Project Accountant -12 mth Fixed term in Doncaster

We are home to DFS, Sofology, and The Sofa Delivery Company - three distinctive brands with a shared mission to bring great design and comfort into every home, affordably, responsibly, and sustainably. At DFS Group, everyone plays a part. Whether you’re supporting our brands or serving our customers, you’re helping shape the future of furniture retail. Each brand has its own identity and creative direction, but we are united by a culture that puts people and purpose at the heart of everything we do.

Everyone Welcome

Across our Group, we’re committed to a culture where everyone feels welcome, valued, and can thrive at work. We celebrate diverse voices, champion inclusion, and support each other through our growing colleague networks. We invest in partnerships that drive change, from supporting Doncaster Pride and introducing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, to partnering with Carers UK and developing leaders with Diversity in Retail. We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer, committed to building a workplace that reflects the communities we serve. So, if your experience doesn’t quite match the specification, we’d still really love to hear from you.

Job Purpose Statement:

We are looking for a technically strong and commercially astute Project Accountant to join our Finance team on a 12-month fixed term contract. This role will play a critical part in ensuring accurate financial control, governance, and accounting treatment across a significant business change programme and a portfolio of technology projects. You’ll have ownership of a c. £15m project budget and a c. £13m technology budget, working closely with senior finance leaders and stakeholders across Technology, Business Change, and the wider business. This is a hands-on role that requires strong technical accounting knowledge, particularly around capitalisation of project and technology spend, alongside the confidence to challenge, influence, and ask the right questions.

Responsibilities / Accountability:

• Own financial oversight of major project and technology spend, ensuring robust control, accurate forecasting, and clear visibility of performance against budget.
• Ensure appropriate accounting treatment of project and technology costs, including capitalisation vs P&L decisions, in line with accounting standards and Group policies.
• Partner closely with Technology, Project, and Transformation teams, attending project forums and governance meetings to understand activity, challenge assumptions, and ensure financial impacts are fully understood and correctly reflected.
• Review project costs and ensure they are correctly recorded in the accounts, supporting accurate and timely month-end reporting.
• Provide accurate, timely project financial information to Programme Directors and senior leadership, enabling monthly status reporting on actuals versus budget, and highlighting risks, opportunities, and areas requiring intervention.
• Own the provision of project and technology financials, supporting Programme Leads with budgeting and forecasting while ensuring plans are robust, well-understood, and appropriately phased.
• Maintain strong financial governance, ensuring adherence to investment approval processes, business cases, and post-implementation reviews.
• Act as a key finance contact for projects, translating complex financial and accounting concepts into clear, practical guidance for non-finance stakeholders.
• Identify and drive improvements in processes, controls, and ways of working related to project and technology accounting.

This job is for you if:

• Strong technical accounting knowledge, particularly around capitalisation of technology and project spend.
• Confident communicator, able to engage credibly with non-finance stakeholders and ask the right questions.
• Commercially minded with a practical, problem-solving approach.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret and explain complex data.
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving, change-driven environment.
• Well-organised, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• A collaborative team player who builds trusted relationships quickly.

Experience and Qualifications:

• Proven experience in a project accountant, capital accounting, or similar role.
• Experience working with technology and/or transformation programmes.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, governance, and investment processes is desirable.
• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA), or equivalent experience.

DFS Benefits:

• Potential Annual Bonus Scheme: Contribute to our success and get rewarded for it.
• Growth and Training: Learn new skills and develop your career with us.
• Leave: Enjoy a great holiday allowance, with the option to buy 5 extra days. Take advantage of our enhanced leave for Maternity, Paternity, Shared Parental, and Adoption, plus a paid volunteering day each year.
• Discounts: Get 30% off DFS and Sofology products for yourself, plus discounts for friends and family - and savings at big brands like Sainsbury's, ASOS, and IKEA.
• Wellbeing Perks: Access healthcare services, an Employee Assistance Programme, and discounted gym memberships.
• Pension and Savings: Join our Group Pension and Sharesave schemes.
• Life Assurance & Sick Pay: Peace of mind with Life Assurance and Company Sick Pay.