Job Description

This is a unique opportunity to shape and drive the contribution of a team delivering the core of financial and regulatory reporting for Royal London: with exceptional technical competence, deep understanding of the insurance landscape and tested experience of managing large teams, the successful individual will be able to marry tactical delivery with Royal London strategic vision for the business, and will establish credible, inspirational leadership for the team, as well as the varied and complex stakeholder map at a time of an exciting transformational journey.

Key Accountabilities

• Manage the production and output of the Financial & Regulatory Reporting team, ensuring all requirements are met in a timely, accurate, and cost-effective manner
• Manage the consolidation and elimination process, including production of primary statements
• Ensure all statutory and prudential reporting and returns for subsidiaries are completed in accordance with the appropriate timescales
• Manage and oversee the preparation of the annual report and accounts and half year reporting including results announcement press releases
• Manage and oversee the preparation of Annual Solvency II narrative and disclosures for submission
• Provide commentary on the internal Operating Profit before tax metric for Half-Year and Year-End Results Announcements
• Ensure appropriate standards are maintained throughout the group for financial accounting, which comply with accounting and tax legislation
• Interpret accounting regulations and identify regulatory and/or statutory changes ensuring compliance as appropriate and enabling consideration of industry best practice
• Provide technical support on accounting and regulatory reporting issues and technical finance support for key strategic initiatives and projects
• Manage the end-to-end production, review and reporting of results across the Accounting and Actuarial functions
• Oversee the maintenance, communication and delivery of Working Day Timetable

Essential Criteria

• Qualified accountant with a recognized professional qualification and extensive insurance experience
• Considerable post-qualification experience, including experience of accounting and regulatory systems for life and pensions businesses
• Thorough knowledge of insurance accounting principles, systems and procedures
• Able to demonstrate expert knowledge of financial and regulatory reporting in insurance, commensurate with the nature, scale and complexity of the company
• Thorough understanding of actuarial inputs to the accounts, and the ability to work closely to manage the critical path dependency on year end reporting
• Technically strong and able to demonstrate an ability to interpret and apply new accounting standards or regulatory requirements
• Detailed knowledge of accounting legislation and reporting standards, including UK GAAP/IFRS

Desirable Criteria

• Desire for continuous self-improvement and professional development.
• Adaptive to change/positive attitude towards change

What we offer

• We've always been proud to reward employees by offering a number of benefits such as Pensions and Protection, Performance and role-related benefits, Lifestyle and Wellbeing
• Our People Promise is something we live up to every day. We know we can rely on you, and you can expect plenty from us in return.
• Glassdoor have again ranked as among the best places to work in the UK

Our culture is welcoming, friendly, flexible and we aim to make you always feel included. We are an equal opportunities employer which means we believe in embracing difference as it makes us collectively stronger. Our diverse people bring us different skills – whatever their educational background, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Strong leadership skills and a proven ability to manage a team. Ability to influence business and finance colleagues on financial and regulatory reporting and technical accounting requirements and policies. Proven ability to manage workload and set priorities for self and others. Proven ability to pass on own knowledge and skills to develop others. Able to pay attention to detail and critically review own and others’ work. Excellent communication skills (verbal, written and listening), with a pleasant and professional manner. Awareness of how external factors may impact a piece of work, project or the interpretation of MI. Ability to develop strong business relationships with colleagues across the department and the wider business. Experienced in dealing effectively with regulators, third party business suppliers and senior management. Experience around managing data quality and data traceability for regulatory reports. Applies understanding and knowledge of all of the above to ensure that the team operates (and continues to operate) within the legislative and regulatory framework. Highly numerate and excellent problem solving skills.