Who are we?

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

At Howden - Corporate & Commercial, commercial insurance isn’t just what we do – it’s who we are.    We support our clients through the complex landscape of commercial risk.  We understand the diverse needs of businesses from large corporates to emerging ventures, meticulously crafting bespoke solutions to empower businesses to navigate uncertainty and achieve unwavering growth.  Our depth of commercial insurance expertise allows us to protect client’s assets and fuel their progress.  When our clients prosper, we celebrate success with them; when challenges arise, we provide unwavering support.

We are looking for an Acquisition Accountant to join our growing Finance Team. Reporting to the Head of Shared Service Centre, the purpose of this role is to provide robust financial control to the business at an exciting phase of development and growth.

This hands-on role will be responsible for the successful integration of new acquisitions into the Group including ownership of integration and initial reporting.

Responsibilities:

Overall responsibility for the integration of all finance activities for new acquisitions.

Key finance contact to support with all finance integration related activities.

Ensure that any queries raised in relation to Finance & Accounts are fully understood.

Ensure that all outstanding issues identified throughout the due diligence process are resolved.

Integrate monthly reporting into core management accounts process in accordance with the group timetable.

Control of working day one income reports in the initial months.

Review of acquired businesses accounting policies, identification of variances to group policies (eg. revenue recognition) and make recommendations for alignment.

Review of recently acquired entities internal controls and initial assessment of control environment.

Implementation of group controls in acquired entities.

Overall responsibility for the successful integration of the recently acquired businesses, including but not limited to:

Business transfer agreements implemented in line with defined process.

Registering the entity for VAT pre business transfer.

Supplier communication.

Managing the handover of any agreed activities which move to group Finance Team.

Calculating the balance sheet at acquisition date and business transfer date.

Assisting with preparing the relevant accounting entries for the business transfer of the acquisition.

Where the trade of the acquired business is moved to a different legal entity, overall responsibility for the winding down and eventual liquidation of the legal entity, including but not limited to: 

Running off the client account and associated debtor and insurer creditor balances.

Closure of bank accounts.

Clear down of balance sheets.

Final tax calculations.

Dividends.

The group team will be responsible for the technical legal aspects of this liquidation.

To succeed in this role, you will also have/be:

A qualified Accountant with at least 3 years PQE.

Strong analytical and numerical skills with a keen eye for detail.

Excellent relationship skills - able to operate effectively at all levels of the organisation and with external suppliers and partners.

Experience working across multiple areas, platforms and software systems due to the business integration currently being underway.

Vision to identify and implement further process improvements to simplify and streamline future integrations.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs.  Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.

Permanent