Senior Financial Accountant

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.

We are looking for an experienced Senior Financial Accountant to lead the Institute's Financial Accounting and Transactional Finance Control Service. This key leadership role is responsible for delivering accurate, timely and compliant financial accounting across the Institute and its group entities, including statutory reporting, month‑and‑year‑end close, balance sheet assurance, VAT compliance, audit readiness and transactional finance controls. You will work closely with Finance leadership and stakeholders across the organisation to provide technical expertise, strengthen financial governance and shape the future direction of the Institute's financial accounting service.

You are a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with significant experience in financial accounting within a complex organisation. You have strong technical knowledge of statutory reporting, financial controls, FRS 102 and IFRS; experience managing month‑and‑year‑end close, supporting audits and leading financial compliance activities; and you are an effective people leader with excellent stakeholder management skills and a passion for improving processes and developing teams.

Experience with in the charity, research or higher education sectors, together with knowledge of Unit4 Business World (Agresso) or similar finance systems, would be advantageous.

• 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.

• Strong technical knowledge of financial accounting, statutory accounts preparation, month‑ 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 auditors 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.

Please submit a CV and Suitability Statement. Before submitting your application, please refer to the suitability statement guidance for details on what to include.

Salary:
In the region of £65,265 to £88,000.

Close Date: 31st July 2026.

Contract Type:
Permanent.

Note:

The Senior Financial Accountant role is currently proposed as part of organisational changes within Operations and is subject to consultation. Any appointment will be subject to the completion of the consultation process.

We recognise that there are many benefits to Hybrid Working – improved work‑life balance, focused time and the ability to organise working time for collaborative opportunities and team discussions 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.

We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets and generating greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with staff networks for LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers, Disability, Gender Equity and Race Equity. These networks bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities, and raise awareness.

Allies may provide support to others.