Financial Accountant – Job Description
Reporting to: Assistant Financial Controller
Role summary
The Financial Accountant is responsible for the end‑to‑end delivery of accurate period‑end close, balance sheet integrity and statutory‑ready financial reporting for assigned entities, with primary ownership of the EU entity. The role owns the general ledger, applies accounting judgement across accruals and estimates, and acts as the primary finance contact for audit, VAT and stakeholder queries within scope.
The role requires strong technical accounting capability, attention to detail and the ability to interpret and explain financial results. The Financial Accountant plays a key role in maintaining financial control, ensuring compliance with group accounting policies and local statutory requirements, improving processes and supporting decision‑making across the business.
Key responsibilities
Period‑end close & financial reporting
- Own the period‑end close process for assigned entities (primarily the EU entity), ensuring timely, accurate and complete delivery.
- Prepare and review monthly financial reporting packs, including P&L, balance sheet and supporting schedules, ensuring outputs are audit‑ready.
- Determine and post journals, accruals, provisions and reclasses, applying appropriate accounting judgement and documentation standards.
- Ensure reporting is compliant with group accounting policies, IFRS requirements where applicable, and local statutory requirements for the EU entity.
- Prepare clear, concise financial commentary explaining performance, key movements, risks and issues arising from the close.
General ledger & balance sheet accountability
- Take full ownership of the general ledger for assigned areas.
- Ensure balance sheet integrity through review and sign‑off of reconciliations.
- Manage intercompany accounting for entities in scope (primarily the EU entity), including intercompany recharges, reconciliations, query resolution and supporting settlement.
- Prepare and post foreign exchange (FX) revaluation entries at period end, ensuring appropriate support, correct treatment of monetary items and clear movement analysis.
- Own resolution plans for aged, complex or judgemental balances and escalate issues appropriately.
Accruals, estimates & business partnering
- Lead accrual discussions with stakeholders, challenging assumptions and ensuring accurate period recognition.
- Apply judgement to estimates and provisions, supported by appropriate documentation.
- Partner with budget holders to explain performance, cost drivers and financial impacts.
- Anticipate questions from senior stakeholders and proactively address risks.
Analysis & insight
- Perform detailed variance analysis and trend analysis.
- Identify underlying drivers of performance and areas of risk or opportunity.
- Support operational and strategic decision‑making through targeted financial analysis.
- Contribute to forecasting and budgeting cycles as required.
Fixed assets & IFRS 16
- Oversee fixed asset accounting, including additions, disposals, depreciation and register integrity.
- Ensure accurate IFRS 16 accounting, including monthly postings and balance sheet reporting.
- Review proposals and assumptions supporting asset‑related accounting entries.
Tax, audit & statutory reporting
- Own preparation and submission of VAT returns and related reconciliations for the UK & EU entity (and other assigned entities), ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.
- Act as primary point of contact for external audit within scope, including coordination of the EU statutory audit, preparation of evidence and timely resolution of queries.
- Own and/or support preparation of statutory accounts for the EU entity, including delivery through CaseWare (or similar) where required, ensuring alignment to the underlying ledger and disclosures.
- Coordinate and support local statutory filings for the EU entity, ensuring submissions are accurate, complete and delivered to local deadlines (working with external advisors as required).
- Liaise with external auditors and local advisors (e.g., tax agents) as required, ensuring high‑quality and timely responses.
Systems, controls & continuous improvement
- Own and improve finance processes within assigned areas, ensuring controls are effective and scalable.
- Lead implementation of process improvements and system changes, including NetSuite‑based enhancements.
- Ensure documentation is maintained for key controls, judgements and processes.
- Challenge existing ways of working and drive improvements in efficiency, accuracy and insight.
EU entity financial management
- Support the set-up and ongoing accounting for any future EU entity, ensuring accurate accounting, reporting and financial control.
- Support month‑end close, balance sheet integrity and statutory compliance for the future EU entity.
- Support and coordinate tax recovery activities related to EU logistics and shipping (e.g. import VAT and duties), working with internal teams and external advisors where required.
- Ensure EU reporting aligns with UK finance processes and US group reporting requirements.
Leadership & oversight
- Review work prepared by others, ensuring quality and consistency.
- Act as an escalation point for complex accounting or reporting issues.
- Support development of the wider finance team through knowledge sharing and coaching.
Skills & experience
- Qualified or Part Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA).
- Strong technical accounting knowledge with experience preparing and reviewing financial statements and supporting statutory accounts.
- Sound understanding of audit requirements, financial controls and maintaining audit‑ready working papers.
- Experience owning period‑end close for a legal entity and ensuring balance sheet integrity through robust reconciliations (EU entity experience preferred).
- Practical experience with VAT compliance and statutory accounts processes in a European jurisdiction (desirable).
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret and explain financial information clearly.
- Confident communicator, able to engage with non‑finance stakeholders and external auditors.
- Proactive, organised and comfortable working to challenging deadlines.
- Experience with NetSuite or similar ERP systems preferred.
Behavioural expectations
- High level of professionalism and integrity.
- Ownership mindset with accountability for outcomes.
- Willingness to challenge constructively and apply judgement.
- Continuous improvement focus.
- Ability to balance technical accuracy with commercial pragmatism.
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As an equal opportunities' employer, Unilever Prestige Hub Brands/Tatcha/Murad//Living Proof/K18 is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees regardless of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership.
We aspire to have a diverse workforce because, in our view, diversity enables better business outcomes. We also believe that a more inclusive workplace, where people of different backgrounds work together, ensures better outcomes for all staff. From application to interview, we place inclusion at the heart of all we do. In particular, we strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join Unilever Prestige Hub Brands/Tatcha/Murad//Living Proof/K18.
