Finance Team Manager

Legal & General is a leading UK financial services group and major global investor. We’ve been safeguarding people’s financial futures since 1836, aiming to build a better society for the long term by investing our customers’ money in things that make life better for everyone and create value for our shareholders.

Our Group Functions provide the services that all areas of the business need. This requires a talented and diverse team behind the scenes, who enable everyone at L&G to do what they do best. 

Joining us means helping to improve the lives of our customers and contributing to the success of the business every day.

We’re recruiting for a Finance Team Manager to join us in our vibrant Cardiff Office.

As a Team Manager you will lead, motivate and develop a team that is responsible for the preparation of accurate daily and monthly Accounting Operations transactions, reconciliations, management information and providing analytical support to business partners. 

You will also lead on the preparation of financial ledgers and trial balances from which statutory financial accounts, tax and other regulatory returns can be produced.

What you'll be doing:

• Managing, motivating and developing employees at all levels to maximise the performance of the team/wider business area.
• Ensuring that Accounting Operations data is processed in accordance with documented procedures and controls, including the preparation and posting of journals to the accounting system.
• Ensuring delivery of financial or box reconciliations, including the investigation and clearance of outstanding items, as per mandated deadlines - including ensuring the reasons for reconciling items are clearly and concisely explained.
• Leading the accurate and timely preparation of the monthly financial / management accounts, related revenue, balance sheet, tax or other regulatory returns in accordance with Accounting Operations timetables.
• Ensuring that analytical support and management information is delivered to various business units, as well as ad hoc requests from Accounting Operations management.
• Maintaining and monitoring robust financial controls in compliance with Group Standards, statutory and regulatory requirements and the risk and control framework, including liaison with Group Internal Audit and external auditors.
• Ensuring that issues and errors found in Accounting Operations systems / processes are identified and mitigated / opportunities for process improvements are progressed through to execution.
• Ensuring that all procedure notes are maintained and up to date and that there is adequate cross training within the team to avoid key dependencies.
• Assisting with the maintenance, development and integration of relevant systems and supporting the team with projects, in particular testing, as and when required.

Who we're looking for:

• A qualified accountant or someone suitably qualified through relevant experience within a Finance environment.
• Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including excel, word and PowerPoint.
• Attention to detail and able to work accurately to tight deadlines.  Performs inbuilt reconciliations and can identify errors in outputs.
• Detailed experience of working on a core accounting systems and performing ledger postings and reconciliations.
• Experience of using, extracting and reporting data from accounting and other office based administration systems.
• Experience of spreadsheet design and financial analysis.
• Experienced people manager, who is able to demonstrate positive performance management and also co-ordinate planning and prioritising of tasks.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of staff throughout the business and being prepared to lead meetings. This includes having active listening skills and being prepared to challenge others when appropriate to ensure understanding of their viewpoint.
• Good analytical and problem solving skills, with an ability to review the work of others and identify process improvement opportunities. Including proactively seeking solutions to problems and escalating concerns and challenges to existing processes and suggesting improvements as appropriate.
• Ability to build and develop strong relationships with peers and within the Accounting Ops leadership team, as well as acting as a valued business partner to other parts of the business.

Whatever your role, we reward performance and behaviour with a package that looks after all the things that are important to you. Here are some of the benefits we offer: 

• The opportunity to participate in our annual, performance-related bonus plan and valuable share schemes  
• Generous pension contribution  
• Life assurance   
• Private medical insurance
• At least 25 days holiday, plus public holidays, 26 days after 2 years’ service. There’s also the option to buy and sell holiday 
• Competitive family leave 
• Participate in our electric car scheme, which offers employees the option to hire a brand-new electric car through tax efficient salary sacrifice 
• There are the many discounts we offer – both for our own products and at a range of high street stores and online   
• In 2023, some of our workspaces were redesigned. Our offices are great spaces to connect and collaborate and have your wellbeing at the heart

Legal & General is a leading financial services group and major global investor, named Britain’s Most Admired Company in 2023, for the second year running. Rated top in our sector and top for inspirational leadership, we have a strong heritage and an exciting future.

We aim to build a better society for the long term by investing our customers’ money in things that make life better for everyone.

If you join us, you’ll be part of a welcoming culture, with opportunities to collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds, views and experiences. Guided by leaders with integrity who care about your future and wellbeing. Empowered through initiatives which support people to develop their careers and excel.

We strive to be open, mindful and inclusive, so are always willing to discussing flexible working arrangements and reasonable accommodations for candidates with specific needs.

If you’re open to find out more, we'd love to hear from you.