Finance Transformation Accountant in Manchester

The Finance team is undergoing a period of exciting transformation, with implementation of new systems, processes and controls. The Finance Transformation Accountant will provide hands-on accounting support across Finance during this time, helping teams maintain strong day-to-day delivery while multiple projects and improvements are underway. This is a solutions-focused role suited to someone who enjoys getting to the root cause of issues, making sense of complex information, and supporting a range of activities across Finance. The postholder will help improve controls, resolve queries, and deliver accurate reporting and insight.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide flexible accounting support across Finance to maintain delivery during periods of change and competing priorities, including review and approval of financial operation outputs such as VAT returns and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Assist with external reporting activities (including regulatory reporting), such as analysis, commentary, evidence gathering and responding to queries.
• Provide commercial finance support, such as cost analysis, forecasting input, and ad-hoc reporting to support decision-making.
• Investigate and resolve accounting and reporting issues, identifying root causes and implementing practical fixes.
• Help improve processes and controls, including documenting procedures and supporting implementation of change.
• Work collaboratively across Finance and with wider business stakeholders to ensure timely, accurate outputs and good governance.

Skills and Experience

• Experience in a hands-on accounting role with exposure to a broad range of activities.
• Financial services experience is essential; insurance experience is strongly preferred.
• Strong core accounting knowledge.
• Comfortable working in change environments – able to keep day-to-day delivery moving while processes, systems or ways of working evolve.
• Proactive problem-solving skills: able to investigate issues, identify root causes and implement pragmatic solutions.
• Strong Excel skills and experience working with finance systems (general ledger/ERP) and reporting tools.
• Clear communication and stakeholder management skills, able to explain financial information to non-finance colleagues.
• Strong attention to detail, with the ability to prioritise and manage competing deadlines.
• Experience supporting audit requests and working with well-controlled processes and evidence packs is desirable.
• High standard of documentation for judgements, decisions and process changes.

Qualifications and Educational Requirements

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or proven qualified by experience in a broad accounting role.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At HSB, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion foster innovation and resilience and enable us to act braver and better. We recognise diversity can be multi-dimensional, intersectional, and complex, and we aim to build a diverse workforce that includes a wide range of racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender identities; economic and geographic backgrounds; physical abilities; ages; life, school, and career experiences; and political, religious, and personal beliefs. We are committed to building an equitable and inclusive work environment where this diversity is celebrated, valued, and has equitable opportunities to succeed. All candidates in consideration for any role can request a reasonable adjustment at any point in our recruitment process. You can request an adjustment by speaking to your Talent Acquisition contact.

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays + well-being days
• Up to 13% pension contribution
• Eligibility for an annual bonus
• Private medical & dental
• Life assurance
• Wellbeing and development scheme + EAP + health assessments (subject to scheme eligibility)
• Study & continuing Professional Development Support
• Hybrid working