Head of General Accounting (FTC until February)

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We have an exciting opportunity to join our Bertelsmann Global Business Services (BGBS) team based in Frating, Colchester on a fixed-term basis.

As the Head of the General Accounting team within our UK Accounting Shared Services Centre, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the effective and efficient delivery of key finance functions. Your leadership will be crucial in providing timely and accurate reporting to Bertelsmann SE & Co KGaA's subsidiary interests in the UK. Managing a team of 25, including 5 direct reports, you will be instrumental in delivering SLA services, controls, and compliance activities. Your efforts will drive the future success of BGBS and help establish BGBS as a Centre of Excellence in the UK region.

BGBS is an accounting shared service centre established in 2018 to provide accounting functions for Bertelsmann group companies in the UK. Comprising of a team of over 50 and based at the Penguin Random House distribution centre on the outskirts of Colchester, the group companies served by BGBS include Penguin Random House, Dorling Kindersley, BMG, Arvato SCM and Little Tiger. The services provided by BGBS include Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Banking and General Accounting (general ledger, fixed assets, tax, financial reporting etc.).

Key Responsibilities:

• Be the lead contact and establish strong relationships with Penguin Random House, BMG and Arvato as our main customers. Working closely with them to provide excellent accounting solutions.
• Lead and develop the General Accounting team of 5 direct and 20 indirect reports.
• Ensuring proper and timely accounting and reporting of all companies where reporting is carried out by BGBS. This includes coordination of the closing and reporting process of all companies.
• Day to day delivery of client Management Account and Financial Account activities through strong foundations of Balance Sheet control
• Responsible for ensuring all key controls are performed as documented and tested to schedule and ensure correct application of Group Accounting Policies
• Maintain a high level of credibility and manage strong working relationships with external parties including clients and advisors
• Continuous improvement of process quality and efficiency; cost centre / revenue planning and compliance with agreed cost centre targets
• Monitoring the timeliness, completeness and compliance of process documentation and work instructions, the effectiveness of the Internal Control System and the provision of verifying documentation
• Assist with Project Management of future client transitions into the BGBS Framework
• Supporting the roll out of robotic process automation in PRH, identifying key processes that can be automated and provide efficiencies

What you'll bring:

Essential criteria:

• A qualified Chartered Accountant with one of the UK CCAB chartered professional bodies, including CIMA.
• Significant post-qualification experience in a similar role.
• Extensive experience using IT systems, particularly Microsoft Excel.
• Strong understanding of key accounting concepts through on-the-job training and study.
• In-depth knowledge of general reporting requirements for a company, both internally and externally, and their importance to the organisation.
• Meticulous attention to detail and excellent organisational skills.
• Ability to work effectively and inclusively with a diverse range of people both within and outside the organisation.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and oral, with the ability to influence a wide range of stakeholders.
• Problem-solving abilities and the capacity to multi-task and prioritise effectively.
• Capability to work independently and manage a team with emotional intelligence, flexibility, and a focus on fostering personal growth.
• A business-minded, performance-focused approach, with an awareness of organisational dynamics and a champion of teamwork and inclusivity.

Application instructions

Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining why you are the right candidate for the role by 11:59pm on Sunday 23rd March.

Salary

£75,000 - £80,000 dependent on how your skills and experience align to the role, plus bonus and benefits.

What you can expect from us

Our people are the heart of our business, and we work hard to support a culture of responsibility and recognition.

Our benefits include:

• Financial - income protection, life assurance, childcare allowance
• Wellbeing - healthcare cash plan, critical illness cover, health checks
• Lifestyle - enhanced parental leave, tech scheme, free and discounted books

For our full benefits list please visit: https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/what-we-offer/

Hybrid working

While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. For this role we expect that you will work from our office in Frating, Essex three days per week.

About Penguin

We're the UK's largest publisher; made up of some 2,000 people and publishing over 1,500 books each year. Our doors are open to all kinds of talent. In a constantly evolving industry, we work hard to stretch the definition of the word publisher. Here, you'll work with a breadth of talent who all play their part to make each of our books a success. Together, we make books for everyone because a book can change anyone.

The recruitment process

You can read about our recruitment process at https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/how-we-hire/

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we offer interviews to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the role, and opt-in on their application form. The essential criteria for this role are listed as part of the 'What you'll bring' section. There may be times when the volume of applications means we cannot take all eligible candidates to interview.

We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing PRHCareersUK@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable to for us to support your request.

Please note, we are not able to accept agency CVs for this role. Any CVs sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee.

Company: Penguin Books Limited

Country: United Kingdom

State/Region: Essex

City: Colchester

Postal Code: CO7 7DW

Job ID: 278286

Date: 7 Mar 2025

Location: