Group Financial Analyst - Group Accounting in London

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 24,000 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 we're looking for: We're looking for a new member of our Group accounting team, who will be responsible for assisting with the monthly group IFRS 16 reporting process and the preparation of accounting papers and technical research projects. It is a very exciting time to join Howden to take a front row seat during a period of transformational change. This role would suit a person who likes to tackle accounting challenges but would also enjoy working with other teams (UK and internationally) both from finance and other areas of the business (e.g. IT, operations). It provides a blend of BAU month-end processes with one-off project based and transformational change work.

What you'll be doing

• IFRS 16 reporting: Assist in providing IFRS16 reporting solution post implementation support to local teams, scope to assist with system improvements and testing, assist in monthly reporting and review of leases (entire Group), provide guidance to teams with Group reporting and local application including the ongoing support to divisions (group wide project), distinguish between straightforward lease queries which can be resolved independently and complex questions that require input from more senior team members.
• Accounting papers and advice: Project manage and assist preparing accounting papers for specific transactions e.g. business combinations (sometimes including reorganisations), IFRS 16 accounting for non-standard/complex leases, possible involvement in intangible assets capitalisation assessments and impairment testing (e.g. Goodwill), potential involvement in transactions related to financing, share based payments etc., assist in preparing advice/guidance to be relied upon by various stakeholders (local and divisional), organise and co-ordinate team meetings (local, divisional and group level) involving senior colleagues and stakeholders, including subsequent management of action items and agreed timelines.
• Group wide control: Assist in quarterly analysis of the IFRS 16 roll-forward including performance of analytical review by entity and country.
• Acquisition accounting: Assist in quarterly analysis of locally booked acquisition accounting entries (e.g. investment in subsidiaries, customer relationships) and reconcile to group accounting entries, including understanding and documenting any differences.
• Group accounts: Assist in preparing sections of Group consolidated accounts (annual and interim), support external and internal audit processes.
• Accounting policies / controls / chart of accounts: Coordinate updates of selected accounting policies and assist in developing new ones (when the need is identified), support Group accounting team to help subsidiaries with application of certain accounting policies, help with maintaining of Group chart of accounts.
• Other: Establish a good working relationship with other teams (e.g. local / regional finance, group tax, legal, corporate finance, treasury), support future group wide change initiatives.

Key Accountabilities (What you are measured on):

• Timely and accurate production of accounting papers.
• High quality outputs presented in a concise and easy-to-follow manner.
• Timeliness of quarterly balance sheet reconciliations and quality of documentation of issues and their resolution.
• Quality and speed of guidance provided (thinking about “number of emails avoided”).
• Identify and improve month-end, quarterly and annual processes.
• You will also need to efficiently co-ordinate with local and divisional teams throughout the month end cycle or M&A projects.

Which skills, experiences and interests would a typical candidate already have:

• Financial reporting: Knowledge of IFRS (UK GAAP and relevant UK Law to a lesser extent), experience with US GAAP reporting and SOX would be desirable but not essential, direct exposure (or demonstrated interest) with some of the following topics: Leases IFRS 16 (and differences from IAS 17), acquisition accounting (IFRS 3 - determining consideration, review opening balance sheet, understanding fair value adjustments, determining goodwill), intangibles assets (IAS 38 internally developed assets, software implementation costs), valuations (concepts and interaction with different accounting standards), previous exposure to preparation or audit of consolidated accounts of a multi-currency Group and understanding consolidation accounting and interrelation between local (statutory) and group reporting would be a significant asset, some experience working with general ledger or consolidation systems would be very beneficial.
• Project management and communication: Good project management – build/understand the plan, execute plans, follow up, anticipate risks and issues, communicate status and progress, problem solving capability, able to discuss accounting concepts and requirements with non-finance people, able to work to deadlines whilst maintaining quality of deliverables, anticipating issues with the timelines, you will need to consider information provided to you with a level of professional scepticism, and a personal drive for producing high quality work, most importantly, you'll need to learn quickly, build relationships with colleagues from different areas of business, be a team player and adapt (and help others adapt) to a constantly evolving business environment and Group structure.

Professional Qualifications:

• Graduate level education (or equivalent), minimum 2.1.
• Qualified accountant: newly qualified with up to 1 years PQE, preferably ACA/ CA (SA).

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.