Job Description

Location

Hybrid working with 1-2 days spent in our Support Centre and 3-4 days spent working from home per week.

This is an ongoing temporary position and would require someone for an immediate start with us.

Why The Works?

We don’t just sell products.

We inspire reading, learning, creativity and play.

The Works. It literally means everything. And whatever your story or background, we’re all about unlocking imagination and making creativity accessible to everyone. Whether you’re engaging with customers on the frontline or supporting our colleagues behind the scenes, your impact can be profound and far-reaching.

This is more than toys and books and art supplies. This is about inspiring people to read, learn, create and play. So, with the right passion, it all starts with you.

Become a Financial Accountant

The Financial Accountant is a key member of the Financial Reporting team and acts as the deputy to the Senior Financial Reporting Manager. The role is responsible for delivering high-quality financial reporting, leading the Group's more complex accounting areas and helping to maintain a robust financial control environment across the business.

The role will take ownership of key technical accounting areas including IFRS 16, IFRS 9 and IAS 36, supporting the assessment of accounting judgements and ensuring compliance with relevant accounting standards. It will play a pivotal role in the successful delivery of interim and annual reporting, acting as a key contact for external auditors and supporting the preparation of statutory accounts and technical accounting papers.

Alongside these responsibilities, the role will oversee some of the Group's most complex month-end activities, including inventory, providing review, challenge and assurance over financial information prepared by other members of the team. The role will also support and develop other members of the team, helping to ensure the quality, accuracy and timeliness of reporting outputs.

You will be highly motivated, self-driven and able to work independently, consistently delivering against deadlines with minimal supervision while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.

Your Mission

• Ensure timely and accurate delivery of financial reporting and month-end activities.
• Take ownership of the Group's complex technical accounting areas including IFRS 16, IFRS 9 and IAS 36, including preparation of supporting calculations, papers and disclosures.
• Support the assessment and documentation of significant accounting judgements and estimates.
• Act as a key contact for external auditors, coordinating requests and supporting the successful completion of interim reviews and year-end audits.
• Play a leading role in the preparation of interim and annual financial statements, supporting the production of the Annual Report and subsidiary accounts.
• Lead the review of complex month-end journals, reconciliations and balance sheet positions.
• Take ownership of the stock, property and capex balance sheet and related P&L lines, as required, ensuring accurate accounting and reporting.
• Review work completed by part-qualified members of the team, providing support, coaching and quality assurance.
• Work with the Financial Processing team to improve understanding of costs, identify efficiencies and strengthen financial controls.
• Analyse monthly results, investigate variances and build strong working relationships with Commercial Finance and operational stakeholders.
• Support the preparation of budgets, forecasts and ad hoc financial analysis for management.
• Identify opportunities to improve reporting processes, controls and efficiencies.
• Provide support to the wider Financial Reporting team and deputise for the Senior Financial Reporting Manager where required.

Skills/Behaviours That Will Set You Apart

• Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA or equivalent).
• At least 3 years post-qualified experience within a financial reporting environment in industry, preferably retail.
• Experience supporting statutory audits and preparing annual report and accounts disclosures, preferably for a listed company.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge, including practical experience of IFRS 16, IFRS 9 and IAS 36.
• Experience preparing technical accounting papers and supporting external audit reviews.
• Experience reviewing balance sheet reconciliations and complex month-end accounting activities.
• Strong understanding of financial controls and governance.
• Ability to review and challenge the work of others whilst supporting their development.
• Self-Starter: Able to take ownership of complex tasks, work independently and consistently deliver high-quality outputs with minimal supervision.
• Highly Motivated: Demonstrates resilience, commitment and a willingness to go above and beyond to meet business and reporting deadlines.
• Technical Excellence: Possesses strong technical accounting knowledge and applies sound judgement to complex accounting matters.
• Attention to Detail: Has exceptional attention to detail and maintains the highest levels of accuracy in all work produced.
• Proactive: Anticipates issues, identifies solutions and takes responsibility for driving actions through to completion.
• Influence and Challenge: Able to provide constructive challenge and influence stakeholders to reach appropriate outcomes.
• Teamwork and Collaboration: Builds strong relationships and works effectively across Finance and the wider business.
• Leadership: Supports and develops junior colleagues through coaching, review and knowledge sharing.
• Innovative: Continuously looks for opportunities to improve processes, controls and reporting quality.
• Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex accounting matters clearly to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.

Our PERKS really are ‘The Works’

• 💪 25% Colleague Discount! - Plus, exclusive Double Discount days!
• 😎 MyWorks - Access exclusive online discounts across hundreds of retailers, holidays, utilities deals, tech and more
• 🏡 Family Friendly Leave - Enjoy some time well spent with enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
• 🚀 Holiday – 33 days including bank holidays.
• 💃 Holiday Purchase - Purchase an additional 5 days
• 🎓 Can-Do Academy - Grow your skills and career with instant access to further training and development in areas that interest you.
• 💸 Stream - Claim early access to 50% of your wages as you earn them – for when ‘life’ happens!
• 🏬 Share Scheme - Unleash your inner Monopoly mogul and own a piece of The Works!
• 💛 24/7 support for you and your family - Through our partnership with the Retail Trust who provide an Employee Assistance Programme and so much more!
• 🩺 Healthcare Cash Plan – To support your everyday healthcare costs
• 🥳 And loads more! – Long Service Awards, pension, life assurance, Cycle to Work and optional charity giving.

Our Purpose

To inspire reading, learning, creativity and play 💛💙

Our Values

We are Crafty 🎨 | Smart with what we've got.

We are Caring 💛 | Heart in every action.

We are Can-do 🚀| Energy that gets it done.

We Listen. We Care

Each year, we run an anonymous colleague engagement survey. This is so important for us to hear your feedback and suggestions. We want to know what’s going great, and what needs a couple of tweaks to help make The Works the best place you’ve ever worked! You’ll have opportunity to help give us that direction.

Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Applying Reasonable Adjustments

At The Works, we are proud to have an inclusive culture where everyone truly feels able to be themselves. Our roles are open to all, including under-represented groups such as ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, carers & members of the LGBTQ+ community (including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, non-binary, or use another term).

We are open to discussions around working hours and flexible working. And, where possible, we'll try to support this. If you need reasonable adjustments for an interview you might attend with us, let us know in your application and we’ll be happy to help!