Job Description

The team and its responsibilities are going through a period of rapid change following the recent acquisition. A key part of the role will be an ability to pick up existing tasks quickly and accurately, not to just re-perform them, but to assess them and improve them. The individual will also need to be adaptable to turn around requests for data quickly and build good relationships with the underwriting team to enhance the quality of reporting they are provided.

Responsibilities & Competence

• Assist in the production in the quarterly business analytics, providing insightful analytical commentary into the key movements affecting each division’s results in the month.
• Help mentor and train the assistant accountant as necessary.
• Liaise with the HO finance team in the US to produce commentary and analytics as necessary for monthly and quarterly analysis.
• Liaise with senior management to produce slide packs enabling them to present financial quarterly information to the various entity boards.
• Provide financial support and input on ad hoc projects and system enhancements
• Work with new colleagues in The Hartford to develop new processes and identify efficiencies in our current processes to enable reporting on an accelerated timescale.
• Assist the US GAAP team on monthly journal bookings and quarter close tasks.
• Provide insightful analysis into variances identified in the course of the reporting timetable or directly queried by the underwriting team.
• Ensure assigned balance sheet reconciliations kept up to date and clean.
• Work towards building insurance accounting knowledge and the business.
• Work as part of the team to meet all reporting obligations.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong academic background
• University degree having achieved a minimum of 2:1 qualification
• Proven ability to learn quickly and ambitious
• Willingness to continue to develop knowledge of Insurance and related issues through formal and informal learning
• Ability to develop and sustain relationships with internal and external customers
• Ability to priorities and organize workload
• Attention to detail
• Team player with ability to work on a stand-alone basis
• Flexible
• Good communication skills
• Experience of identifying and implementing better processes
• Driven and self-motivated
• Knowledge of general insurance, its underlying principles and accounting concepts is essential.
• Knowledge of US GAAP and UK GAAP accounting principles would be beneficial.
• At least 2 years post qualification (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) Insurance industry experience.
• Experience of working in a finance team and application of accounting fundamentals.
• Accustomed to working with a general ledger system (PeopleSoft or similar)
• Proven record of using Excel (minimum of pivot tables and functions such as SUMIFS).
• Experience of using TM1 advantageous.