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Posted Date:  23 Mar 2026
Posting End Date:  07/04/2026
Location:  Coventry
Company:  Severn Trent Water Limited
Department:  Finance and Assurance
Salary (£):  £56,725

Lead Accountant

 

At Severn Trent, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We’re in the top 5% of utility companies worldwide for employee engagement, and we’re equally proud of our strong Glassdoor score — reflecting how much our people love working here.  

Join us to make a positive impact on the environment and our communities, while being valued and supported in a truly inclusive workplace. 

If you want to do more, because you care, we want you on our team. 

 

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

 

As our Financial Reporting Lead Accountant, you will take ownership of delivering accurate, timely, and insightful financial reporting for STW and its subsidiary companies. You will play a key role in both management and statutory reporting, working across FRS101 and IFRS standards, and ensuring we meet all regulatory and compliance requirements. This role is central to our financial control environment and will contribute directly to strong and transparent financial performance.

 

What you’ll be doing

 

Financial Reporting & Controls

  • Lead the preparation and coordination of monthly, half-year, and year-end reporting, including the P&L, balance sheet, cash flow statements, and supporting schedules.
  • Ensure reporting is delivered in line with FRS101, IFRS, and regulatory price control requirements.
  • Review and approve journal entries, resolve intercompany discrepancies, and oversee month-end control checklists.

 

Statutory & Audit

  • Prepare annual statutory accounts templates and act as a key liaison with external auditors.
  • Support the production of STW’s consolidated statutory financial statements.

 

Reconciliation & Analysis

  • Reconcile key P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow areas, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
  • Lead monthly provisions meetings with legal counsel and operational teams.

 

Cross-Team Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

  • Drive the coordination of accounting issues across teams, ensuring actions are tracked and resolved.
  • Lead month‑end debrief meetings with Finance colleagues to promote best practice and accurate reporting.
  • Coordinate and produce departmental KPIs that support performance understanding and decision‑making.
  • Champion improvements in systems and processes to enhance the quality and efficiency of financial reporting.

 

Systems & Leadership

  • Act as a key user of Finance systems including Quantum, SAP, Tagetik, and Cadency.
  • Manage and develop a team of two, fostering a positive, supportive, and high‑performing environment.

 

HOW WE WORK

 

You'll be based at our Severn Trent Centre in Coventry. With this being such a critical role, we’re looking for someone who can join us 37 hours a week.

 

You'll join a caring culture that collaborates to achieve, grow, and develop. Our employee engagement scores are among the highest globally in energy and utilities. That’s why, we value in-person moments to keep our culture alive but also understand the flexibility working from home can bring. So, you'll usually find us in the office, but working from home is supported, when you need it.

 

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

 

To be successful, you will bring:

 

Essential

  • Strong working knowledge of FRS 101 and IFRS.
  • Hands‑on experience closing accounting ledgers to tight deadlines.
  • Awareness of regulatory and tax requirements.
  • Strong systems capability and confidence working across multiple financial platforms.
  • Proven people management skills.

 

Desirable

  • Experience with SAP and Tagetik.
  • Exposure to financial reporting within a listed company environment.
  • Knowledge of the water industry.

 

Capabilities & Skills

 

To thrive in this role, you will bring:

 

  • Excellent communication skills, especially when explaining complex financial matters.
  • Strong influencing skills and the ability to work collaboratively across teams.
  • A continuous improvement mindset, with a focus on enhancing processes and systems.
  • Effective planning and organisation, with strong analytical capability.
  • High levels of accuracy and attention to detail.

 

Qualifications

 

  • A recognised financial or accountancy qualification (e.g., ACA, CIMA, ACCA) is essential.

 

Skills and experience are important, but character, positivity, and a caring attitude matter too. We welcome and celebrate diverse individuals, knowing they help us better serve our communities. We seek people who get involved, want to be part of something bigger, and make a difference because they care.

 

HOW WE’LL REWARD AND CARE FOR YOU

 

It’s not just a job you’ll get here, you’ll get a career too.

We have a range of benefits that reward and recognise great work and award-winning training to ensure you reach your potential. And we’ll also help you play your part in looking after the environment and the community in which we live.  

Here’s some of our favourites:  

  • 28 days holiday + bank holidays (and the ability to buy/ sell up to 5 days per year)
  • Annual bonus scheme (of up to £2,250 per annum based on company performance)
  • Leading pension scheme – we will double your contribution (up to 15% when you contribute 7.5%)
  • Sharesave – the chance to buy Severn Trent Plc shares at a discounted rate
  • Dedicated training and development with our ‘Academy’
  • Electric vehicle scheme and retail offers
  • Family friendly policies
  • Two volunteer days per year

 

LET’S GO

 

We can't wait to hear from you! Have an updated CV ready and spare five minutes to apply. We'll let you know the outcome after the closing date, so keep an eye on your phone and emails. 

Apply now »