Group Financial Reporting Accountant in London

Who are we? Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 23,000 employees spanning over 56 countries. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

What is the role? We’re looking for a new member of our External Reporting team, who will be responsible for assisting on Group consolidation and aspects of the Group's internal and external reporting requirements. This will include monthly management accounts, Group Quarterly & Annual accounts, lender reporting and other ad hoc reporting requirements.

What will you be doing?

• Assist with production IFRS consolidated results for monthly management accounts and quarterly interim financial statements for external partners.
• Assist with the production of annual statutory accounts along with detailed note workings, including assisting in developing disclosures around sustainability and scenario modelling of various climate-related risks and opportunities.
• Supporting the group cash flow production.
• Supporting local entities with IFRS15 reporting, assessing revenue recognition under IFRS 15 lens and transitioning new acquisitions.
• Assisting with significant M&A accounting related activity and assisting with on-boarding new acquisitions to the group.
• Maintenance of process notes for monthly, quarterly and annual processes.
• Review of capex budget submissions and producing group capex budget pack.
• Ad hoc reporting requests both internally as well other teams – Treasury, Tax, M&A, Divisional Finance.

Key Accountabilities: Timely and accurate production of various reporting packs, as well as production of quality detailed monthly consolidation reconciliations, suggestions for process and system improvements. You will also need to efficiently co-ordinate with business partners throughout the month end cycle. High quality outputs presented in a concise and easy-to-follow manner.

What are we looking for:

• Knowledge of IFRS, UK GAAP and relevant UK Law.
• Prior experience of large multi-currency group consolidation a bonus.
• Ability to learn reporting tool eg OneStream or HFM and Unit4 quickly.
• Ability to work under pressure whilst maintaining quality of deliverables.
• Plans ahead, with a proven ability of meeting tight deadlines.
• You will need to consider information provided to you with a level of professional scepticism, and a personal drive for producing high quality work.
• Problem solving capability.
• Effective interpersonal skills and a team player.
• Advanced MS Excel (Index match and VLOOKUP formulae), data manipulation and analysis.
• Most importantly, you’ll need to learn quickly and adapt to a constantly evolving business environment and Group structure.
• Graduate level education (or equivalent).
• Qualified accountant: 0-1 year PQE, ACA/ CA(SA) or equivalent.

What do we offer in return? A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new.
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges.
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond.

Reasonable adjustments: We’re committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours or hybrid working. If you’re excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role's criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.