Senior Accountant
The accounts of any organisation are its lifeblood, and are the basis for calculating its performance, risks and investment opportunities. That’s why larger businesses will have whole teams of accountants monitoring and measuring the finances, and paying and charging the various people they work with. Accountants come in a range of specialisms and levels of experience, and the senior accountant is someone who has shown impressive aptitude in their field.
Usually positioned just below management or executive accountants in a business’s finance department, senior accountant jobs are not normally managerial themselves, but often involve training and assistance to junior accountants and onboarders. They will, however, be a trusted voice for accountancy managers, who appreciate that the senior accountant’s understanding of a specific financial matter could well exceed their own.
The skills required
As the name suggests, senior accountants won’t be freshly qualified at CIMA, AAT, ACCA, AIA or ICAEW level, but they will have augmented one of these qualifications with several years’ experience and a proven track record working in a busy accountancy department.
You’ll need to be thoroughly comfortable dealing with clients and suppliers, and should have an in-depth understanding of the sector that the role occupies, as there can be large differences between the financial and legal requirements of various sectors. Senior accountant jobs are often seen as stepping stones to managerial positions, although a lot of accountants are perfectly happy simply dealing with the numbers for their whole careers.
Senior Accountant Jobs in Edinburgh
Known for its romantic skyline, beautiful castle and fascinating history, Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and the second most populated city north of the border.
People have been living in Auld Reekie, as it is affectionately known by locals, since at least the Bronze Age and throughout the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, it flourished as a market town, a royal burgh and a centre of commerce and culture.
During the Industrial Revolution, the city began to spread outwards in every direction. As more people came to the city, tenement flats were built and factories and businesses established. While Glasgow may have overtaken the capital during this period in terms of economy and population, Edinburgh maintained its prominence and continued to thrive.
After devolution in 1999, Edinburgh became the home of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Executive. Today, the city is the heart of the Scottish government. It also plays an important part in other sectors, such as finance, publishing, media and tourism, offering a wealth of opportunities for those seeking Senior Accountant jobs.
Companies based in Edinburgh today include Edinburgh University Press, The Scotsman, HBOS, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows, Rockstar North and Caledonian Breweries.
In addition, the city hosts the Edinburgh Festival every year. Comprising a number of different events like the International Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe, this is a month-long celebration of music and theatre, comedy and the arts.
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Looking for a senior accountant?
If your company needs someone in its accountancy department with real clout, and there don’t seem to be the opportunities internally, it could be time to draft in some top talent with the help of Cast UK. We recruit at senior, managerial and executive levels, and have a long list of senior accountants to pick from. Call us on 0333 121 3345 to speak with a consultant.
If you’ve been in the accountancy game long enough to be considered for a senior role (or are there already), Cast UK can put you in touch with businesses including accountancy firms who are looking for people like you. Please register with us by following the link below.
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