Financial Accountant - ACA Qualified (9-Month Fixed-Term Contract)

Job description

At Smart, our mission is to transform retirement, savings and financial wellbeing, across all generations, around the world. THE ROLE We are looking for a qualified Financial Accountant to join the team on a 9-month temporary basis, providing additional support for audit readiness, year-end close and audit process. This is a hands-on role suited to an ACA accountant with 1-2 years post-qualified experience who can quickly get up to speed and make an immediate contribution. Key Deliverables The successful candidate will be expected to deliver against two key projects for the Financial Operations & Reporting Team: Year-End Project 100% completion of historical balance sheet reconciliations to 31 December 2026 (year end), ensuring all accounts are reconciled, supported by appropriate evidence and reviewed by the Finance Manager. Resolution or clear escalation of outstanding, aged, historical and unexplained reconciling items, with a focus on ensuring the balance sheet is audit-ready ahead of year end. Complete and accurate year-end audit schedules and supporting documentation, with information readily available to respond to auditor requests. Timely preparation and posting of year-end journals, accruals, prepayments and other required adjustments to be approved by the Finance Manager. Identification and resolution of historical accounting discrepancies, unusual movements and potential errors ahead of the year-end close. Support the Financial Operations & Reporting team in delivering an audit-ready balance sheet, with a clear audit trail for key balances and adjustments. Chart of Accounts Project Preparation and maintenance of management reporting packs aligned to the revised Chart of Accounts. Completion of mapping between existing and new account codes, including consolidated codes, new codes and any required reclassifications. Updated P&L review and balance sheet reconciliation layouts ready for implementation from 1 January 2027. Appropriate documentation of Chart of Accounts mapping and reporting changes, providing a clear audit trail and supporting a smooth transition into the new financial year. Support the Financial Operations & Reporting team with ad hoc analysis, reporting and accounting requirements arising during the year-end and Chart of Accounts transition. WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR The skills, experience, and aptitudes we are looking for are listed below but please don’t be discouraged from applying if you don’t meet every single one of these criteria – having a ‘can do’ attitude is sometimes more important than being able to tick every box: ACA qualified with 1–2 years post-qualified experience, qualification from audit essential Strong technical accounting and financial reporting knowledge Experience processing journal entries Experience preparing month-end close process and management accounts Exposure to tax Experience with NetSuite desirable, but not essential Strong attention to detail and analytical skills Able to work independently and quickly get up to speed in a new environment Hands-on, pragmatic and comfortable working in a rapidly changing workplace Strong communication and organisation, and stakeholder management skills Available to commit to the full 9-month contract We’re looking for a hands-on qualified accountant who can quickly integrate into the team and provide reliable support across core finance activities. The successful candidate will be comfortable picking up tasks independently and helping the wider team manage workload during this period. WHO WE ARE We work in partnerships with governments and financial institutions in the UK and internationally. Our cloud-native digital platform is revolutionising how people around the world think about, and save for, their retirement. At heart, we’re a financial technology business. What we do is all about innovation, and using the power of digital change to put the customer first. Our Engineers will tell you that working at Smart gives you the opportunity to play your part in developing world-class technological solutions, working with – and learning from – like-minded people. You’ll also find that, across our business, our colleagues love Smart’s culture, and how what we do means better financial outcomes for savers. That feels worthwhile, and it means that what we do, collectively, goes way beyond the nine to five of a typical working day. Don’t just take our word for it – you can see what our colleagues say about working at Smart on LinkedIn Life and Glassdoor . BENEFITS At Smart, one of the eight principles we work to is “We want happy and good people in our team”. We created a list of benefits that helps us achieve this goal: 25 days’ holiday per year, increasing with length of service. £500 annual training budget to spend on your professional development Extensive private healthcare, including dental, eyecare and EAP Enhanced sick leave (three months’ pay per year) Enhanced maternity and paternity (maternity – 6 months fully paid/paternity – 3 weeks fully paid) Death in service insurance cover Fully-paid five-week sabbatical after five years of employment In office wellbeing, such as manicures, massages and barbers. Smart employees also enjoy a 50% discount on orders from our sister company Arena Flowers, Britain's most ethical florist. They offer unique hand-tied bouquets, luxury flowers, letterbox flowers, plants and gifts to spend on friends and loved ones or even for yourself. At Smart, we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to do their best work. We believe that diverse perspectives help us lead the way in transforming retirement, savings, and financial wellbeing. We welcome differences in background, experience, thinking, and identity, and we recognise that innovation is strongest when it is built on inclusion and fairness. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences and do not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process or in the workplace, we encourage you to let us know - we are committed to supporting you. We think Smart is an awesome place to work. If it sounds like somewhere you’d like to work, too, and if you’re ready to play your part in our continued success in the future, then naturally we’d love to meet you.