Senior management accountant

ZHA is seeking a senior management accountant to join its team in London.

Key points

Location: London, Clerkenwell (hybrid working: three days in the office, two days WFH, subject to company policy).

Reports to: head of financial reporting and controls, supported by: two senior project accountants, two accounts assistants.

Works closely with: finance operations manager (cash, payroll coordination), head of FRC.

Overview

ZHA is a large, internationally active architectural and design practice operating across multiple entities and currencies. The finance function supports a fast-paced project-based business with significant international complexity.

This is a senior, delivery-critical role. The Senior Management Accountant will own the monthly close process end-to-end, producing management account drafts to a high standard and within agreed deadlines.

The role is the technical backbone of the reporting function and will directly support the head of financial reporting and controls in building a high-performing, proactive finance team.

This role requires an individual who can take ownership of month-end activities from the outset, bringing strong technical knowledge and practical experience in delivering accurate and timely month-end close processes.

Main responsibilities

Month-end close and management accounts

• own and coordinate the full monthly close process across the group, ensuring all ledgers are closed accurately and on time
• produce monthly management account drafts for review by the head of financial reporting and controls
• collate, review and challenge monthly reconciliations prepared by the team – ensuring completeness, accuracy and consistency
• prepare and post month-end journals including accruals, prepayments, depreciation and intercompany
• post the monthly payroll journal in coordination with the finance operations manager, ensuring all payroll entries reconcile to zero
• maintain and own the month-end close timetable, chasing outstanding items and escalating blockers proactively
• prepare flux analysis and variance commentary for management account packs

Group accounts and multi-entity reporting

• manage multi-entity consolidation across group companies, including intercompany eliminations and reconciliations
• handle foreign currency accounting across multiple currencies – revaluation, translation and gain/loss postings
• ensure consistency of treatment across entities and maintain a clear audit trail
• support the preparation of group reporting packs for the SMT and board

Project accounting support

• collaborate with the project accountants to ensure project revenue, cost and WIP are correctly reflected in the management accounts
• review project accounting entries and flag inconsistencies or unusual movements
• support the month-end cut-off process for project-related income and expenditure

Team support and development

• act as the primary technical resource for the team – available to advise junior colleagues on how to prepare information correctly and understand why
• review work prepared by the two project accountants and two accounts assistants, providing constructive feedback and coaching
• help build a culture of accuracy, ownership and deadline discipline within the team
• contribute to process documentation and controls improvement initiatives

Audit and compliance

• prepare audit schedules and support the external audit process – ensuring information is accurate, well organised and delivered on time
• maintain audit-ready reconciliations and working papers throughout the year
• support the head of FRC on ad hoc compliance and regulatory reporting requirements

Systems and process

• work primarily in Sage 200 and Deltek – prior experience preferred; strong systems literacy essential
• contribute to ongoing systems improvement and process automation initiatives
• maintain the nominal ledger structure with discipline – ensuring postings are correct and the chart of accounts is clean

Required experience

Essential

• qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent) – fully qualified preferred; strong part-qualified candidates with exceptional experience considered
• progressive management accounting experience, with clear ownership of the month-end close in a previous role
• demonstrable experience of multi-entity consolidation and foreign currency accounting
• strong project accounting knowledge – revenue recognition, WIP, cost allocation
• experience in a professional services, architecture, consultancy or international project-based environment strongly preferred
• confident working with Sage 200 and/or Deltek – or proven ability to navigate complex ERP/project systems quickly
• highly organised and deadline-driven – able to manage a close timetable and hold others accountable to it
• strong communicator – able to explain technical accounting to non-finance colleagues and to coach junior team members clearly
• comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment with competing priorities

Desired skills and qualifications

• prior experience in an architecture, design or project-led creative professional services firm
• exposure to international entities – particularly China, Germany or Spain
• experience supporting or leading an external audit process
• experience with finance systems implementations or improvement projects

Personal attributes

• technically strong and confident; willing to roll up their sleeves when needed
• naturally organised with a strong sense of personal accountability
• collaborative team player who communicates well and builds trust quickly
• calm under pressure – able to maintain quality and composure during peak periods
• intellectually curious and improvement-minded – always looking for a better way
• takes pride in the accuracy and presentation of their work