Canada Life UK looks after the retirement, investment and protection needs of individuals, families and companies. We help to build better futures for our customers, our intermediaries and our employees by operating as a modern, agile and welcoming organisation.

Part of our parent company Great-West Lifeco, Canada Life UK has operated in the United Kingdom since 1903. We have hundreds of respected and supported employees committed to doing the right thing for our customers and colleagues.

Canada Life UK is transforming to create a more customer-focused business by providing our customers with expertise on financial and tax planning, offering home finance and annuities propositions, and providing collective fund solutions to third party customers.

Job Purpose

The Finance Systems and Process Improvement team is responsible for the successful delivery of projects and improvements across the business ensuring that the needs and development of the financial reporting requirements are met. This includes the financial management, regulatory and statutory reporting requirements.

We now need a Senior Accountant support the transformation and the future growth of the business within the Corporate - IFS function, so it can be a trusted and commercial partner that influences the business to make good financial decisions, by delivering excellent support, expertise and high quality management information.

This position is being recruited as a 12 month fixed term contract or secondment

Key Accountabilities

Contribution to the successful delivery of projects and process improvements
Support successful completion of the UK finance project deliverables across a range of projects across the business
Work with relevant finance teams to ensure business requirements are understood, documented and approved
Communicate sometimes complex and technical accounting knowledge on both shareholder and policyholder transactions as well as different product types understanding the difference between insurance and investment accounting.
Provide understanding of the impacts/links between multiple systems and feeds into ledger
Support testing, preparing test documentation, review test output and identify / explain and help to resolve issues

Technical Accounting
Good understanding of the relevant regulations, accounting standards/guidance to ensure the Company's legal & statutory requirements are met and keep abreast of changes to ensure that these requirements are met from all systems changes.

Understanding of accounting for different product types (e.g. insurance/investment contracts)

Knowledge of the new IFRS17 and IFRS9 accounting standards would be an advantage.

Design & implement new procedures when necessary. Communicate complex/ technical investment accounting concepts to project team and team members (new systems and new regulations) clearly to ensure all requirements are met and implemented effectively.

Accounting Controls Environment
Ensure that there is a strong control environment and that key controls and reconciliation processes are adequately maintained. Ensure clear, accurate and complete procedure documents are maintained for all tasks within current remit.
Assist in the continuous development and improvement of the department's accounting systems, controls and processes.

Assist in the continuous development and improvement of the department's accounting systems, controls and processes.

Review
Review the requirements and developments as they are developed
Review new processes by ensuring testing is as expected

Projects
Participate in a variety of projects to improve and develop the financial reporting process and support the wider business.

Desired Knowledge / Experience / Skills

A qualified accountant with proven post qualification experience in a financial services environment and evidenced continuous professional development (CPD)

Will have a strong awareness of technical financial accounting issues.

Good working knowledge of financial systems (e.g. SAP, Essbase, Power BI) with report building experience.

Experience with Solvency II regulatory reporting, insurance accounting and performing a group reporting role would be advantageous.

Experience in taking pro-active responsibility for control issues and interacting with management on same.

Excellent analytical and problem solving ability.

Ability to deal with complex tasks, unsupervised

Able to train new members of staff and work effectively in a team

Strong end user computing skills in relevant software applications, including MS Office software

Must be highly motivated with an ability to work on own initiative, manage deadlines and ensure quality in every aspect of service delivery.

Must be highly motivated with an ability to work on own initiative, manage deadlines and ensure quality in every aspect of service delivery.

Qualifications

• Qualified Accountant (or equivalent)

What you'll like about working here

As a Canada Life UK colleague, you'll receive a competitive salary and comprehensive reward package including income protection, private medical insurance and life assurance, along with a generous pension and bonus scheme. You'll also receive the support you need with your personal and professional development.

Diversity and inclusion

Canada Life is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Our role as an employer of choice is to provide the right environment for talented people to do their best work, by respecting, understanding and valuing individual differences