About The Role
Knight Frank is seeking a Financial Reporting Specialist to join their Head Office in 55 Baker Street.
The Financial Reporting Specialist plays a key role in ensuring the integrity, accuracy, and timeliness of financial reporting within a large, complex commercial real estate environment. The role is a hands‑on position, supporting the financial reporting manager in key areas such as statutory financial statement processes (FRS102), overseeing balance sheet integrity across all UK entities, direct accountability managing inter‑company transactions across the Knight Frank group, fixed asset & capital accounting, VAT accounting and returns and supporting corporate tax (Pillar II accounting).
Working closely with UK finance and international teams, finance business partners and external auditors this role is central to providing quality management and financial reporting processes, contributing to robust financial governance and continuous improvement of reporting processes.
Key Responsibilities
- Support the production of monthly management accounts and reporting packs for the UK Board through preparation of monthly close processes.
- Report on key balance sheet highlights for decision support.
- Review key estimates and accounting judgments (e.g. prepaids, accruals, impairments).
- Support budgeting and forecasting processes, ensuring alignment with financial results as required.
- Ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency of financial reporting across entities.
- Manage inter‑company accounting processes across multiple legal entities and jurisdictions. Primary focus is intra‑UK but also with a global oversight.
- Ensure timely reconciliation, settlement, and elimination of inter‑company balances.
- Investigate and resolve discrepancies between counterparties.
- Maintain robust documentation and controls around inter‑company transactions.
- Maintain the fixed asset register, ensuring accurate capitalization, depreciation, and disposals.
- Oversee accounting for capital expenditure projects (consultation with finance business partners).
- Ensure appropriate classification between capital and revenue expenditure in accordance with policy.
- Perform and review balance sheet reconciliations with a focus on high‑risk or material accounts.
- Ensure reconciliations are prepared to a high standard, fully supported, and completed on a timely basis.
- Investigate and resolve reconciling items promptly.
- Drive continuous improvement in reconciliation processes and controls.
- Prepare statutory financial statements for multiple entities across the UK group of legal entities.
- Ensure compliance with Companies Act & GAAP requirements and applicable accounting standards presentation.
- Prepare and coordinate year‑end audit disclosures for all accounting notes.
- Support external audit processes, including preparing audit schedules and responding to auditor queries.
- Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and internal reporting policies.
- Contribute to improvements in statutory reporting efficiency and quality.
- Prepare and reconcile UK LLP group VAT returns.
- Identify opportunities to enhance financial reporting processes, systems, and controls.
- Support automation and standardisation initiatives within the finance function.
- Ensure adherence to internal control frameworks and governance standards.
Skills & Experience
Core Requirements
- Solid experience in financial accounting and control within a large, complex organisation
- Strong knowledge of IFRS/UK GAAP and statutory reporting requirements
- Experience working in an LLP environment is highly desirable
- Demonstrated experience managing large data sets, multiple entities, and complex structures
- Experience working in a multi‑entity, multi‑currency environment
- High attention to detail and accuracy
- Ability to manage multiple priorities to tight deadlines
- Resilient, proactive and solutions‑orientated mindset
Leadership & Behavioural Skills
- Stakeholder management: build effective relationships, ability to engage stakeholders at all levels, through effective communications to non‑finance stakeholders.
- Change management: Proven ability to support transformation initiatives and embed sustainable improvements
- Problem‑solving mindset: Able to identify root causes and implement effective, scalable solutions
- Collaboration: Builds strong cross‑functional partnerships in a complex, matrixed organisation
- Resilient & adaptability: Maintain high standards of accuracy, ensuring financial information is reliable and compliant.
- Accountability: take full responsibility for deliverables, ensuring deadlines are met and quality is maintained.
- Continuous improvement: seek opportunities to streamline processes, embrace change and supports finance transformation initiatives.
Qualifications
- Essential: 3‑5 years post qualified experience within a large complex matrix organisation
- Essential: Qualified Accountant (ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA preferred)
Systems and IT Competence
- Systems‑savvy with hands on experience using SAP (general ledger, FICO) is essential
- Use of BPC reporting tool desirable.
- Advanced level of Excel knowledge for handling large data is essential.
Dimensions
- No. of UK legal entities: c 25 (through a mix of audited/no audited and trading/holding entities)
- UK landscape / Turnover £450M
- 3 UK VAT returns plus ~ 12 overseas VAT returns
- Balance sheets accounts under areas of control c 500+
Competitive salary
Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
Please note: this is a Direct Search led by Knight Frank. Applications from recruitment agencies will not be accepted nor will fees be paid for unsolicited CVs, even if provided by PSL agencies.
