Assistant Corporate Accountant — Hybrid -End Expert

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Date: 15 May 2026

Location:

London

This position sits within the Financial Reporting team and plays a central part in delivering accurate accounting, compliance, and reporting for the UK market. The team manages all month-end close activities, internal and external reporting and statutory compliance, alongside group reporting submissions to France and Japan HQ.

Reporting to the Financial Reporting Manager, the position offers strong career development opportunities within a fast‑paced retail FMCG environment. It is well suited to candidates with early experience in financial reporting and management accounting, who wants to build strong technical foundations and progress with their professional qualifications.

The role focusses on leading core month‑end processes and supporting internal / external reporting, with opportunities to drive process standardisation and enhance reporting across the wider finance group.

• Deliver the month‑end close process across all Shiseido Group brands in UK & Ireland markets.
• Prepare journal entries and supporting balance sheet reconciliations across key retail business areas.
• Produce monthly business analysis on management account movements and support preparation of the group quarterly reporting pack.
• Support business advisory activities and ad hoc analysis for the Financial Reporting and Commercial Finance teams.

• Support in the preparation and presentation of monthly results for corporate departments, ensuring costs are accurately reported and clearly communicated to the relevant budget owners.
• Act as a key point of contact for corporate budget holders, supporting financial queries relating to budgets, project costs and expenditure.
• Support in the preparation of annual budgets and regular forecasting reviews, including insightful variance commentary against budget and prior year performance.

• Support with the year‑end and quarterly close activities and coordination of the audit process with external advisors.
• Support internal audit processes and maintain J‑SOX reporting requirements.
• Assist with corporation tax compliance in partnership with external advisors, including transfer pricing and capital allowances.
• Prepare and submit VAT returns and manage other local compliance requirements, including employment taxes, environmental reporting, plastic packaging tax, and statistical filings.

• Drive a robust governance and control environment through the definition of accounting policies, risk controls, and compliance processes.
• Monitor the effectiveness of internal controls and system workflows across end‑to‑end finance processes to support retail business functions.
• Safeguard data integrity by ensuring adherence to group accounting policies and J‑SOX control and reporting requirements.

• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement, with a focus on streamlining month‑end close activities and implementing more effective, systemised controls.
• Contribute to ad‑hoc analysis and project work for the Financial Reporting and Commercial Finance teams.
• Assist senior team members in maintaining a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement.
• Foster a collaborative, high‑performing team through proactive communication, knowledge‑sharing, and positive team engagement.

We value diversity and creativity in all that we do. Your suitability will come through a range of experiences and backgrounds. Specifically, we encourage experiences from the below:

• Part‑qualified accountant status (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent)
• Background in management accounting with exposure to month‑end reporting including journals, reconciliations and P&L reviews.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with SAP S/4 and Power BI.
• Understanding of financial control environments and how they can be improved.

• Technical Excellence in Finance & Reporting – Strong command of accounting standards, month‑end processes, and…