Senior Financial Accountant

Location Hybrid United Kingdom (multiple locations) Portsmouth Manchester Birmingham Bristol, City of Swindon. Inclusive with hybrid working where you are based between the office and home.

Team Corporate Services - Finance and Procurement

Seniority Mid-level

Closing: 11:59pm, 2nd Nov 2025 GMT

Perks and benefits

• Flexible working hours
• Work from home option
• Retirement benefits
• Wellness programs
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Additional parental leave
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Paid emergency leave
• Extra holiday
• Sabbatical opportunities
• Professional development
• Mentoring/coaching
• Payroll giving
• Salary sacrifice
• Team social events
• Team lunches
• Extracurricular clubs
• Cycle to work scheme
• Candidate happiness (7.99, 9414)

Job Description

We are the public body that looks after England's historic environment. We champion historic places, helping people understand, value and care for them.

We are currently seeking a focused individual to join our finance team as a Senior Financial Accountant to manage all aspects of financial accounting for the organisation and its customers. This is a key role where you will be responsible for the delivery of statutory duties for Historic England and other group entities and customers.

We offer a wide benefits package including a competitive defined benefit pension scheme to which we make 28.97% employer contributions, a generous 28 days holiday, corporate discounts, free entry into English Heritage sites across the country and development opportunities to ensure you achieve your goals.

The role requires regular attendance to the Swindon office.

What you will be doing

• You will be ensuring complete and accurate financial ledger records, providing an overview of balance sheet reconciliations and ensuring their timely completion and review.
• Managing the preparation of financial accounts on a timely basis and serving as a key contact for the external auditors to allow them to complete audits within deadlines.
• Preparing and submitting VAT and corporation tax returns for the group in line with deadlines.
• Managing period end, general ledger and reconciliation cycles.
• Managing the financial accounts processes around the creation and use of restricted funds in line with SORP guidance and audit needs.
• Managing specific periodic accounting and budgeting needs as required.
• Managing the Fixed Asset Register and related entries (including WIP and IFRS 16, for example) in the General Ledger, ensuring they remain reconciled, complete and accurate.
• Overseeing the financial accountants and financial accounts assistant, mentoring staff, and collaborating directly with HR on any people issues. Assuring the upholding and promotion of organisational behaviours and values, as well as the fulfilment of our legal obligations and the standards outlined in our policies.

What we are looking for

• Fully qualified CCAB accountant (or equivalent) with proven experience of preparing statutory accounts.
• Good practical understanding of VAT.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Experience successfully managing a team.
• High-level user of Microsoft Office with knowledge of financial systems.
• Committed to meeting deadlines and goals both individually and as a team.

Please note your application will be scored and assessed against the above criteria.

Why work for Historic England

We are an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusion. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, especially Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates and candidates with disabilities, as they are underrepresented at this level. Historic England wants all of our candidates to shine in the recruitment process. If you have any recruitment queries, you can contact us at .

Provisional interview dates

Early November 2025