Senior Accountant in Warwick

The Learning Experience (TLE) is one of the fastest-growing early years education providers in the US, and through its Banana Moon brand, has an established and growing presence in the UK. We are looking for a Senior Finance & Reporting Accountant to be based at Banana Moon HQ in Warwick, providing financial accounting, reporting, and business partnering support across our UK business — spanning Banana Moon franchised and corporate nurseries as well as the four TLE-operated centres in the UK. This is a hands-on role suited to a commercially minded accountant who is comfortable working in a transatlantic business structure, can manage month-end independently, and has the communication skills to liaise between UK operations and US finance leadership. You will report to senior finance leadership and play a key role in building out the financial rigour of our growing UK business.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial Accounting & Reporting
  • Lead the monthly close process for UK entities, including journal entries, accruals, and general ledger maintenance.
  • Prepare and review balance sheet reconciliations and bank reconciliations.
  • Prepare management accounts and financial reporting packs for UK operations.
  • Perform variance analysis against budget, forecast, and prior periods, with clear commentary for non-finance stakeholders; track key financial and operational KPIs on a monthly basis to support performance management and early identification of emerging risks.
  • Maintain accurate records in line with UK GAAP (FRS 102) and support compliance with HMRC obligations including VAT returns.
  • Assist with year-end statutory accounts preparation and support the external audit process.
• US Consolidation & Transatlantic Collaboration
  • Collaborate with the US finance team to consolidate UK financial results into the group reporting structure.
  • Produce UK financial reporting in formats compatible with US corporate requirements and timelines.
  • Act as a key point of contact for the US finance team on UK accounting matters, supporting alignment between UK GAAP and US GAAP where required.
  • Participate in cross-border finance initiatives, process improvement projects, and system development.
• Franchise Network Support
  • Support financial performance analysis of the Banana Moon franchise network.
  • Review financial information submitted by UK franchise centres and ensure consistency with reporting standards.
  • Support the internal franchise team across all departments with accounting and finance queries, including budgeting, VAT, and expense management.
• FP&A & Business Partnering
  • Own the annual budgeting and rolling forecast process for UK entities, coordinating inputs across operations, headcount, and occupancy costs, and delivering a consolidated view aligned to Group timelines.
  • Build and maintain dynamic financial models to support scenario planning, sensitivity analysis, and strategic decision-making across the UK business.
  • Develop and maintain forecast assumptions, documenting key drivers and ensuring alignment between actuals, short-term forecast, and long-range plan.
  • Act as a primary business partner to UK operational leadership, translating financial performance data into clear, decision-ready insights and actionable commentary.
  • Coordinate with US Group headquarters on UK planning submissions, ensuring forecast deliverables meet corporate requirements for consolidation and Board-level reporting.
  • Monitor performance against budget and forecast on an ongoing basis, proactively flagging risks and opportunities and recommending corrective actions to UK and Group management.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with UK operations, HR/People, and payroll teams to support accurate payroll accounting and cash management.
  • Work closely with the UK People & HR team on headcount reporting and labour cost analysis.
  • Support the preparation of audit schedules and respond to internal and external audit requests.
  • Work with accounts receivable and accounts payable functions to support timely month-end cut-off, reconciliation of intercompany balances, and resolution of aged items.

Requirements

• Essential
  • Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline.
  • ACA, ACCA, CIMA qualified or part-qualified — or actively progressing toward qualification.
  • 3-5+ years of accounting experience in practice (public accounting) or industry.
  • Strong technical knowledge of UK GAAP (FRS 102) and month-end close processes.
  • Confident with VAT compliance and an understanding of HMRC reporting requirements.
  • Advanced Excel skills; comfortable working with large datasets and building financial models.
  • Strong communication skills — ability to translate financial information for non-finance audiences.
  • Comfortable working independently and managing competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Desirable
  • Experience in a multi-entity or group accounting environment.
  • Exposure to US GAAP or experience supporting international consolidation.
  • Familiarity with ERP systems such as NetSuite, Oracle, or similar.
  • Experience in the childcare, education, leisure, or franchise sector.
  • Experience with account reconciliation tools such as BlackLine.

Benefits

• Competitive salary — in line with experience and market rate.
• 28 days annual leave including Bank Holidays.
• Auto-enrolment pension scheme.
• Childcare fee discount at Banana Moon and TLE centres.
• Genuine career development opportunity as the UK business grows.
• A collaborative, people-first culture with strong US and UK leadership support.