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- Tasks: Join our finance team to ensure accurate reporting and maintain robust accounting structures.
- Company: Smiths Detection, a dynamic organisation embracing change and continuous improvement.
- Benefits: Hybrid working, exposure to senior stakeholders, and a technically rich role.
- Other info: Ideal for adaptable professionals seeking a challenging corporate environment.
- Why this job: Make an impact in a high-profile role with opportunities for growth and development.
- Qualifications: 4+ years of accounting experience, strong statutory reporting skills, and IFRS knowledge.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 ÂŁ per year.
As we continue to evolve and strengthen our corporate finance capability, we are looking for a Corporate Accountant to join our Head Office finance team based in Hemel Hempstead. This is a high‑profile role within an evolving, change‑driven organisation, ideal for someone who enjoys technical accounting, values strong financial control, and sees change as a positive opportunity.
The Role
Reporting to the Head of Financial Control / Divisional Financial Controller, you will be a key contributor to the head office accounting function, ensuring accurate, timely and high‑quality statutory and management reporting across the Smiths Detection Group’s corporate entities. You will play an important role in maintaining robust ledger structures, supporting statutory reporting, and ensuring that accounting data aligns with the corporate functional structure. The role has a strong technical accounting focus, including multi‑currency transactions, loans, share capital, dividends and complex FX, working closely with Treasury and Tax.
Key Responsibilities
- Preparation and maintenance of management reports for central functions, using ledger and headcount data
- Ownership of management reporting structures (cost centres, GL hierarchies) to enable effective cost control and variance analysis
- Ensuring costs are recorded accurately in the correct ledgers; advising on coding and improving upstream data quality with HR, T&E and Master Data teams
- Accounting under IFRS for central entities, including loans, interest, equity transactions, dividends and foreign exchange
- Preparation of UK statutory accounts and support for internal and external audits
- Maintenance of distributable reserves tracking
- Maintaining registers for centrally issued bonds and guarantees
- Ensuring consistency between SAP, SAP BW and Oracle EPM (FCCS / EPBCS) through mapping tables
- Supporting forecasts, budgets and ad‑hoc finance projects
- Promoting strong financial controls, compliance and Smiths Detection policies
About You
This role is not suitable for someone in their first role out of practice. We are specifically looking for a candidate with depth of experience who can operate with confidence and autonomy in a corporate environment.
Essential experience and skills:
- Minimum 4 years’ accounting experience (at least 2 years in industry)
- Strong statutory reporting experience (UK statutory accounts preparation is essential)
- Proven experience working with a ledger system (SAP preferred)
- Multi‑currency accounting experience is essential
- Solid knowledge of IFRS and application of accounting standards
- Experience working in a head office or divisional finance function within a multinational organisation
- Comfortable working in a changing environment and able to adapt as the organisation evolves
Qualifications
ACA or ACCA preferred. CIMA will be considered only where there is clear evidence of statutory accounting experience.
Personal Attributes
- Technically strong and detail‑focused, with a “right first time” mindset
- Well‑organised and able to manage deadlines such as month‑end close
- Confident communicator, able to build effective relationships across Finance, HR, IT, Treasury and Tax
- A flexible, proactive self‑starter who enjoys improvement, challenge and change
Why Join Smiths Detection?
- Hybrid working from our Hemel Hempstead office
- A technically rich, high‑visibility corporate accounting role
- Exposure to complex group structures and senior stakeholders
- An organisation genuinely embracing change and continuous improvement
If you are an experienced, qualified accountant with strong statutory reporting credentials and a positive, adaptable mindset, we would love to hear from you.
Corporate Accountant in England employer: Smiths Detection
Contact Detail:
Smiths Detection Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Corporate Accountant in England
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with people in the finance industry! Attend events, join online forums, or even reach out to folks on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Ace the Interview
Prepare for your interviews by researching the company and its culture. Think about how your experience aligns with their needs, especially around statutory reporting and IFRS. Practice common interview questions and be ready to showcase your technical skills!
✨Showcase Your Skills
When you get the chance, highlight your multi-currency accounting experience and your familiarity with ledger systems like SAP. Use specific examples from your past roles to demonstrate how you've tackled challenges and contributed to financial control.
✨Apply Through Our Website
Don’t forget to apply directly through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team at Smiths Detection.
We think you need these skills to ace Corporate Accountant in England
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experience mentioned in the job description. Highlight your statutory reporting experience and any work with multi-currency transactions to catch our eye!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell us why you’re the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of how you've tackled challenges in previous roles, especially in a corporate environment.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Since this role has a strong technical focus, don’t shy away from mentioning your experience with IFRS and ledger systems like SAP. We want to see that you can handle the complexities of the role!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands and shows us you’re serious about joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Smiths Detection
✨Know Your Numbers
Brush up on your technical accounting knowledge, especially around IFRS and multi-currency transactions. Be ready to discuss specific examples from your past experience that demonstrate your expertise in statutory reporting and how you've handled complex financial scenarios.
✨Master the Ledger Systems
Familiarise yourself with SAP and any other ledger systems mentioned in the job description. If you have experience with these systems, prepare to share how you've used them to improve data quality and reporting accuracy in previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Adaptability
This role is all about embracing change, so be prepared to discuss times when you've successfully navigated a shifting environment. Highlight your proactive approach to challenges and how you've contributed to improvements in your previous positions.
✨Build Relationships
As a Corporate Accountant, you'll need to collaborate with various teams. Think of examples where you've effectively communicated and built relationships across departments like HR, IT, and Treasury. This will show your ability to work well in a team-oriented environment.