Assistant Corporate Accountant

YOUR NEXT ROLE: ASSISTANT CORPORATE ACCOUNTANT

This position sits within the Financial Reporting team and plays a central part in delivering accurate accounting, compliance, and reporting for the UK market. The team manages all month-end close activities, internal and external reporting and statutory compliance, alongside group reporting submissions to France and Japan HQ.

Reporting to the Financial Reporting Manager, the position offers strong career development opportunities within a fast-paced retail FMCG environment. It is well suited to candidates with early experience in financial reporting and management accounting, who wants to build strong technical foundations and progress with their professional qualifications. 

The role focusses on leading core month-end processes and supporting internal / external reporting, with opportunities to drive process standardisation and enhance reporting across the wider finance group.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Ensure the Integrity of Month-End Reporting

• Deliver the month-end close process across all Shiseido Group brands in UK & Ireland markets.
• Prepare journal entries and supporting balance sheet reconciliations across key retail business areas.
• Produce monthly business analysis on management account movements and support preparation of the group quarterly reporting pack.
• Support business advisory activities and ad hoc analysis for the Financial Reporting and Commercial Finance teams.

Business Partnering & Internal Support

• Support in the preparation and presentation of monthly results for corporate departments, ensuring costs are accurately reported and clearly communicated to the relevant budget owners.
• Act as a key point of contact for corporate budget holders, supporting financial queries relating to budgets, project costs and expenditure.

• Support in the preparation of annual budgets and regular forecasting reviews, including insightful variance commentary against budget and prior year performance.  

Audit and External Reporting

• Support with the year-end and quarterly close activities and coordination of the audit process with external advisors.
• Support internal audit processes and maintain J-SOX reporting requirements.
• Assist with corporation tax compliance in partnership with external advisors, including transfer pricing and capital allowances.
• Prepare and submit VAT returns and manage other local compliance requirements, including employment taxes, environmental reporting, plastic packaging tax, and statistical filings.

Strengthen the Control Environment

• Drive a robust governance and control environment through the definition of accounting policies, risk controls, and compliance processes.
• Monitor the effectiveness of internal controls and system workflows across end-to-end finance processes to support retail business functions.
• Safeguard data integrity by ensuring adherence to group accounting policies and J-SOX control and reporting requirements.

Team Engagement & Improvement

• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement, with a focus on streamlining month-end close activities and implementing more effective, systemised controls. 
• Contribute to ad-hoc analysis and project work for the Financial Reporting and Commercial Finance teams.
• Assist senior team members in maintaining a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing team through proactive communication, knowledge‑sharing, and positive team engagement.

YOUR BACKGROUND 

We value diversity and creativity in all that we do. Your suitability will come through a range of experiences and backgrounds. Specifically, we encourage experiences from the below:

• Part-qualified accountant status (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent)
• Background in management accounting with exposure to month-end reporting including journals, reconciliations and P&L reviews.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with SAP S/4 and Power BI.
• Understanding of financial control environments and how they can be improved.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Technical Excellence in Finance & Reporting – Strong command of accounting standards, month-end processes, and statutory reporting requirements.
• Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills – Ability to interpret complex financial data, identify issues quickly, and develop practical solutions.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement – Works effectively with cross-functional teams, external advisors, and auditors to drive alignment and shared outcomes.
• Continuous Improvement Orientation – Proactively seeks opportunities to streamline processes, enhance systems, and improve the efficiency of the finance function.
• Systems & Digital Capability – Leverages digital tools to improve reporting accuracy, generate insights, and enhance operational efficiency.
• Team Development & Engagement – Eater to grow within the team, embracing development opportunities while actively contributing to a supporting and high-performing team culture.  

Benefist you'll love

• 26 days holiday + bank holidays + your birthday day off
• Holiday buy – up to 5 days
• Day off when you get married or move house
• Generous contributory pension scheme – match up to 8%
• Private medical insurance with Vitality
• Enhanced parental allowance
• Generous product allocation & discount
• Life Assurance up to x4 your salary
• Flexible Friday finish
• Flexible & hybrid working
• Wellbeing programmes
• Annual performance and development reviews so you know your career is going in the right direction

About Shiseido Group

Our mission : Beauty Innovations for a Better World

Click here to learn more about our brands

Founded in 1872 in Japan, Shiseido Group is within the Top 5 leading cosmetics companies in the world and aims to inspire a life of beauty and culture. Operating in 120 countries with 42,000 employees and 70 nationalities, Shiseido offers a unique selection of Skincare, Makeup and Fragrance brands with a projected turnover over £7.0bn in 2022. Celebrating 150 years of heritage in 2022, Shiseido constantly creates high-quality, safe and innovative cosmetics and develop brands deeply loved by people from all over the world, in line with our mission: Beauty Innovations for a Better World. Did you know that Shiseido is the most awarded company in terms of innovation with a record 31 FSCC Awards?

Shiseido UK & Ireland plays a central role in the EMEA region and is biggest affiliate, leading the Digital acceleration agenda thanks to a team of local experts, but is also constantly reinventing its Retail footprint in the world Nr4 biggest beauty market.

To deliver our strong Growth & Profitability ambitions, we will follow 4 strategic streams

• Leverage our unique portfolio of premium Beauty brands across all 3 categories
• Stay agile and capture new retail opportunities
• Customer-driven decisions
• Create a great place to work in Beauty

OUR PRINCIPLES

Think Big, Take Risks, Hands on, Collaborate, Be Open, Act with Integrity, Be Accountable, Applaud Success

OUR PRINCIPLES serve as the working principles that every Shiseido employee must follow. These eight working principles – known as "TRUST 8" – are based on the idea that mutual trust is the key to succeeding in OUR MISSION.

Click here to learn more about Our Principles and The Shiseido Philosophy

At Shiseido, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered. We believe that a diverse workforce enhances our creativity, innovation, and overall success. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We are dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities and ensuring that our hiring practices reflect our commitment to diversity and inclusion. Together, we can build a vibrant and dynamic team that reflects the diverse world we serve.

If you need any support or adjustments during your application, please get in touch with us and we will be happy to support you.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the position applied to.