Senior accountant

Role Overview

Location: Onsite

Salary Range: 45,000 - 55,000 GBP

The Learning Experience (TLE) is one of the fastest-growing early years education providers in the US, and through its Banana Moon brand, has an established and growing presence in the UK. We are looking for a Senior Finance & Reporting Accountant to be based at Banana Moon HQ in Warwick, providing financial accounting, reporting, and business partnering support across our UK business — spanning Banana Moon franchised and corporate nurseries as well as the four TLE-operated centres in the UK.

 This is a hands-on role suited to a commercially minded accountant who is comfortable working in a transatlantic business structure, can manage month-end independently, and has the communication skills to liaise between UK operations and US finance leadership. You will report to senior finance leadership and play a key role in building out the financial rigour of our growing UK business.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Accounting & Reporting

• Lead the monthly close process for UK entities, including journal entries, accruals, and general ledger maintenance
• Prepare and review balance sheet reconciliations and bank reconciliations
• Prepare management accounts and financial reporting packs for UK operations
• Perform variance analysis against budget, forecast, and prior periods, with clear commentary for non-finance stakeholders; track key financial and operational KPIs on a monthly basis to support performance management and early identification of emerging risks
• Maintain accurate records in line with UK GAAP (FRS 102) and support compliance with HMRC obligations including VAT returns
• Assist with year-end statutory accounts preparation and support the external audit process

 US Consolidation & Transatlantic Collaboration

• Collaborate with the US finance team to consolidate UK financial results into the group reporting structure
• Produce UK financial reporting in formats compatible with US corporate requirements and timelines
• Act as a key point of contact for the US finance team on UK accounting matters, supporting alignment between UK GAAP and US GAAP where required
• Participate in cross-border finance initiatives, process improvement projects, and system development

 Franchise Network Support

• Support financial performance analysis of the Banana Moon franchise network
• Review financial information submitted by UK franchise centres and ensure consistency with reporting standards
• Support the internal franchise team across all departments with accounting and finance queries, including budgeting, VAT, and expense management

 FP&A & Business Partnering

• Own the annual budgeting and rolling forecast process for UK entities, coordinating inputs across operations, headcount, and occupancy costs, and delivering a consolidated view aligned to Group timelines
• Build and maintain dynamic financial models to support scenario planning, sensitivity analysis, and strategic decision-making across the UK business
• Develop and maintain forecast assumptions, documenting key drivers and ensuring alignment between actuals, short-term forecast, and long-range plan
• Act as a primary business partner to UK operational leadership, translating financial performance data into clear, decision-ready insights and actionable commentary
• Coordinate with US Group headquarters on UK planning submissions, ensuring forecast deliverables meet corporate requirements for consolidation and Board-level reporting
• Monitor performance against budget and forecast on an ongoing basis, proactively flagging risks and opportunities and recommending corrective actions to UK and Group management

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with UK operations, HR/People, and payroll teams to support accurate payroll accounting and cash management
• Work closely with the UK People & HR team on headcount reporting and labour cost analysis
• Support the preparation of audit schedules and respond to internal and external audit requests
• Work with accounts receivable and accounts payable functions to support timely month-end cut-off, reconciliation of intercompany balances, and resolution of aged items

Requirements

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline
• ACA, ACCA, CIMA qualified or part-qualified — or actively progressing toward qualification
• 3–5+ years of accounting experience in practice (public accounting) or industry
• Strong technical knowledge of UK GAAP (FRS 102) and month-end close processes
• Confident with VAT compliance and an understanding of HMRC reporting requirements
• Advanced Excel skills; comfortable working with large datasets and building financial models
• Strong communication skills — ability to translate financial information for non-finance audiences
• Comfortable working independently and managing competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment

Desirable

• Experience in a multi-entity or group accounting environment
• Exposure to US GAAP or experience supporting international consolidation
• Familiarity with ERP systems such as NetSuite, Oracle, or similar
• Experience in the childcare, education, leisure, or franchise sector
• Experience with account reconciliation tools such as BlackLine

Benefits

Why Join Us

Banana Moon is a well-loved UK childcare brand with over 50 franchised nurseries and a reputation for quality, community, and warmth. As part of The Learning Experience family, we are backed by one of the largest early years education providers in North America — which means career growth, transatlantic exposure, and the chance to build something meaningful as our UK footprint expands.

• Competitive salary — in line with experience and market rate
• 28 days annual leave including Bank Holidays
• Auto-enrolment pension scheme
• Childcare fee discount at Banana Moon and TLE centres
• Genuine career development opportunity as the UK business grows
• A collaborative, people-first culture with strong US and UK leadership support