Accountant Designate

JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights

An Accountant Designate role at Informa’s Taylor & Francis Group in Colchester offers a pathway into senior finance through the Advanced Learning/Books Finance Team, reporting to the Accountant and owning monthly management accounts, balance sheet reconciliations, mid‑month duties and intercompany processing, plus involvement in financial analysis and variance commentary. They seek an early ACCA/CIMA student (AAT Level 4 considered) who can work independently and in a team, consistently hit deadlines, and excel in Excel with SAP a plus. The role follows a balanced, flexible model with three onsite days; tailor your application to show control of numbers, storytelling with data, and a growth mindset.

Company Description

Informa is a leading academic publishing, business intelligence, knowledge and events business, creating unique content and connectivity for customers all over the world. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.

Taylor & Francis Group operates globally and produces high quality, peer reviewed books and journals. We produce unique, trusted content by expert authors, spreading knowledge and promoting discovery globally. We aim to broaden thinking and advance understanding, providing academics and professionals with a platform to share ideas and realize their individual potential.

Our purpose is to foster human progress through knowledge.  We strongly believe that this requires us to encourage and examine different ideas and voices, so that any work that meets our exacting levels of quality deserves to be included in our publications. This requires open minds, the opportunity for robust debate, and the courage to defend perspectives that stand up to scrutiny, even if they conflict with our personal beliefs or values. Because that’s the only way to find the best obtainable version of the truth and, ultimately, foster human progress. If you agree, then we’d love to hear from you.

Job Description

Job Description

This Accountant Designate position sits within the Advanced Learning/Books Finance Team, reports directly to the Accountant, and is responsible for reporting timely and accurate results and ensuring balance sheet control and integrity. 

This role offers great progression opportunities and is best suited to a keen, ambitious, studier who is keen to learn and progress within a great team and safe environment.

The Accountant Designate is expected to assume the following key responsibilities plus any other reasonable duties as required:

• Prepare, post, reconcile and analyse monthly Management Accounts for Revenue and Direct costs
• Perform timely reconciliations of balance sheet accounts to an excellent standard ensuring that they are fully supported and prepared in accordance with the group's framework and policies
• Mid-Month duties, include, but are not limited to:
  • Rota tasks as part of the team
  • Covering central email inboxes 
  • Checking coding on supplier invoices prior to being posted
  • Reconciliation of Direct Profit and Loss Accounts
  • Processing intercompany transactions
• Other duties may include:
  • Assist in the production of financial analysis, responding to queries and liaising with the wider business and business partnering to provide them with the detail and improve our understanding of the story behind the numbers
  • Assist in variance analysis and commentary against budget and forecast ahead of review calls
  • Attend and present on review calls
  • Analyse and solve ad hoc problems using your knowledge of the business and the systems
  • Assist with ad hoc duties as needed, including covering workload for others if required

Qualifications

Qualifications & Experience

• Ideally an early ACCA/CIMA student (AAT Level 4 qualified will be considered if experience is a good match)
• Able to work independently and works well within a team
• Consistently hits deadlines and effectively manages priorities
• Proficient skills in Excel, Word and Outlook are essential
• SAP knowledge is a distinct advantage

Additional Information

At Taylor & Francis we care about our colleagues, promoting work-life balance, wellbeing, and flexible working. You will be joining a thriving business, working alongside an exceptional group of people. We believe that the skills and experience you bring to Taylor & Francis are invaluable. We want you to have the opportunity to develop your abilities, and to innovate and develop in areas which you are passionate about.

What we offer in return:

• An excellent work/life balance with a fantastic, flexible working culture
• 25 days annual leave per year plus a day off for your birthday 
• 3 additional discretionary days off during the holiday season at the end of the year 
• 4 paid volunteering days each year 
• Company funded single cover private medical insurance  
• Employee assistance programme – offering 24/7 well-being support 
• Share Match – Plan that matches every share purchased with two free shares. 
• Pension scheme 
• Life assurance, plus optical and medical care

What you should know:

This role is based in the UK and you must have the right to work and live in the UK.

We believe that great things happen when people connect face-to-face. That's why we work in-person with each other, or with customers and partners, three days a week or more. When you’re not spending time together in one of our offices or other workplaces – like at conference – you get the flexibility and support to work from home or remotely.

The successful candidate will be able to utilise our balanced working model. We ask that candidates live within a commutable distance to our Colchester office to ensure that as a balanced worker they can make it to our office location 3 days per week.  

Closing Date: Applications will close on 1st July 2026.

We want all our candidates to shine in our recruitment process. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to ensure you are able to show us your best self. This could include having the application form in a different format, more time for questions, or anything else – please ask us, we are happy to be flexible! Please contact [email protected].

Being Yourself at Taylor & Francis 

If you’re excited about working with Taylor & Francis to foster human progress through knowledge, we invite you to apply even if your existing skills and experience don’t fit every item listed above. At Taylor & Francis, we are at our best and most successful when colleagues can be themselves and contribute regardless of their identity or background. As a colleague, you will have the opportunity to further innovate and develop in areas that you are passionate about. Our goal is to empower you with the resources, incentives, and flexibility you need to enjoy success at work and to live a healthy, balanced life. 

Taylor & Francis is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe in and value diversity of people and thought, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where all colleagues can learn and succeed as their true selves. Taylor & Francis recruits, develops, and retains colleagues without regard to any protected personal characteristics or other non-merit-based factor. 

If you have a disability, or face another barrier,  and would like to request an adjustment to assist your participation in the hiring process and/or in the advertised position, please contact [email protected]. Your request will be reviewed and considered in the strictest confidence.

We genuinely care about our colleagues, promoting work-life balance, wellbeing, and flexible working. We believe that the skills and experience you bring to Taylor & Francis are invaluable. We want you to have the opportunity to develop your abilities, and to innovate and develop in areas which you are passionate about. To find out more about our business and the great career opportunities please go to our Careers Site: http://www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/careers

Or better yet check out our LinkedIn ‘Life’ Page, highlighting our accomplishments, employees, and company culture. It’s also a good way of meeting our recruitment team, who will be happy to advise you on your journey here at T&F. 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/taylor-&-francis-group/life/79e0c27c-afdf-4bbb-84e6-5f8ed5e10bb8/