Senior Financial Accountant (12 month FTC)

Role Description

Are you an experienced, qualified accountant looking for a challenging and rewarding role in a prestigious, complex organisation? The University of York is seeking a highly skilled Senior Financial Accountant to join our Group Financial Accounts Team on a Fixed-Term, 12-Month Contract (covering a maternity leave of over a year), based in the Finance Department.

The Role: 

As a senior member of the team, you will be pivotal in providing accurate, insightful financial information across the entire University.

Key Responsibilities:

• Financial Reporting & Analysis: Prepare and consolidate financial reports for Senior Management and University Committees, including preparing variance analysis across faculties and subsidiaries.
• TRAC Lead: Lead the preparation of the annual Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) return and act as a key business partner to the TRAC Oversight Committee.
• Technical Expertise: Provide technical financial input to support new ventures and research/form recommendations on accounting/tax treatment for new income streams.
• Compliance & Monitoring: Monitor changes in Higher Education accounting standards and statutory reporting requirements, proactively advising leadership on necessary adjustments.
• Leadership: Coordinate group forecasting and variance analysis and potentially line-manage direct reports.

What You'll Bring (Essential Requirements)

• Qualification: A recognised Accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA) with strong knowledge of UK GAAP.
• Experience: Proven experience in the preparation of financial reports and commentary for senior stakeholders.
• Skills: A high degree of attention to detail, a solution-oriented approach, and the ability to gather, analyse, interpret, and report complex data/information.
• Knowledge: Strong understanding of accounting practices and procedures used in large, complex organisations.

Experience with line management, knowledge of the Higher Education Sector, and familiarity with Agresso/Workday Adaptive Planner are desirable, but not essential.

What we offer

• Hybrid working: flexibility to WFH up to 3 days per week
• Generous Holidays: up to 38 Days (including bank holidays) 
• Salary of up to £56,535
• A Family-Friendly and Inclusive Environment

Informal enquiries are encouraged, please contact: 

Skills, Experience & Qualification needed

• Experience of working with a variety of stakeholders, in particular with patients, service users and members of the public.
• Experience in delivering communications to support a project, with demonstrable proficiency in using several different channels, including writing for the web.
• Experience of supporting the coordination and delivery of projects and related activities.
• Experience of organising events bringing together multiple stakeholders (such as face to face events, webinars, online meetings).
• Ability to work as part of a team and also to work independently using own initiative
• Please see the ‘Person Specification’ for more information

The role is a fixed term until 31 January 2027.

Interview date: To be confirmed

For informal enquiries: please contact: Ali Henley-Jones, Deputy Director of Finance ali.henley-jones@york.ac.uk. Please note that emails will only be checked intermittently over the Christmas and New Year period

The University strives to be diverse and inclusive  – a place where we can ALL be ourselves.

We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University. 

We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff. #EqualityatYork