Group Accountant

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a Group Accountant to join the head office team of this £90m turnover EQT private equity backed Life Sciences group.

Based in Melbourn, Cambridge and reporting to the Group Financial Controller, this new role will join and strengthen an agile, highly regarded, and hard-working Group Finance team.

We are looking for a team player with great hands-on accounting experience, to lead the core monthly reporting and close work, supporting and reporting to the Group Financial Controller. You will lead the collection and consolidation of monthly submissions from our subsidiary companies, providing timely financial reporting to the senior members of the business.

You will be a conscientious self-starter, looking for a role in which you can use your audit and accounting background to help an experienced team drive continuous improvement, whilst developing your commercial finance and financial system skills.

The role offers a lot of variety, a great breadth of exposure and significant scope for personal development. Topics will include process improvement, application of technical accounting concepts across the group, audit process leadership, as well as helping the CFO, Group Financial Controller and Head of FP&A (Financial Planning & Analysis) with various projects and initiatives.

The breadth of the role, together with the ambition of the business and our investors, will offer the right candidate a fantastic opportunity to develop professionally across all financial disciplines, whilst working within a fun, supportive and fast paced environment.

The ideal applicant will be an experienced financial accountant, looking for the opportunity to really shape and drive a Groups approach to global reporting, someone who thrives working in a hands on, fast paced, dynamic and changing environment.

You will have excellent communication skills and enjoy working across a range of subjects, and with a range of colleagues, in both a hands on operational and strategic way, depending on the audience and the topic.

This role is an important member of the core finance team, with exposure to senior staff and the investors and Board and will be involved in a number of projects (including M&A and the exit). The successful candidate will be fully sponsored at the most senior levels. The successful candidate can expect to add significant weight to their CV over the next 2-3 years.

About us:

SPT Labtech operates from sites in the US, UK, Germany, India, China, and Japan and makes products that transform the way scientists work.

For over two decades, our expert scientists, engineers and business innovators have provided scientists with world-leading, innovative solutions for liquid handling, sample preparation, and sample management, solutions that help accelerate research and make a real difference to human health.

We work collaboratively with our customers, building trusted relationships that enable us to deliver exceptional, personalised experiences designed for real-world challenges in the lab.

With a global presence, we are making a measurable impact on human health and offer exciting career opportunities for those passionate about science and innovation.

The position:

Reporting directly to the Group Financial Controller, the successful candidate will work closely with our senior team, the finance functions, and our advisors, as well as across the wider business to deliver high quality financial reporting, both monthly management reporting and statutory financial reporting annually, whilst also being able to explore a number of other working disciplines within a finance function.

Key responsibilities: 

• Working with the Group CFO, GFC and PwC, to develop the annual financial reporting and audit improvements plan.
• Working with overseas office finance teams, overseeing the monthly reporting submissions for our subsidiary companies.
• Preparing the monthly and annual reporting for our group holding companies.
• Working with the GFC and Head of FPA (Financial Planning & Analysis), preparing the consolidated month end reporting for submission to our lenders and investors.
• As a process improvement champion, identifying and driving continuous improvements across our financial reporting and consolidation processes, and working on new technologies as needed.
• Controlling and reviewing key Group Balance Sheet reconciliations.
• Working with the GFC to lead the annual group audit, preparing the annual consolidated financial statements.
• Supporting on ad-hoc projects and requests, acting as a key member of the core finance team delivering financial and process improvements both within the function, and across the wider business.

Skills & Attributes:

Required knowledge, experience, and technical skills

• UK Financial Accounting Qualification (ACA/ACCA).
• UK GAAP group company experience.
• Personable, with a strong commitment to team outcomes.
• Confident in dealing with investors, advisors, and other subject matter experts.
• Able to prioritise your own workload, and that of your team, ensuring deadlines are met, whilst producing accurate work.
• Possessing strong analytical skills.
• Confident in advanced MS Excel techniques.
• Quick to get up to speed, able to evidence strong problem-solving skills.
• Able to operate effectively in a dynamic, fast moving, and demanding environment.
• Culturally sensitive and used to operating in a multi-national business, able to adapt style to circumstances.
• Deadline driven, self-governing.

Desirable knowledge, experience, and technical skills

• A numerate first degree (Maths, Physics, or another STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subject).
• Experience of working in a Group Finance team and with numerous non-finance stakeholders.
• Consolidation system experience.
• IFRS experience.

Our commitment to you:

You will be collaborating with talented professionals in a motivated and driven team.

We offer a competitive salary package and comprehensive, valued benefits, including private medical insurance, a generous pension plan, and an annual discretionary bonus.

We embrace diversity and inclusivity, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, or family status. We prioritise supporting our employees' diverse needs as we strive for excellence together.