system.
• Experience of IFRS 16 lease accounting.
• Experience preparing VAT returns and supporting tax compliance.

Experience of Group reporting or working within an international Group structure.

Compliance

• It is the responsibility of all staff to abide by organisational policies to ensure compliance with relevant standards e.g. ISO 27001 (Information Security), ISO 9001 (Quality) and ISO 14001 (Environmental) as well as adhering to statutory duties in relation to safeguarding, Prevent and health and safety.

Inclusive Recruitment and Accessibility

• AKG UK is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We welcome applications from candidates with a range of backgrounds, experiences and working styles. Candidates are encouraged to let us know if they require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process. Applicants do not need to meet every desirable criterion to apply; we are interested in relevant skills, potential and values alignment as well as direct experience.