Senior Management Accountant in London

London Full-Time No working from home possible

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Key points

Location: London, Clerkenwell (hybrid working: 3 days in the office, 2 days WFH, subject to company policy)
Reports to: Head of Financial Reporting & Controls, Supported by: 2x Senior Project Accountants, 2x Accounts Assistants
Works closely with: Finance Operations Manager (cash, payroll coordination), Head of FRC

Overview

ZHA is a large, internationally active architectural and design practice operating across multiple entities and currencies. The finance function supports a fast-paced project-based business with significant international complexity.
This is a senior, delivery-critical role. The Senior Management Accountant will own the monthly close process end-to-end, producing management account drafts to a high standard and within agreed deadlines.
The role is the technical backbone of the reporting function and will directly support the Head of Financial Reporting & Controls in building a high-performing, proactive finance team.

This role requires an individual who can take ownership of month-end activities from the outset, bringing strong technical knowledge and practical experience in delivering accurate and timely month-end close processes.

Main responsibilities

Month-End Close & Management Accounts

Own and coordinate the full monthly close process across the Group, ensuring all ledgers are closed accurately and on time
Produce monthly management account drafts for review by the Head of Financial Reporting & Controls
Collate, review, and challenge monthly reconciliations prepared by the team — ensuring completeness, accuracy and consistency
Prepare and post month-end journals including accruals, prepayments, depreciation, and intercompany
Post the monthly payroll journal in coordination with the Finance Operations Manager, ensuring all payroll entries reconcile to zero
Maintain and own the month-end close timetable, chasing outstanding items and escalating blockers proactively
Prepare flux analysis and variance commentary for management account packs

Group Accounts & Multi-Entity Reporting

Manage multi-entity consolidation across Group companies, including intercompany eliminations and reconciliations
Handle foreign currency accounting across multiple currencies — revaluation, translation, and gain/loss postings
Ensure consistency of treatment across entities and maintain a clear audit trail
Support the preparation of Group reporting packs for the SMT and Board

Project Accounting Support

Collaborate with the Project Accountants to ensure project revenue, cost, and WIP are correctly reflected in the management accounts
Review project accounting entries and flag inconsistencies or unusual movements
Support the month-end cut-off process for project-related income and expenditure

Team Support & Development

Act as the primary technical resource for the team — available to advise junior colleagues on how to prepare information correctly and understand why
Review work prepared by the two Project Accountants and two Accounts Assistants, providing constructive feedback and coaching
Help build a culture of accuracy, ownership and deadline discipline within the team
Contribute to process documentation and controls improvement initiatives

Audit & Compliance

Prepare audit schedules and support the external audit process — ensuring information is accurate, well organised, and delivered on time
Maintain audit-ready reconciliations and working papers throughout the year
Support the Head of FRC on ad hoc compliance and regulatory reporting requirements

Systems & Process

Work primarily in Sage 200 and Deltek — prior experience preferred; strong systems literacy essential
Contribute to ongoing systems improvement and process automation initiatives
Maintain the nominal ledger structure with discipline — ensuring postings are correct and the chart of accounts is clean

Required experience

Essential

Qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent) — fully qualified preferred; strong part-qualified candidates with exceptional experience considered
Progressive management accounting experience, with clear ownership of the month-end close in a previous role
Demonstrable experience of multi-entity consolidation and foreign currency accounting
Strong project accounting knowledge — revenue recognition, WIP, cost allocation
Experience in a professional services, architecture, consultancy or international project-based environment strongly preferred
Confident working with Sage 200 and/or Deltek — or proven ability to navigate complex ERP/project systems quickly
Highly organised and deadline-driven — able to manage a close timetable and hold others accountable to it
Strong communicator — able to explain technical accounting to non-finance colleagues and to coach junior team members clearly
Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment with competing priorities

Desired skills and qualifications

Desirable

Prior experience in an architecture, design or project-led creative professional services firm
Exposure to international entities — particularly China, Germany or Spain
Experience supporting or leading an external audit process
Experience with finance systems implementations or improvement projects

Personal Attributes

Technically strong and confident; willing to roll up their sleeves when needed
Naturally organised with a strong sense of personal accountability
Collaborative team player who communicates well and builds trust quickly
Calm under pressure — able to maintain quality and composure during peak periods
Intellectually curious and improvement-minded — always looking for a better way
Takes pride in the accuracy and presentation of their work

How to apply

To apply for this role, please click on the apply button below. You will need to complete the application form. Please ensure that you include a copy of your CV and cover letter.

Please note that candidates shortlisted for this role will be required to complete an in-office assessment as part of the recruitment process.

ZHA is a vibrant mix of ideas and perspectives, and this diversity is one of our greatest strengths. Driven by employee engagement, we cultivate an inclusive environment to empower people from all backgrounds to achieve their ambitions at ZHA. We assess candidates on the basis of their skills, experience, and potential, and all applicants will be considered equally for employment regardless of race, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, neurodivergence, family or parental status, age, or disability status. If you have any questions about this vacancy or require any reasonable adjustments to ensure the recruitment process is accessible, please let us know in the designated section of the application form so we can support your participation.

About us

ZHA redefined architecture for the 21st century with a repertoire of projects that have captured imaginations across the globe. Creating buildings uniquely tailored to the communities they serve, ZHA has been awarded the highest honours from professional and academic institutions worldwide. Founded by Dame Zaha, ZHA is one of the world’s most innovative architectural studios—and has been for almost 50 years. These five decades of detailed research are inscribed within ZHA’s buildings which become more spatially inventive, more structurally efficient, more technologically advanced, and more environmentally considerate with each new design. ZHA’s 500 staff in five offices worldwide are currently developing projects in 34 countries across six continents—combining pioneering design solutions with ecologically sound materials and sustainable construction practices to meet the aspirations of each new generation.