Financial & Statutory Reporting Accountant Portugal

The role is part of the Accounting Operations, Account to Report team within the Centre of Excellence. The Senior Reporting Accountant is responsible for the execution and coordination of defined accounting and close activities for a cluster of countries, ensuring delivery in accordance with group policies, governance requirements and reporting timetables. The role supports the preparation of management and statutory accounts, identifying and escalating non-routine or complex issues to appropriate stakeholders. The position collaborates with local accounting teams and other finance functions outside of the shared service centre to support compliant accounting processes and efficient close outcomes.

Main Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

1. Coordinate and deliver assigned accounting and close activities in accordance with close calendars, company policy and local statutory requirements, including preparation of standard journals, balance sheet reconciliations and review of business journals, with escalation of complex or non-standard items as required

2. Manage any local electronic interfaces (if applicable) and deal with related activities including daily management of sales and vendor invoices, dealing with issues in process flow and coordinating all necessary enhancement activities and projects

3. Drive the implementation and operation of the internal financial controls framework

4. Support internal audit activities and implementation of identified remediations

5. Coordinate external audit activities at entity level, ensuring timely provision of requested documentation, tracking audit requests, and escalating significant judgement areas, disagreements or delays to the Accounting to Report Manager in line with governance protocols

6. Apply technical accounting knowledge to support entity-level reporting and close activities, identifying areas requiring interpretation or judgement and escalating technical conclusions for review and approval where appropriate

7. Deliver assigned month-end close activities in line with the group close timetable, including ERP reconciliations and variance analysis, flagging risks, delays or exceptions early and escalating as required.

8. Ensuring compliance with local financial regulations and tax laws of their respective countries/entities, as well as company policies and standards

9. Support accounting operations functions outside of account to report where required (accounts payable, tax, treasury) ensuring compliance with local regulations in given areas.

10. Identify process efficiency or control improvement opportunities arising from close execution and day-to-day accounting delivery, providing recommendations and impact assessments.

11. Balance sheet planning working with financial business partners and financial planning and analysis teams to ensure creation of balance sheet for indirect cashflow. Submission of entity planning to group consolidation (ERP).

• 3+ years' relevant experience in a controllership, financial reporting role, audit
  

• Proficient in financial statement production and ownership
  

• Proficient in MS Office (particularly Excel)
  

• Proficient in the use of financial systems (SAP)
  

• Sound interpersonal skills and some ability to influence,
  

• the ability to think through ambiguous issues
  

• effective decision making and priority setting,
  

• strong drive for results,
  

• ability to exercise sound judgement and escalate appropriately within defined governance frameworks
  
• The position also requires the ability to build and maintain sound relationships and collaborate effectively with multiple levels and cross functionally with Finance.