Financial Accountant

About The Role The Senior Financial Accountant is responsible for the integrity, accuracy and timely delivery of the Group's external, investor and statutory reporting. This is a hands-on, standalone role with end-to-end ownership of the annual report and financial statements, from underlying accounting and consolidation through to narrative and financial disclosures. Reporting to the Financial Controller, the role works in close partnership with the Head of Financial Accounting and their team, as well as senior stakeholders, advisers and external auditors.
About You
Key responsibilities
External, statutory and investor reporting
· Own the end-to-end production of the Group annual report and consolidated financial statements, covering both the front-end narrative and back-end financial statements, notes and disclosures.
· Lead the preparation of statutory accounts for the Group and its legal entities, ensuring compliance with applicable accounting standards, company law, regulatory requirements and filing deadlines.
· Manage Group consolidation and reporting across all entities, including validation of submissions, consolidation adjustments, eliminations and disclosure information.
· Own investor and other external financial reporting deliverables, ensuring information is accurate, consistent, appropriately controlled and clearly communicated.
· Lead the accounting and reporting for tax, working with internal stakeholders and external advisers to ensure appropriate current and deferred tax treatment and disclosures.
· Coordinate finance inputs into ESG and sustainability reporting, maintaining a clear audit trail and supporting the development of robust reporting controls.
· Own covenant reporting, including calculation, review, supporting documentation and timely submission to relevant stakeholders.
Audit and technical accounting
· Act as the principal finance contact for external auditors on all financial reporting matters.
· In close collaboration with the Head of Financial Accounting, plan and coordinate the reporting elements of statutory audit processes, agreeing deliverables, maintaining schedules and driving timely resolution of queries.
· Prepare and review audit support, technical accounting papers and evidence for significant judgements, estimates and disclosures.
· Track audit findings relating to reporting and ensure agreed actions are implemented and embedded.
Month-end close and accounting ownership
· Own month-end accounting for non-trading and holding companies, ensuring complete, accurate and timely results.
· Manage intercompany accounting, reconciliation and elimination across the Group, resolving differences promptly with the relevant finance teams.
· Lead the management accounting consolidation and delivery of consolidated month-end reporting in line with the agreed timetable.
· Maintain high-quality balance sheet reconciliations and ensure appropriate review and control over journals, adjustments and consolidation entries.
· Partner closely with the Head of Financial Accounting and their team to align entity-level accounting with Group reporting requirements and deliver an efficient close.
· Own the reconciliation of management accounts to statutory accounts.
Financial systems, data and controls
· Own and govern the Group chart of accounts, ensuring consistent design, mapping, use and documentation across entities and reporting outputs.
· Act as finance lead and subject-matter expert for the Tagetik consolidation and reporting system, including process design, data integrity, controls, issue resolution and continuous improvement.
· Lead the effective use and development of Accurri statutory accounts software and Xero for relevant entities and reporting processes.
· Maintain clear process documentation, reporting timetables and controls across all areas of responsibility.
· Identify and implement improvements to reporting, consolidation and close processes, balancing technical rigour with efficiency and scalability.

GSF Car Parts is one of the UK's leading automotive parts distributors, supplying thousands of independent garages throughout the UK and Ireland with parts, tools, garage equipment and specialist training. The group has over 218 branches nationwide and a turnover exceeding £500 million. Built on the heritage and success of a dozen local brand identities acquired over several years, we have traded as one brand since November 2021. Our branch network is bolstered by centralised support and expertise from specialist departments in key areas such as procurement and supply chain, marketing and national accounts. The business also benefits from integrated IT systems, which include our industry leading catalogue system, Allicat, and access to the Group's national garage programme, Servicesure.