Nish-001-26

JOB TITLE - Financial Accountant (12-month Contract)

LOCATION - NIS Holdings Ltd

POSITION - Contract

The Role

This is a 12-month fixed term appointment to support the delivery of accurate, timely and well-controlled financial reporting for N.I.S. Holdings Ltd and the wider Group. The Financial Accountant will take ownership of key month-end and balance sheet activities, support Group consolidation and statutory reporting, tax compliance and maintain high standards of financial control and provide clear financial information to the Group Financial Controller and wider stakeholders. The role is expected to combine strong technical accounting discipline with a practical, improvement-focused approach to finance processes and systems. Whilst there will be no direct line management responsibilities, the Financial Accountant will work closely with junior staff, providing coaching, technical guidance and practice support to develop their capabilities.

Key Objectives

Financial Reporting and Month-End Close

Monthly Management Accounts

• Prepare accurate and timely monthly management accounts for N.I.S. Holdings Ltd and Group entities in accordance with the agreed month-end timetable.
• Prepare and post month-end journals including accruals, prepayments, depreciation, leases, intercompany and other accounting adjustments, ensuring entries are appropriately supported and reviewed.
• Produce clear variance analysis and commentary against budget, forecast and prior periods, investigating unusual movements and resolving issues at source.

Balance Sheet Integrity

• Own assigned balance sheet reconciliations, ensuring all balances are substantiated, reconciling items are understood and aged items are cleared promptly.
• Maintain accurate accounting records and supporting schedules, with a strong focus on completeness, cut-off, classification and the integrity of the general ledger.

Group Accounting, External Reporting and Compliance

Group Reporting and Consolidation

• Support the Group Financial Controller with Group consolidation, intercompany reconciliations, elimination entries and preparation of Group reporting schedules.
• Ensure transactions between Group entities are accurately recorded, agreed and resolved on a timely basis, escalating material differences where necessary.

Statutory Accounts, Audit and Compliance

• Support preparation of annual statutory accounts and associated disclosures for N.I.S. Holdings Ltd and relevant Group entities in accordance with applicable accounting standards and Group policies.
• Prepare high-quality audit schedules and respond promptly to external audit queries, maintaining a clear evidence trail and helping deliver an efficient year-end audit within the agreed timeframe.
• Support corporation tax, VAT, R&D and other finance compliance requirements by providing accurate reconciliations, schedules and underlying financial information as required.

Financial Control and Governance

Control Environment

• Operate and continuously strengthen financial controls across the areas owned by the role, ensuring compliance with company policies, delegated authorities and documented finance procedures.
• Identify accounting, control or reporting issues early, assess their financial impact and escalate material matters to the Group Financial Controller with practical recommendations.
• Maintain appropriate segregation of duties, supporting documentation and audit trails, and safeguard confidential financial and personal information.

Process Improvement and Systems

Continuous Improvement

• Challenge inefficient or manual processes and contribute to improvements that increase the speed, accuracy and consistency of month-end reporting and financial control.
• Develop effective use of finance systems, reporting tools and Excel, including standardising reconciliations, schedules and working papers where this improves control or efficiency across group.
• Support the development and documentation of finance processes so that key activities are clear, repeatable and resilient to absence or changes in responsibility.

Stakeholder Support and Team Contribution

• Build effective working relationships across Finance and the wider business, providing responsive, accurate and proportionate financial support while maintaining appropriate challenge.
• Work closely with the Group Financial Controller, Group Finance Business Partner and Transactional Finance teams to resolve accounting issues and ensure information flows effectively through the end-to-end finance process.
• Provide appropriate cover and support across the finance team during peak periods, month-end and year-end, and contribute positively to team development and knowledge sharing.

Team Development

• Provide structured coaching and practical support to developing members of the Finance team in the preparation and review of monthly management accounts, including balance-sheet reconciliations, accounting adjustments, variance analysis and financial commentary.
• Support agreed individual development plans by progressively increasing ownership of designated entities and reporting activities as capability and confidence develop.
• Review work constructively, explain the underlying accounting principles and provide timely feedback, while maintaining appropriate accountability for the accuracy and completion of financial outputs.
• Document key processes, accounting treatments and reporting requirements to support effective knowledge transfer and leave sustainable capability within the Finance team at the end of the 12-month contract.
• Provide regular feedback to the Group Financial Controller on progress, development priorities and any areas requiring further support.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified - Essential
• Strong technical accounting foundation supported by relevant professional study and practical experience - Essential

Experience & Knowledge

• Demonstrable experience of independently preparing complete monthly management accounts for multiple entities, including ownership of the month-end process from underlying accounting records through to final reporting - Essential
• Experience of preparing financial information and supporting analysis for Board or senior leadership reporting, with the ability to translate detailed financial results into clear, concise and commercially relevant commentary - Essential
• Strong experience (at least 12months) of balance sheet reconciliations, journals, accruals, prepayments and maintaining general ledger integrity - Essential
• Strong experience (at least 12months) of independently reviewing and substantiating complex balance-sheet accounts, identifying accounting issues and taking them through to resolution - Essential
• Experience of maintaining appropriate accounting for fixed assets, leases and other significant balance-sheet areas, including the preparation and review of supporting calculations - Essential
• Experience of preparing statutory accounts and year-end working papers and dealing directly with external auditors through to resolution of audit queries - Essential
• Demonstrable experience of applying UK GAAP / FRS 102 in practice and determining appropriate accounting treatment for non-routine transaction - Essential
• Practical experience of Group accounting, including intercompany reconciliations, consolidation adjustments and preparation of Group reporting schedules - Essential
• Practical experience of preparing and reviewing VAT returns and associated reconciliations, with a sound understanding of UK VAT compliance requirements - Essential
• Experience of working within a strong financial-control environment, including identifying control weaknesses and implementing effective corrective action - Essential
• Knowledge and experience of preparing annual R&D claim - Desirable
• Experience of Group consolidation or preparation of consolidation schedules - Desirable
• Experience of identifying and implementing finance process or control improvements - Desirable

Skills & Abilities

• Strong Excel skills, including efficient analysis, reconciliation and presentation of financial data - Essential
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to identify and resolve underlying accounting issues - Essential
• Proven ability to operate independently within fixed reporting deadlines without compromising quality, prioritising competing requirements and escalating material accounting or control matters appropriately - Essential
• Clear and confident communicator, able to explain accounting issues to finance and non-finance stakeholders - Essential
• Competent user of finance / ERP systems and able to learn new systems and reporting tools quickly - Essential
• Experience of reporting, data visualisation or automation tools such as Power BI, Power Query or similar - Desirable

NSG Environmental are a Disability Confident Committed Employer