Senior Accountant

  • Hays
  • City, Belfast
  • Apr 17, 2026
Full time Accounting

Job Description

Your new company

You'll be joining a large, well-established, privately owned organisation with a strong track record of growth and stability. The business has reached a size and complexity where finance plays a critical role in shaping decision-making, not just reporting the numbers.The leadership team is engaged, commercially focused, and invested in developing its finance function to a higher standard - with better insight, faster reporting, and smarter use of technology.

Your new role

This is a Senior Management Accountant / Financial Controller Designate opportunity, reporting directly to the Finance Director and working closely with senior leadership.You won't be stepping into a perfectly polished finance function - and that's exactly the point. The team is capable and committed, but there is clear scope to tighten controls, accelerate month end, and materially improve the quality of management information used across the business.From day one, you'll take ownership of the monthly management accounts, balance sheet integrity, and the narrative behind the numbers.

You'll partner with senior stakeholders, challenge assumptions, and ensure finance plays a visible role in commercial and strategic decisions.A key part of the role is progression. Within 12-18 months, the clear and genuine expectation is that you'll step into the Financial Controller role, with full ownership of the finance function and leadership responsibility for the team. You'll also have real licence to modernise how finance operates - reducing manual effort, improving reporting processes, and introducing practical automation and AI enabled tools where they add genuine value.

What you'll need to succeed

You'll be a qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA) currently operating in a senior management accounting, finance manager, or similar role, and ready to step up.
You'll bring:

  • Strong experience producing monthly management accounts
  • A solid grounding in financial control, balance sheet management, and month end close
  • Experience within a product based or operationally complex environment
  • Commercial confidence - comfortable challenging stakeholders and explaining what the numbers really mean
  • A hands on mindset, willing to get into the detail when needed
  • Genuine interest in finance automation, reporting improvement, and practical use of AI
  • Ambition to progress into a Financial Controller role and take full ownership of a finance function

You'll enjoy working in an environment where not everything is perfectly set up yet - and where improving it is part of your job.

What you'll get in return

  • Salary of £55,000 - £65,000, with flexibility for the right candidate
  • Performance related bonus
  • A clearly defined pathway to Financial Controller within 12-18 months
  • Direct exposure to senior leadership and board level reporting
  • Real autonomy to improve processes, controls, and reporting
  • The opportunity to modernise a finance function using automation and AI
  • A stable, profitable, and growing organisation with long term opportunities

This is a role for someone who wants responsibility, visibility, and progression - not just another title. You will be working with a dynamic FD who is genuinely looking to progress this person through the business.

What you need to do now

If this sounds like the step you've been working towards, this role offers the scope, support, and progression to match your ambition.

If you're interested in this role, click "apply now" to forward an up to date copy of your CV, or call us now.If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

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