At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead financial accounting and ensure compliance while driving process improvements.
- Company: Join a leading research institute dedicated to improving human health.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, and a strong focus on employee wellbeing.
- Other info: Inclusive culture with supportive staff networks and excellent career development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in life-changing science while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Qualified accountant with experience in financial accounting and team leadership.
The predicted salary is between 65265 - 88000 £ per year.
Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity's greatest challenges.
About the Role
We are looking for an experienced Senior Financial Accountant to lead the Institute's Financial Accounting and Transactional Finance Control Service. This is a key leadership role responsible for delivering accurate, timely and compliant financial accounting across the Institute and its group entities. You'll lead statutory reporting, month and year-end close, balance sheet assurance, VAT compliance, audit readiness and transactional finance controls, while driving continuous improvement across financial accounting processes. Working closely with Finance leadership and stakeholders across the organisation, you'll provide technical expertise, strengthen financial governance and help shape the future direction of the Institute's financial accounting service.
About You
You will be a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with significant experience in financial accounting within a complex organisation. You'll have strong technical knowledge of statutory reporting, financial controls, FRS 102 and IFRS, together with experience managing month and year-end close, supporting audits and leading financial compliance activities. You'll also be an effective people leader with excellent stakeholder management skills and a passion for improving processes and developing teams. Experience within the charity, research or higher education sectors, together with knowledge of Unit4 Business World (Agresso) or similar finance systems, would be advantageous.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the Institute's Financial Accounting and Transactional Finance Control Service.
- Deliver statutory accounts, financial reporting, month and year-end close activities.
- Oversee balance sheet control, reconciliations, VAT compliance and audit readiness.
- Provide technical accounting leadership and maintain robust financial controls.
- Lead the transactional finance function, including accounts payable, payments and banking.
- Drive continuous improvement across financial processes, systems and controls.
- Lead, coach and develop members of the Financial Accounting team.
- Build strong relationships across the Institute, providing expert financial advice and support to senior stakeholders.
Essential Knowledge, Experience and Skills
- Strong technical knowledge of financial accounting, statutory accounts preparation, month-end and year-end close, balance sheet control and financial reporting.
- Extensive experience independently preparing statutory accounts and owning the process of coordinating with internal stakeholders and external auditor from planning to signing.
- People leadership and team development – able to support, coordinate and develop operational finance staff while maintaining strong financial controls, service quality and collaborative team working.
- Experience identifying control weaknesses and process inefficiencies and leading process improvements or contributing to finance systems, procurement, HR or operational change projects.
- Advanced Excel skills and confidence extracting, manipulating and analysing data from finance systems, combined with an understanding of how to maximise automation capabilities of a modern finance system.
Salary In the region of £65,265 to £88,000
Close Date 31st July 2026
Contract Type Permanent
Hybrid Working at Wellcome Sanger
We recognise that there are many benefits to Hybrid Working; including an improved work-life balance, with more focused time, as well as the ability to organise working time so that collaborative opportunities and team discussions are facilitated on campus. The hybrid working arrangement will vary for different roles and teams. The nature of your role and the type of work you do will determine if a hybrid working arrangement is possible.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with the following staff networks: LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers, Disability, Gender Equity and Race Equity to bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities and raise awareness. The networks are also a place for allies to provide support to others. We believe people do their best work when they can be their authentic selves. That's why we're committed to creating a truly inclusive culture at Sanger Institute. We will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.
Our Benefits
We are proud to deliver an awarding campus-wide employee wellbeing strategy and programme. The importance of good health and adopting a healthier lifestyle and the commitment to reduce work-related stress is strongly acknowledged and recognised at Sanger Institute. Sanger Institute became a signatory of the International Technician Commitment initiative In March 2018. The Technician Commitment aims to empower and ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.
Senior Financial Accountant employer: Wellcome Sanger Institute
At Open Targets, we are dedicated to improving human health through innovative science, making us an exceptional employer for those passionate about genetics and genomics. Our collaborative work culture fosters inclusivity and diversity, ensuring that every employee can thrive while contributing to life-changing research. With a hybrid working arrangement at the Wellcome Sanger campus, we offer competitive salaries, a strong focus on employee wellbeing, and ample opportunities for professional growth in a supportive environment.
