Senior Management Accountant

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

Your profile

Required experience

• 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

• 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