Financial Accountant

Financial Accountant

Location:

Maidenhead / Sutton Coldfield (flexible
- Maidenhead or Midlands-based candidates also considered) Job Type: Fixed-Term Contract (9 months), Full-time, 38.75 hours per week Salary:
Up to £70,000 per annum At Dignity, we're transforming our business to build the UK's leading end-of-life services provider. As part of this journey, we're working through the integration of Farewill, a recent acquisition bringing new entities, systems and regulatory requirements into the group, including FCA and SRA-regulated activities. We're now looking for a Financial Accountant to join our Group Finance
- Financial Reporting Team and take ownership of the Farewill accounting picture. This is a genuine hands-on, problem-solving role for someone who enjoys getting into the detail, fixing what's not working and leaving things in better shape than they found them. If you're a qualified accountant who's moved from practice into industry, has worked across a few different businesses and systems, and gets satisfaction from sorting out a messy problem rather than managing a steady state, this could be exactly the kind of project you're looking for.

The Opportunity Reporting to the Director of Finance, you'll take on the management and statutory accounting for several newly acquired Farewill entities, including FCA and SRA-regulated businesses, alongside supporting the wider Group Finance team. You'll work closely with our Data & Analytics team, our Financial Controller and colleagues across the business to get to the bottom of data and reporting issues, correct them, and put more reliable processes in their place.

You'll be responsible for:
Owning the management and statutory accounting for the Farewill entities, including FCA and SRA-regulated businesses. Getting into the detail of revenue and commission reconciliation issues (including with our probate referral partner, New Law) to identify and correct inaccuracies. Working with the Data & Analytics team to improve the quality and accuracy of the financial information feeding into our systems. Identifying and correcting VAT errors and working with the Group Tax Manager to keep VAT reporting accurate and on time.

Supporting the preparation of statutory accounts for the four Farewill entities, and working with external auditors on the first SRA audit for Farewill Legal Services. Supporting the planned migration of Farewill's accounting from Xero to Oracle. Bringing project management rigour to a business going through significant change. Why this role is different This isn't a steady-state reporting role. You'll be walking into a business that's still bedding in following an acquisition, where the information isn't always right first time and where you'll need to be prepared to question it, get under the bonnet and work out why.

There's genuine troubleshooting to do here: reconciling data from multiple systems, correcting VAT positions, and helping bring four separate entities into proper statutory shape. It's a defined, 9-month assignment, running through to around May/June next year, so it particularly suits an experienced contractor who enjoys coming in, making a real difference to a business in flux, and then moving on to the next challenge.

What you'll bring Fully qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent). Experience across a number of in-house finance roles, ideally in smaller businesses, where you've worked hands-on across accounts, payroll, VAT and tax. Strong IFRS/FRS 102 technical knowledge, with experience of group consolidation and statutory accounts preparation. Hands-on VAT experience, including identifying errors, correcting them and raising HMRC claims. Comfort working across multiple accounting systems, both large (e.g. SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards) and small (e.g. Sage, Xero), and confidence picking up new ones quickly.

The ability to commit to seeing out the full length of the contract. It would also be great, but isn't essential, if you had:
Business consolidation or M&A integration experience, from exiting or integrating acquired companies. Experience in an FCA or SRA-regulated business. Audit or commercial experience in retail/multi-site or insurance industries, or a regulated/service-based industry such as healthcare, funeral services or utilities. Project management experience. You'll be someone who Has real attention to detail, but knows when to step back and ask, "how do I put this right?"

Has an inquiring mind and isn't afraid to…