Graduate Accountant

What is the role?

The Graduate Accountant is a member of the Howden European Finance team, supporting the transformation and improvement of Howden Europe's finance operations and control environment, while fostering collaborative engagement across the wider Finance community. The role will work closely with local European finance teams to support the development of successful reporting and control frameworks, and business growth in the region.

This is one, full-time position based in our Central London office. We are specifically looking for graduates who are keen to pursue a career in accounting and work towards becoming a professional accountant (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA) through a registered employer in industry. As part of the role, you will need to commit to full-time work while studying and sitting exams as part of a structured training agreement, which will vary depending on your chosen qualification. We are also looking for a graduate to start with us in July.

Please note that we can only consider graduates who have the unrestricted right to work in the UK, as we are unable to provide sponsorship for this position.

The closing date for applications is Friday, 6 June 2025.

What will you be doing?

• Assist our Europe finance business partners with monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting.

• Collaborate with local finance teams, working closely with experienced team members.

• Support the production of management accounts, budgets, and forecasts, along with ad-hoc financial analysis.

• Ensure the accuracy and quality of financial reporting from local teams.

• Conduct reconciliations of both accounting and non-accounting information.

• Assist with legal entity accounting and maintain audit schedules.

• Prepare reports on financial reporting quality and timeliness.

• Contribute to group restructures and legal entity rationalisation efforts.

• Support M&A due diligence and integration as needed.

• Help deliver finance system changes and improvements.

• Assist with Group-wide initiatives and strategic projects.

• Contribute to the development of central processes in line with business goals.

• Work alongside Howden Group finance and support teams to enhance collaboration.

What are we looking for?

• A recent or upcoming BSc Accounting graduate, ideally with a placement year experience.

• Strong academic background with a solid understanding of accounting principles.

• Proficiency in MS applications, particularly Excel.

• European language skills (business or native-level proficiency) are highly desirable.

Our recruitment process:

Here's what to expect as part of our application journey:

• Gamified online assessment - an interactive way to assess key skills.

• Recruiter call - a conversation with one of our recruitment team members.

• Interview with our European Head of Financial Control - a deeper dive into your CV and suitability.

• Interview with our European Finance Director - a final discussion to align on expectations and fit.

We anticipate that this process should take 3-4 weeks.