Financial Accountant in London

Helsing is a defence AI company. Our mission is to protect our democracies. We aim to achieve technological leadership, so that open societies can continue to make sovereign decisions and control their ethical standards. As democracies, we believe we have a special responsibility to be thoughtful about the development and deployment of powerful technologies like AI. We take this responsibility seriously.

We are an ambitious and committed team of engineers, AI specialists and customer-facing programme managers. We are looking for mission-driven people to join our European teams – and apply their skills to solve the most complex and impactful problems. We embrace an open and transparent culture that welcomes healthy debates on the use of technology in defence, its benefits, and its ethical implications.

As a Financial Accountant, you will support the finance team by performing various accounting tasks to ensure the smooth running of day-to-day financial operations. You will assist with the preparation of financial reports, maintain accurate records, and ensure compliance with financial regulations.

The day-to-day:

• Assist in the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports
• Perform general ledger entries, including accruals, prepayments, and adjustments
• Reconcile bank statements, balance sheets, and general ledger accounts
• Assist with accounts payable and accounts receivable processes, ensuring accurate and timely invoicing and payments
• Support the month-end and year-end close processes
• Help prepare documentation for audits and liaise with external auditors as needed
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records in accounting and financial systems
• Work with the finance team to ensure compliance with internal controls and policies

You should apply if you:

• Are a qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA, or equivalent) with at least 1-3 years post-qualification experience
• Have an understanding of accounting principles (local GAAP or IFRS)
• Possess a strong knowledge of accounting software
• Have a high level of accuracy and attention to detail in managing financial records
• Have excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
• Have strong communication skills, both written and verbal, to effectively liaise with team members and stakeholders
• Have the ability to handle sensitive financial information with confidentiality

Helsing's work is important. You'll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns. The work is unique. We operate in a domain that has highly unusual technical requirements and constraints, and where robustness, safety, and ethical considerations are vital. You will face unique Engineering and AI challenges that make a meaningful impact in the world.

Our work frequently takes us right up to the state of the art in technical innovation, be it reinforcement learning, distributed systems, generative AI, or deployment infrastructure. The defence industry is entering the most exciting phase of the technological development curve. Advances in our field of world are not incremental: Helsing is part of, and often leading, historic leaps forward.

In our domain, success is a matter of order-of-magnitude improvements and novel capabilities. This means we take bets, aim high, and focus on big opportunities. Despite being a relatively young company, Helsing has already been selected for multiple significant government contracts.

We actively encourage healthy, proactive, and diverse debate internally about what we do and how we choose to do it. Teams and individual engineers are trusted (and encouraged) to practise responsible autonomy and critical thinking, and to focus on outcomes, not conformity. At Helsing you will have a say in how we (and you!) work, the opportunity to engage on what does and doesn’t work, and to take ownership of aspects of our culture that you care deeply about.

What we offer:

• A focus on outcomes, not time-tracking
• Competitive compensation and stock options
• Relocation support
• Social and education allowances
• Regular company events and all-hands to bring together employees as one team across Europe

Helsing is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or gender identity.