Financial Accountant

The role

Position                  Financial Accountant

Contract type         Permanent / Full Time

Reporting to           Head of Financial Reporting or Head of Accounting 

Location                 London

Overview of role

Zodiac Maritime, a global leader in ship management, is seeking to appoint a high calibre Financial Accountant to join their finance team, with responsibility for working on reporting and consolidation activities for UK and non-UK legal entities, in accordance with IFRS and Tax regulations.

As an important member of the Financial Reporting team, you will be expected to pick up the key requirements of the role quickly, which will include production of consolidated financial reports; and working with external auditors. 

The successful candidate will be a dynamic worker with experience in process improvement and working on high quality financial reports. They will have experience with consolidation systems and IFRS, GAAP & regulatory compliance, and be confident navigating complex financial landscapes.  It is essential they have a commitment to accuracy, innovation and continuous improvement.

This key finance role encompasses many elements, including but not limited to the following:

Key responsibilities and primary deliverables

• Month-end and Quarter-end financial accounting and reporting activities in accordance with the reporting timetable


• Assistance with the preparation of UK statutory accounts, consolidated group financials and management reporting in accordance with IFRS, to required deadlines, including working on technical notes, such as leases and financial instruments


• Produce relevant financial insights and reporting to support profitability assessments, CAPEX/OPEX planning, and long-term decision-making


• Helping to determine the correct technical accounting treatment for new types of transactions (such as the sale and leaseback of a vessel)


• Preparation of quarterly joint venture accounts and monthly management reports for local offices


• Manage general ledger activities including journals, reconciliations and adjustments


• Performing vessel accounting activities including calculating vessel trading and costs as part of the month-end process


• Prepare, review, and post monthly accruals and prepayments to ensure accurate revenue and expense recognition in line with accounting standards and reporting deadlines


• Contribute to the overall external audit process, ensuring our adherence to the timetable for deliverables, working to ensure that audit requests are correctly managed, and that the auditors work can be performed on a timely basis


• Uphold the highest professional standards and discretion in handling confidential information


• Prepare ad hoc financial analysis and insights to support accurate and timely reporting, both for scheduled deliverables and in response to business requests


• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of and insight into the figures being reported, liaising with other departments as and when necessary to further that understanding.

Skills profile

Relevant experience & education

• ACA / ACCA / CIMA qualified is a requirement for this role, with 2 - 5 years of post-qualified experience


• Successful track record working in group finance teams in organisations with significant revenues and a strong asset base. A background in maritime or other transport sectors would be beneficial


• Good technical accounting knowledge (IFRS) and demonstrated ability to produce consolidated financial and management accounts with commentary, with high level of IFRS and GAAP technical standards


• Excellent attention to detail and strong analytical and problem-solving capability for resolving queries and preparing ad-hoc analysis


• You will enjoy working within a culturally diverse and flat structured organisation


• Proactive in identifying opportunities for process improvement and taking ownership of projects, driving initiatives from concept through to delivery.


• Ability to navigate multiple data sources to extract, transform, and model information using financial systems and digital tools to support management reporting and decision-making.


• Proven ability to prioritise workload and ensure the accuracy of multiple deliverables within tight timeframes, with a flexible and collaborative approach


• Demonstrated strong interpersonal and communication skills to effectively build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders in the business