Senior Management Accountant (Costs)

Job Description

Operating Company

GroupM

Job Title

Senior Management Accountant

Department / Team

GroupM Finance

Reporting To

Financial Controller

Location

One Southwark Bridge

About GroupM

GroupM is the leading global media investment management operation serving as the parent company to WPP media agencies including Mindshare, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom, each global operations in their own right with leading market positions. GroupM’s primary purpose is to maximize performance of WPP’s media agencies by operating as leader and collaborator in trading, content creation, sports, digital, finance, proprietary tool development and other business-critical capabilities. GroupM’s focus is to deliver unrivalled marketplace advantage to its clients, stakeholders and people. Discover more about GroupM at www.groupm.com.

About the team and/or client

This role sits within the GroupM HQ Finance Team of GroupM UK Market, reporting into the Financial Controller.

The Role Objective

The main purpose of the role is the timely and accurate preparation of the monthly management accounts for reporting to both GroupM management and WPP group (EMEA). This requires detailed variance analysis and exception reporting. Liaising with Finance Plus on Payables, Receivables and also Cartesis reporting. The role will also support on key financial objectives that promote driving efficiencies within the team but also within the business. To be successful in this role, engagement with various parts of the business is required, often at different levels of seniority.

Responsibilities

1. Month-end process / Year end & variance analysis

• Calculation of accruals & prepayments of costs, including inter-company, using IFRS principles, preparing journals.
• Prepare monthly Management Accounts reconciled to TB.
• Monthly variance analysis (by comparing to budget/forecast) and exception reporting.
• Month end folder preparation in line with SOX controls.
• Monthly & quarterly balance sheet reconciliations / ensure that all salary control accounts are reconciled monthly.
• Action any queries post month-end; i.e. AP mis-posting etc.
• Review of monthly payroll changes, investigating all changes to prior month.
• Reporting of headcount to gross salaries on a monthly basis.
• Assist with the SOX and year-end audit by providing all relevant information to the auditors.

Group / WPP reporting

• Liaise with EMEA and Global teams to resolve reporting queries.
• Submit commentaries to EMEA on a monthly basis.
• Deal with EMEA’s new reporting requirements.
• Prepare and submit quarterly packages.
• Prepare and submit the year-end packages.

Business Partnering

• Business partnering through engagement with business on a regular basis.
• Adding value to operational teams through analysis, reporting etc.

Other and periodic

• Ensuring compliance with company policies and SOX requirements.
• Continuously reviewing current processes and making improvements to allow better control or improved efficiencies.
• Dealing with Finance Plus on ad hoc queries.
• Ad hoc projects as required.

Skills and Behaviours

Desirable

• Experience working with DDS / Media Ocean.
• Experience working with Cartesis / BFC.

Essential

• Fully qualified accountant or equivalent (e.g.: CIMA, ACA, ACCA).
• Intermediate / advance level of Excel.
• Organized with good attention to detail.
• Quick to learn and adaptable to changing work allocation and able to prioritize workload to meet challenging deadlines.
• Strong analytical and reconciliation skills.
• Strong communication & relationship building skills.
• Enthusiastic with a can-do attitude.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

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