Finance Operations Senior Accountant

NATS is the UK\’s leading air navigation service provider, handling over 2.4 million flights each year. We provide air traffic control services from two control centres and at airports around the UK. We also provide a wide range of commercial products and solutions globally. Our people are at the heart of our purpose to advance aviation and keep the skies safe.

Job Purpose/Overview:

We are looking for a Senior Accountant to join our Finance Operations Management Team, acting as a key liaison between our accounting service team, our finance business partners and various wider stakeholders.

You will join a dynamic and flexible accounting team that performs a key function within the wider Finance team.

As a Senior Accountant, you will play a critical role in delivering accurate, timely, and insightful financial information and general accounting services across multiple business areas and or multiple project or improvement activities.

You will also be responsible for overseeing period-end close activities, providing variance and trend analysis and ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.

Other duties:

1. Review key outputs and workload of the Finance Operations Service Team and collaborate with the other Senior Accountants to maintain a high-quality service.
2. Support initiatives to enhance service quality and efficiency within Finance Operations and across the wider finance team.
3. Develop business area knowledge and work with Finance Business Partners (FBPs) to identify, understand, interpret and interrogate key cost drivers, contracts and financial balances to assess their impact on performance and ensure accurate financial treatments.
4. Contribute to monthly reporting outputs, applying business knowledge to deliver meaningful commentary.
5. Work with business area stakeholders to ensure accurate technical accounting decisions and liaise with Group Financial Control for endorsement.
6. Engage with other management teams to resolve queries and ensure alignment on financial matters.
7. Oversee and support Accountants with incoming queries from business areas, ensuring quality and timely responses are provided.
8. Appropriately delegate tasks to the Finance Operations Service Team and provide hands-on support where needed.
9. Adhere to all relevant finance and business policies and procedures.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Qualified Accountant (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CA) with broad finance experience.
• Committed to delivering excellent service to stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal / communication skills.
• Experience in leading, mentoring and developing a team.
• Skilled in managing multiple priorities and stakeholders effectively.
• Able to distil complex data into clear, actionable insights.
• Deep understanding of financial controls and accounting principles.
• Highly organised with attention to detail / accuracy.
• Open to procedural change and committed to continuous improvement.
• Advanced Excel skills; experience with ERP systems and digital collaboration tools.
• Able to perform under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

Additional Vacancy Information:

This role has 3 direct/ circa 15 indirect reports.

We are proud to offer a fantastic total reward package to help you thrive personally and professionally – for more information on what NATS can offer you please visit – Why NATS?

We have adopted agile working to provide flexibility and choice over working arrangements, with the opportunity to work in our modern office and remotely. We welcome discussions on flexible working arrangements. Find out more here.

If you share our passion to advance aviation and keep the skies safe – we would like to hear from you whatever your age, sex, race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, visible or invisible disability. Individuals that bring different perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds help us be at the forefront of our industry.

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