This is an excellent opportunity where you will make a real impact on the way Thames Water operates as a business and put you in regular contact with some of our most senior stakeholders. You will drive both our external financial reporting and the relationship between Finance and the wider business.
You will be primarily responsible for the development of first-class financial accounting and external reporting for our main trading entity Thames Water Utilities Limited (TWUL) and other group entities, and ensure our publications apply the relevant financial reporting guidance and meet our customer and other stakeholder needs. You will lead in the production of timely and accurate interim and annual financial statements. You will be the primary liaison for our external auditors and will deliver relevant supporting papers for the Audit Committee and Board.
In addition to your core role, you will join your friendly external financial reporting colleagues on on-site visits to Waste and Water treatment works, have access to a range of training courses and enjoy team social events. You will be a highly valued and pivotal team member as we increase our focus on best-in-class external reporting.
What you will be doing as a Group Financial Accountant
- Preparation of annual and interim consolidated financial statements for the main trading entity (TWUL) to a FTSE 100 standard, and group entities.
- Developing best practice processes and procedures around our external reporting, in both a statutory and regulatory environment.
- Review and implementation of new accounting pronouncements and other corporate reporting developments affecting Thames Water.
- Producing key deliverables for submission to the Audit Committee and Board at various stages during the year.
- Producing accounting papers documenting our key management judgements, including leases and financial instrument standards.
- Being a key contact for the external audit team at year-end, half-year and other times during the year.
- Involvement in several ad hoc projects (such as liquidations, new company set-up, control reviews, and system reviews) as required by the business.
What you should bring to the role
- A chartered accountant. (ACA, ACCA or equivalent).
- Strong technical background with experience in external financial reporting under IFRS including preparation of consolidated accounts.
- Ideally you will be from a Big 6 Accounting Firm or have worked for a large FTSE 100 Company and have had previous experience of preparing accounts.
- Strong communication and relationship management skills will be essential, as maintaining and building robust relationships with a variety of key stakeholders is vital within this position. Additionally, you will have strong experience working in a team towards a common objective within tight deadlines.
- Experience in using company IT systems including SAP and HFM would be desirable.
What’s in it for you?
- Competitive salary from £55,000 to £65,000 per annum depending on experience.
- Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service. (Plus bank holidays)
- Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution.
- Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
- Wider benefits scheme including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support your wellbeing.
Who are we?
At Thames Water, our purpose is crystal clear - to deliver life’s essential service so our customers, communities and planet can thrive.
Water is life’s great leveller. Every living thing needs it, every single day. From people to plants, birds to bees, farms to factories, we all need it to thrive, and we’re committed to taking care of it.
But keeping water flowing is becoming harder. From scorching summers to wetter winters, extreme weather affects everything from our pipes to our local rivers. We need to keep millions more kettles boiling, public services operating, washing machines spinning, showers running and more, so every drop is more precious than ever. Are you ready to play your part?
Working at Thames Water
At Thames Water, we recognise that people are at the heart of our business. To help us succeed in providing life's essential service, we need a range of skills and capabilities, representative of society throughout our business.
We seek to attract and retain a cultural mix of people who can offer different but complementary attitudes, values, talents, and knowledge. We understand the importance of appreciating and harnessing the unique skills, experiences, backgrounds, and differences that each individual brings.
Our over-arching diversity and inclusion aim is to ensure Thames Water is a diverse and inclusive great place to work. We encourage applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process.
Find out more about working at Thames Water.
When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business, meet colleagues and earn some extra money along the way.
Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.