Senior Financial Accountant

## Senior Financial Accountant Apply locations:
Hinxton, Cambridgeshire time type:
Full time posted on:
Posted 7 Days Agojob requisition :
JR103853

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 with in 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    co-ordinating 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.
*
* Application Process:

** Please submit a CV & Suitability Statement. Before submitting your application, please refer to the suitability statement guidance, found here, for details on what to include.
** Other Information
**** Salary:
** In the region of £65,265 to £88,000
** Close Date:
** 31st July 2026
** Contract Type:
** Permanent
* * Job Description
** 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.
** Hybrid Working at Wellcome Sanger:
**…