Corporate Accountant

Company Description

About Smiths Detection

Smiths Detection is a global leader in threat detection and screening technologies supporting aviation, ports & borders, defence, and urban security.

With 5 R&D centres, 21 global offices, and 7 manufacturing sites, our 3,000 brilliant minds have spent over 40 years at the frontline, developing solutions that protect society from explosives, prohibited weapons, contraband, toxic chemicals, and narcotics.

Every minute of every day, our technology and people help make the world a safer place.
👉 Learn more about what we do: https://youtu.be/JmcKLJTrHLc

Job Description

As we continue to evolve and strengthen our corporate finance capability, we are looking for a Corporate Accountant to join our Head Office finance team based in Hemel Hempstead.

This is a high‑profile role within an evolving, change‑driven organisation, ideal for someone who enjoys technical accounting, values strong financial control, and sees change as a positive opportunity.

The Role

Reporting to the Head of Financial Control / Divisional Financial Controller, you will be a key contributor to the head office accounting function, ensuring accurate, timely and high‑quality statutory and management reporting across the Smiths Detection Group’s corporate entities.

You will play an important role in maintaining robust ledger structures, supporting statutory reporting, and ensuring that accounting data aligns with the corporate functional structure. The role has a strong technical accounting focus, including multi‑currency transactions, loans, share capital, dividends and complex FX, working closely with Treasury and Tax.

Key Responsibilities

• Preparation and maintenance of management reports for central functions, using ledger and headcount data
• Ownership of management reporting structures (cost centres, GL hierarchies) to enable effective cost control and variance analysis
• Ensuring costs are recorded accurately in the correct ledgers; advising on coding and improving upstream data quality with HR, T&E and Master Data teams
• Accounting under IFRS for central entities, including loans, interest, equity transactions, dividends and foreign exchange
• Preparation of UK statutory accounts and support for internal and external audits
• Maintenance of distributable reserves tracking
• Maintaining registers for centrally issued bonds and guarantees
• Ensuring consistency between SAP, SAP BW and Oracle EPM (FCCS / EPBCS) through mapping tables
• Supporting forecasts, budgets and ad‑hoc finance projects
• Promoting strong financial controls, compliance and Smiths Detection policies

About You

This role is not suitable for someone in their first role out of practice. We are specifically looking for a candidate with depth of experience who can operate with confidence and autonomy in a corporate environment.

Qualifications

Essential experience and skills:

• Minimum 4 years’ accounting experience (at least 2 years in industry)
• Strong statutory reporting experience (UK statutory accounts preparation is essential)
• Proven experience working with a ledger system (SAP preferred)
• Multi‑currency accounting experience is essential
• Solid knowledge of IFRS and application of accounting standards
• Experience working in a head office or divisional finance function within a multinational organisation
• Comfortable working in a changing environment and able to adapt as the organisation evolves

Qualifications:

• ACA or ACCA preferred
• CIMA will be considered only where there is clear evidence of statutory accounting experience

Personal Attributes

• Technically strong and detail‑focused, with a “right first time” mindset
• Well‑organised and able to manage deadlines such as month‑end close
• Confident communicator, able to build effective relationships across Finance, HR, IT, Treasury and Tax
• A flexible, proactive self‑starter who enjoys improvement, challenge and change

Additional Information

Why Join Smiths Detection?

• Hybrid working from our Hemel Hempstead office
• A technically rich, high‑visibility corporate accounting role
• Exposure to complex group structures and senior stakeholders
• An organisation genuinely embracing change and continuous improvement

If you are an experienced, qualified accountant with strong statutory reporting credentials and a positive, adaptable mindset, we would love to hear from you.

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.

At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Group, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website (Careers - Smiths Group plc)