Job Description

In addition to frequent accounting questions from a range of internal stakeholders, ad hoc tasks will also be assigned depending on projects as they arise and will likely involve acquisition accounting expertise, internal legal entity reorganisations and compliance with UK and Dutch Company Law regarding distributable reserves.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Managing and leading a small team, including a WL1 employee, a secondee from a ‘Big 4’ accounting firm and temporary resources as needed for projects
• Tracking of external technical accounting developments, summarising for management, preparing lobbying letters
• Interpretation of new standards / legislation and ensuring readiness and actual application to the Unilever group, across all countries
• Ad hoc related assignments within the Group Chief Accountant’s Department (GCAD)
• Accounting Policy Steering Group Secretary
• Provision of consistent, high quality accounting advice to the rest of Unilever on application of the Group’s accounting policies
• Custodian of financial accounting expertise in Unilever
• Networking with other teams and functions to solicit accounting queries where appropriate
• Technical accounting acumen at the leading edge
• Lead Unilever’s interpretation and implementation of the most technical accounting areas
• Assist in delivering the training strategy for accounting skills and capabilities throughout Unilever via supporting the Accounting and C0ntrols Training Lead – provides content to the Training Lead to enable them to deliver effective, high quality training and resources
• Maintain contact with accounting firms for additional temporary resources as required depending on workload (e.g. implementation of major new accounting standards)
• Validation of claims/statements made in the Annual Report and Accounts - engaging with all different parts of the business, including many outside Finance supported by short term secondees from other departments – managing them and ensuring the work is complete to a tight timetable

ALL ABOUT YOU

• Qualified Financial Accountant with solid post qualified experience
• Understanding the requirements of external auditors and the Sarbanes Oxley act
• Knowledge of the UK Companies Act and experience of its application to distributable reserves
• Corporate Centre experience of a large global listed group (either as an employee or consultant / auditor / advisor)
• Highly technically capable accountant; previous experience of technical accounting matters for large multinational group (either as an employee or consultant / auditor / advisor)
• Advanced organisational skills and task management
• Attention to detail
• Ability to read and interpret IFRS exposure drafts, analyse impact, and prepare lobbying comment letters
• High standard of writing English language

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities