At a Glance
- Tasks: Join our finance team to improve processes and automate systems in a dynamic environment.
- Company: Halfords, a leading retailer in motoring and cycling with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, employee discounts, and personal development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on financial operations while working with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with ERP experience and strong analytical skills.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace with a commitment to diversity and wellbeing.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
About us
At Halfords, our mission is to inspire and support a lifetime of motoring and cycling. As a specialist retailer, we lead the market through customer-driven innovation and a distinct product range. We are dedicated to providing our customers with an integrated, unique, and convenient service experience, from eābike and electric vehicle servicing to onādemand solutions. Our commitment is to foster customer loyalty by offering compelling reasons to keep coming back to our stores, ensuring a lifetime of motoring and cycling enjoyment.
The teams at our Redditch Support Centre work with every other area of our business, putting them at the heart of the action and playing a key role in our success and growth. Everyone brings their individual knowledge and experience to work every day, working as one team to keep things moving smoothly.
If you're willing to get stuck in, you'll love it here too. So put yourself at the heart of a dynamic, fastāpaced working environment where expertise and focus take people far.
The role
This is a rare opportunity to step into a finance role sitting at the intersection of accounting, systems and automation. Joining a finance function in transition, you'll work on the core Retail business within a £1.7bn listed group, helping to shape how financial data is extracted, understood and used. This is not a traditional controls role; it's about turning complex system outputs into clear insight for the wider finance team and senior stakeholders.
As a Financial Systems Accountant, you'll take ownership of key accounting areas including balance sheet reconciliations, P&L analysis, revenue recognition and technical journals, while working closely with SAP and other systems to understand data flows end to end. A core part of the role is identifying where processes, controls and reporting can be improved or automated, fixing issues at source and building scalable solutions using tools such as advanced Excel, Power BI and AI tools such as Copilot. You'll also support audits, group reporting cycles and play an active role in finance transformation and upcoming ERP implementation.
This role will suit a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with strong ERP experience who enjoys digging into systems, improving processes and driving meaningful change. You'll be confident working autonomously, influencing stakeholders without lineāmanagement responsibility, and operating in a fastāpaced, evolving environment. In return, you'll have real freedom to shape the role, high exposure to senior leaders, and the chance to leave a lasting mark on how finance operates across the business.
Key responsibilities
- Ownership of balance sheet reconciliations and key P&L lines within a timeāpressured reporting environment
- Support of finance transformation initiatives, including ERP implementation and systems change
- Preparation and posting of key technical accounting journals, including revenue recognition under IFRS 15
- Delivery of analytical reviews and deep dives into financial performance, identifying risks and opportunities
- Identification, design and implementation of process improvements, automation opportunities and control enhancements
- Investigation and resolution of system, process and automation issues at source
- Development of clear, repeatable financial outputs and reports for wider finance and senior stakeholders
- Collaboration with internal and external auditors during halfāyear and yearāend cycles
- Ongoing engagement with stakeholders across Finance, Transformation and the wider Retail business
About you
- Proven experience delivering process improvement and automation within a finance or accounting function
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with strong technical accounting capability
- Demonstrable experience working with ERP systems (e.g. SAP), including data extraction, reporting and analysis
- Strong group consolidation experience particularly around implementing system improvements
- Proven knowledge of using AI tools including Copilot
- Advanced Excel skills, with experience using data and analytics tools such as Power BI
- Strong understanding of revenue recognition and complex accounting treatments
- Ability to integrate data from multiple systems into clear, meaningful outputs
- Confident stakeholder manager, able to explain complex financial and system concepts to nonāfinance audiences
- Comfortable working autonomously in a fastāpaced, evolving environment
- Detailāfocused, analytical and naturally curious, with a drive to improve how things are done
Reward & benefits
- A fair and competitive salary evaluated against market data, an annual discretionary bonus scheme, pension, life assurance, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, a holiday buy and sell scheme and enhanced family leave.
- Commitment and dedication to your ongoing personal and professional development. We help you to own and grow your potential so you can be at your best in your current role and to support your future career aspirations.
- We offer hybrid working with a blend of working in our Support Centre and from home.
- You will have access to a wealth of employee discounts across the Halfords suite of products and services.
- Wellbeing and inclusion are at the heart of our colleague experience. We offer resources and ongoing support to enhance your wellbeing at work and active Colleague Networks supporting inclusion initiatives across Halfords.
Not sure you meet all the criteria? We'd encourage you to take the wheel and apply anyway! At Halfords we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for our colleagues. We're an equal opportunities employer and proud to welcome applications from all backgrounds and embrace diversity within our one Halfords Family.
At Halfords, we operate a hybrid working policy with 2ā3 days on site at our Support Centre in Redditch, Worcestershire.
Financial Systems Accountant in Redditch employer: Retail Human Resources plc
Contact Detail:
Retail Human Resources plc Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice š¤«
We think this is how you could land Financial Systems Accountant in Redditch
āØTip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry on LinkedIn or at local events. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that arenāt even advertised yet.
āØTip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Knowing what makes Halfords tick will help you stand out and show youāre genuinely interested in being part of the team.
āØTip Number 3
Practice your answers to common interview questions, but keep it natural. We want you to sound confident and authentic, not like youāre reading from a script!
āØTip Number 4
Donāt forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and shows youāre keen on the role. Plus, it keeps you on their radar!
We think you need these skills to ace Financial Systems Accountant in Redditch
Some tips for your application š«”
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the Financial Systems Accountant role. Highlight your experience with ERP systems, technical accounting, and any process improvements you've implemented. We want to see how your skills align with what we're looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about finance and how you can contribute to our mission at Halfords. Be sure to mention specific examples of your achievements that relate to the job description.
Showcase Your Analytical Skills: Since this role involves digging into financial data and providing insights, make sure to highlight your analytical skills. Share examples of how you've used tools like Excel or Power BI to turn complex data into clear reports. We love a good data story!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. Itās the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you donāt miss out on any important updates. Plus, we love seeing applications come in directly!
How to prepare for a job interview at Retail Human Resources plc
āØKnow Your Numbers
As a Financial Systems Accountant, you'll need to be comfortable with financial data. Brush up on key accounting principles, especially around balance sheet reconciliations and P&L analysis. Be ready to discuss how you've used these skills in past roles.
āØShowcase Your Tech Savvy
This role involves working with ERP systems like SAP and tools such as Power BI and advanced Excel. Prepare examples of how you've improved processes or automated tasks using these technologies. Highlight any experience with AI tools like Copilot too!
āØBe a Problem Solver
The job requires identifying and fixing issues at the source. Think of specific instances where you've tackled complex problems in finance or accounting. Be ready to explain your thought process and the impact of your solutions.
āØEngage Stakeholders Effectively
You'll need to influence stakeholders without direct authority. Practice explaining complex financial concepts in simple terms. Prepare to share experiences where you've successfully communicated with non-finance audiences to drive change.