Head of Accounting (UK)

We are looking for a Local Head of Accounting UK to join our Global Accounting organization. This role is based in Abingdon, UK and will be responsible for overseeing all accounting activities for the UK legal entities and ensuring the integrity of statutory and management financial reporting.

Role: Head of Accounting (UK)
Role Type: Permanent
Salary: Competitive salary, plus excellent company benefits
Hours: Full time, 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Location: Hybrid, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee all accounting activities for UK legal entities, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting.
• Manage month‑end, quarter‑end, and year‑end closing processes in accordance with group reporting deadlines.
• Review and approve accounting entries, reconciliations, and local reporting deliverables.
• Ensure compliance with UK GAAP and IFRS.
• Oversee preparation and coordination of statutory financial statements and related filings.
• Act as primary contact for statutory auditors, tax advisors, and UK regulatory authorities.
• Monitor changes in UK accounting and regulatory requirements and assess business impact.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, SOX/ICFR requirements, and corporate accounting policies.
• Maintain a robust and audit‑ready local control environment.
• Support internal and external audits.
• Ensure appropriate documentation of accounting processes and controls.
• Partner with Tax, Treasury, Controlling, Procurement, HR, and operational stakeholders on accounting‑related matters.
• Support business initiatives and special projects from an accounting perspective.
• Provide technical accounting guidance to local stakeholders.
• Act as escalation point for complex accounting issues and judgmental matters.
• Drive continuous improvement of UK accounting processes in alignment with global finance transformation objectives.
• Support implementation of new accounting policies, systems, and process changes.
• Contribute to harmonization and standardization initiatives across the accounting organization.
• Lead, coach, and develop the UK accounting team.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications

• University degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• ACA qualification (ACCA considered where supported by relevant experience).
• Progressive experience in Accounting, ideally within multinational environments and managing teams.
• Strong knowledge of UK GAAP and IFRS.
• Solid understanding of internal controls, SOX/ICFR frameworks, and audit processes.
• Experience with ERP systems.
• Strong technical accounting and analytical skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Excellent communication and people leadership skills.
• Strong problem‑solving and decision‑making capabilities.

Benefits

• Pension on completion of (but not subject to) your 3‑month probationary period: contributions 6% for employees (salary sacrifice) and 6% for the employer, with employer matching up to 7.5%.
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and additional length of service days awarded on the anniversary, up to a maximum of 30 days.
• Private health insurance with BUPA for employees and their partner/family under the company scheme.
• Private dental cover, after 3 months of service.
• Life assurance at four times your annual base salary.
• Well‑being support 24/7 and counselling services.
• Permanent health insurance provides 75% of the base salary after the qualifying period.
• Eligibility to participate in the Company Bonus Scheme (discretionary benefit).
• Cycle‑to‑work scheme.
• Refer a friend scheme, recognition awards and many more.

Equal Opportunity

In the frame of our Diversity policy, Evotec considers, with equal competences, all applications including people with disabilities.