Senior Financial Accountant

Are you up for leading the finance transformation projects and helping to drive change throughout the business? Love numbers and seeing how we shape our business? You are a rare diamond. As the Senior Financial Accountant, you will be reporting into the Finance Manager, own the preparation of the year-end financial statement (in accordance with IFRS), own the month-end close, and manage the external audit. You will own the consolidated balance sheet and work closely with overseas finance teams to streamline finance processes. Management of Accounting team & working with subsidiaries - Organise the Accounting department to ensure deadlines set by internal stakeholders and shareholders are met, alongside ensuring legal obligations are met. - Work closely with the team to ensure continued development, increased expertise and providing technical insight as required. - Understand and challenge subsidiaries accounts to ensure accurate group reporting (9 reporting entities including London Head Office and 7 Key markets: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Taiwan, UK, France and the USA). - Work closely with markets to bring efficiencies to reporting process and provide direction in relation to complex accounting matters. Financial reporting - Responsible for the timely and accurate completion of the monthly close for DBJ consolidation, including the close schedules, P&L, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow in line with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). - Prepare monthly journals including accruals, prepayments, leases, and recharges. Additionally Manage IFRS 16 lease accounting, including monthly postings and maintenance of lease schedules. - Responsible for the monthly estimate due to shareholders by Day 2 and load on to AFC. - Review of results pre-close (vs budget/ trend analysis) to ensure accounts are accurate as well as other close reporting as required. - Liaising with shareholders, responding to queries and requests as required. - Preparation and review of balance sheet reconciliations, including cash, fixed assets, prepayments, creditors, and accruals, to ensure that all accounts are adequately reconciled and that all aged items are resolved in a timely manner. - Constant review and update of accounting policies in line with IFRS and reviewing group accounting policies and ensuring proper implementation globally. Statutory reporting - Responsibility for the accurate preparation and timely submission of all statutory reporting and filings for UK (retail and HO) and France legal entities. - Manage the UK audit process and providing relevant information timely. - Key contact for PwC on technical matters and ensuring all open points are closed swiftly. - Prepare relevant audit evidence to ensure all figures within the financial statements are appropriately supported. Internal controls - Implement standardised procedures and internal controls across the global DBJ markets. - Work closely with internal audit and governance teams to ensure internal controls are ‘fit for purpose’. - Liaise with the FP&A team to implement relevant internal controls over the financial reporting process. Tax compliance - Prepare and submit monthly VAT returns for the UK and France. - Support statutory EU tax submissions (e.g. CIT, DAS2, CFE, Intrastat). - Liaise with tax specialists to address tasks risks and mitigate tax issues. - Responsible for ensuring that the indirect and direct tax submissions are completed timely and accurately. - Key contact for EY, HMRC and other local tax authorities including responding to queries raised and tax audits as required. Accounts receivable - Monitor the AR mailbox and support resolution of customer payment queries. - Support cash allocation and ensure accurate posting of customer receipts. - Supporting customer master data creation & credit control activities where required (e.g. wholesale/franchise). - Prepare revenue and receivables audit documentation. Accounts payable - Understand the GL and cost centre coding structure, review the A/P team’s posting of invoices into the SAP accounting ledger against POs/direct to agreed codes. - Assist A/P in developing strong relationships with suppliers to ensure efficient running of all areas of responsibility. Stock management - Responsible for working with the Inventory control manager to ensure stock takes are accurately completed in line with procedures (quarterly, bi-annual, or annually depending on location) to ensure no loss of inventory or discrepancies. - Work closely with marketing, PR, and retail teams on product gifting and ensure financial records appropriately reflect gifts. - Support processing of stock adjustments, write offs, and store stock count results. Treasury Management - Overall management of the group’s treasury function and managing banking relationships. - Working closely with the global DBJ markets to ensure effective cash management and monitor borrowing facilities. - Preparation of consolidated cash flow and related forecasting. Projects - Work alongside the Finance Manager and be a key point of contact on ad hoc improvement projects. - Support the organisation in implementing new and improving existing finance and reporting tools to enhance reporting standards throughout the business. - Identify and escalate areas for improvement and proposed solutions. Other - Responsibility for the forecasting of the consolidated Balance Sheet and Cash Flow in line with group deadlines. - Provide support to the Finance Manager and Financial Controller when required. - Post-qualification related work experience, ideally in retail. - Strong knowledge of accounting principles and procedures. - ACA/ACCA qualified (or equivalent). - Excellent spoken and written English. - French would be a plus (but not required). - Self-starter with strong communication and organisational skills. - Ability to develop strong relationships. - Proven track record of process improvement. - Attention to detail & deadlines.