CoE Accountant in Colchester

Location: Colchester, United Kingdom

Seniority Level: Associate

Employment Type: Full‑time

Job Function: Finance

Industries: Events Services

Overview: Informa is an international business that connects specialists with knowledge, helping them to learn more, know more and do more through live and on‑demand events, digital and data‑driven services, and academic research. We are part of the UK’s FTSE 100 group and have earned the #3 spot in Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work 2025 UK list.

Job Description: You will be a critical part of the Finance Centre of Excellence (CoE), a global service provider supporting the wider finance shared services organization. The CoE is responsible for managing global, division‑agnostic processes to deliver enhanced quality, consistency, and scalability across financial operations.

Responsibilities:

• Take ownership of key accounting processes under CoE remit, including journal posting, reconciliations, queries, and reporting.
• Perform and review all calculations, postings, and processes within your remit to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Maintain accurate and up‑to‑date balance sheets in Blackline, providing management with clear insights into assets and liabilities.
• Ensure all statutory and regulatory deadlines are met within your remit.
• Keep process documentation up‑to‑date and easily accessible for areas of responsibility.
• Collaborate effectively with internal and external auditors to meet compliance standards.
• Work closely with R2R, other SSC Towers and GBS internal & external stakeholders.
• Analyse and resolve ad‑hoc problems using a thorough understanding of business operations and systems.
• Provide support for special projects within the department, including testing new systems, developing processes, and participating in implementation initiatives.
• Assist with ad‑hoc duties as required to meet departmental needs.
• Train, support, and closely monitor the performance of the offshore BPO team in supporting CoE activities.
• Address issues promptly, escalating concerns to management as necessary for efficient resolution.
• Collaborate with the offshore BPO team to ensure ownership and accurate execution of key accounting processes.
• Regularly review and validate the offshore team’s work to maintain high accuracy and consistency.
• Role model productive working behaviours, fostering a culture of accountability, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• Maintain open lines of communication with the offshore team, providing guidance and addressing challenges proactively.
• Actively identify opportunities for process and control improvements, focusing on enhancing the customer experience.
• Play a pivotal role in testing and implementing new systems or processes, supporting SSC‑wide projects initiated by Senior Managers or Global Process Owners.

Qualifications:

• Strong academic background; Accounting degree preferable.
• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA).
• Solid knowledge and understanding of SSO processes and how they fit into the wider environment.
• Knowledge of working in a global business environment with sound understanding of global process and transactional flows.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of all processes, including best practice in R2R, people, processes and technology.
• Good working knowledge of mergers, acquisitions and disposals.
• Good working knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma or other continuous improvement methodologies preferred.

Additional Information: We believe that great things happen when people connect face‑to‑face. That’s why we work in‑person with each other, or with customers and partners, three days a week or more. When you’re not working in an office, you have the flexibility and support to work from home or remotely. We work hard to make sure Life at Informa is rewarding, supportive and enjoyable for everyone.

Benefits:

• Great community: a welcoming culture with in‑person and online social events, our fantastic Walk the World charity day and active diversity and inclusion networks.
• Broader impact: take up to four days per year to volunteer, with charity match funding available too.
• Career opportunity: the opportunity to develop your career with bespoke training and learning, mentoring platforms and on‑Demand access to thousands of courses on LinkedIn Learning. When it’s time for the next step, we encourage and support internal job moves.
• Time out: 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after two years, plus a birthday leave day and the chance to work from (almost!) anywhere for up to four weeks a year.
• A flexible range of personal benefits to choose from, plus company‑funded private medical cover.
• A ShareMatch scheme that allows you to become an Informa shareholder with free matching shares.
• Strong wellbeing support through EAP assistance, mental health first aiders, a healthy living subsidy, access to health apps and more.
• Recognition for great work, with global awards and kudos programmes.
• As an international company, the chance to collaborate with teams around the world.

Inclusion: We’re not solely focused on a checklist of skills. We champion energy and ambition and look for colleagues who will roll their sleeves up, join in and help make things happen. If it sounds like a match and you have most – although not all – of the skills and experience listed, we welcome your application. If you would like to request reasonable adjustments or accommodations to assist your participation in the hiring process and/or in the advertised position, please inform the appropriate Talent Acquisition Partner for the role once they have been in touch. Your request will be reviewed and considered in confidence. At Informa, you’ll find inclusive experiences and environments where all perspectives and backgrounds are welcomed. As part of this approach and our diversity and inclusion commitments, we are also formally an Equal Opportunities Employer. This means we base decisions on relevant qualifications and merit and do not discriminate on the basis of key characteristics and statuses, including all of those protected by law.