Financial Accountant in Bristol

We’re looking for a fully qualified (CIMA or ACCA), commercially minded Financial Accountant to join our Finance team. This is a permanent role, based out of our Bristol office, working to a hybrid arrangement.

The main purpose of this role is to assist the Senior Finance Manager in the maintenance of the firm's accounting records, financial controls and the provision of financial analysis, reports and insights. You'll also provide financial analysis support in a business partnering manner to the Business Services departments.

As a Financial Accountant, you’ll help ensure the accuracy and integrity of our accounting records, support our financial control environment, and provide analysis and reporting that drives better decision making across our UK operations.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting the Senior Finance Manager in the preparation of the monthly P&L, balance sheet and associated variance reports to budget holders for the UK. Where appropriate take primary responsibility for certain cost centres.
• Assist in the preparation of VAT and other tax returns for the firm and its subsidiary companies and provide expert advice on VAT and related tax compliance issues.
• Prepare monthly balance sheet reconciliations of key accounts.
• Support the preparation of the annual UK overhead budget.
• Manage the recharge of International project matters.
• Take responsibility for the provision of information and analysis and ensure all aspects of the audit and tax year end timetable are met.
• Completion of the firm's PAYE settlement agreement.
• Preparation of monthly P&L and associated reports for the pension trustee company (including as necessary all book-keeping functions) including preparation of VAT and tax returns.
• Lead the year-end audit for the pension trustee company, including preparation and delivery of the full year-end audit pack and acting as the primary point of contact for external auditors.
• Providing back-end system support, administration and troubleshooting for the Emburse Expenses platform.
• Contribute to improvements in key processes within financial accounting remit where necessary to deliver efficiencies and improved accuracy.
• Provide ad-hoc support to projects and other initiatives, as required.
• Actively manage own personal training and development, identifying any suitable development opportunities.

About you:

You will be a fully qualified accountant (CIMA or ACCA) who is keen to combine strong technical skills with a commercial business-partnering mindset. Specifically, we’re looking for:

• Strong technical accounting skills and good understanding of financial controls (producing monthly P&L, figures, balance sheet reports and reconciliations, producing reports etc).
• Understanding of VAT, with experience preparing VAT or reviewing work before it is submitted.
• Previous involvement in year end audit processes.
• Tech savvy; someone comfortable working with various financial systems and technologies, including being a highly experienced user of Excel.
• Ability to work accurately with any reconcile large data sets.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills; able to explain financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues in person or via Teams (not solely via email).
• Self-motivated and comfortable working both independently and as part of a team.
• Proactive and assertive, with the confidence to question, challenge and suggest improvements.
• A collaborative, professional and flexible approach, with the ability to manage competing deadlines and priorities.

Salary and benefits:

We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits. We value the health and wellbeing of our people and our wide range of initiatives and benefits support this.

Our recruitment process:

Please note that although we include closing dates for our roles as a guide, we review and progress applications on a rolling basis. At Osborne Clarke we do not make any recruitment decisions using automated decision-making. We are committed to providing an environment where you can perform to the best of your abilities at every stage of your recruitment experience and beyond. If you require any adjustments to be made during the application stage, interview process, or when working with us, please let us know in confidence.

About Us:

Osborne Clarke is an international legal practice with over 330 Partners and more than 1,260 talented lawyers in 26 locations. Our sector-based approach enables us to help our clients tackle the issues they are facing today, and prepare for the ones that they will face tomorrow. Advising them both comprehensively and commercially. We love working closely with our clients on new deals, products and solutions which will transform their businesses, markets and even sectors. And our unique approachable culture is not an added extra, it's fundamental to our success.

At Osborne Clarke we value difference and encourage applicants from all backgrounds. We want everyone to feel that OC is a place where you can be yourself and belong, and our range of interest groups and diversity networks - not to mention our great teams - are a part of making that a reality.