About the role
As the Senior Project Accountant, you will be instrumental in driving financial discipline and governance within a high-profile, complex program at one of the UK's fastest-growing and most significant insurance companies.
This role demands a highly proactive, structured, and autonomous professional who can quickly bring order to a currently underdeveloped finance function. You will take ownership of building and maintaining robust financial controls, governance frameworks, and consistent reporting cadences to provide clear visibility and control over a significant cost base.
Working closely with the program director, divisional CFO, and cross-functional teams including PMO, risk, legal, procurement, and IT, you will embed financial rigor and deliver insightful analysis that informs key decisions.
What you'll be doing
* Take full ownership of the financial management for a high-profile program, including budgeting, forecasting, and cost control across multiple workstreams.
* Develop and implement robust governance frameworks, controls, and a consistent reporting cadence to ensure financial accuracy and compliance with IFRS 15 and other relevant accounting standards.
* Build and maintain detailed project plans and timetables to establish financial discipline and transparency throughout the program lifecycle.
* Provide expert financial analysis and challenge program spend to ensure value for money, scrutinizing vendor agreements and linking expenditure to project stage gates.
* Serve as the primary finance subject matter expert within the program, advising on accounting treatment, cost allocation, and regulatory requirements.
* Collaborate closely with program directors, PMO, risk, legal, procurement, IT, and finance teams to embed financial rigor and support informed decision-making.
* Manage month-end financial processes including journal entries and reporting, ensuring timely and accurate delivery in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
* Communicate clearly and concisely with senior stakeholders, maintaining strong relationships and providing regular updates on financial status, risks, and opportunities.
* Work autonomously to establish and enhance the project finance function, implementing structured processes and driving continuous improvement.
* Support finance transformation initiatives, including system rebuilds such as OneStream, to improve data integrity and reporting capabilities.
What we're looking for
* Qualified accountant with ACA, ACCA, or CIMA certification and substantial post-qualification experience, ideally with a background in Big Four audit or professional services combined with commercial project accounting exposure.
* Proven expertise in project accounting / project finance, capable of managing multiple complex work streams and delivering accurate financial oversight, governance, and controls in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
* Experience working in high-change environments with limited existing governance, demonstrating the ability to build structure, controls, and consistent reporting frameworks from the ground up.
* Strong understanding of IFRS standards, particularly IFRS 15, as well as CapEx and OpEx management, business case analysis, and linking expenditure to project milestones and value delivery.
* Ability to provide constructive challenge to program teams, balancing cost control with delivery needs, and managing financial reporting through P&L and balance sheet.
* Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, able to partner effectively with senior leaders and cross-functional teams including program directors, PMO, risk, legal, procurement, IT, and finance.
* Highly organised, resilient, and self-motivated, with strong project management skills and the ability to work autonomously in ambiguous, evolving environments.
* Confident communicator who can translate complex accounting matters into clear advice and guidance for diverse business partners.
* Experience with ERP transformations or financial systems such as OneStream is highly desirable.
* Immediate availability is essential to address urgent program needs and rapidly establish control, visibility, and governance over project finances.