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Financial Accountant - Maternity Cover

ELLEN MACARTHUR FOUNDATION
40,000 per year
UK based
Full-time
27th February 2026
Listed today

Financial Accountant

Maternity cover - fixed term role for 10 months

Hybrid
UK based

We are seeking a Financial Accountant to join our in-house team. You will be responsible for managing the sales process and credit control, monitoring budgeted costs against actuals, and maintaining accurate, up-to-date accounting records and systems. Your focus will be to ensure compliance with accounting policies and procedures, manage the sales ledger and lead month-end accounting and reporting.

Our commitment to you​

We are keen to receive applications from people from underrepresented backgrounds, including (but not limited to) those of colour, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTQIA+, and people from other marginalised groups. It is important to us that our recruitment approach makes the opportunity as accessible as possible and ensures a diverse range of people can demonstrate their potential. We would be happy to provide any further support that you may require - please get in touch so that we can work together.

If you would like further information on our diversity and inclusion policy or any further assistance, please contact us at recruitment@ellenmacarthurfoundation.org.

Role and Responsibilities:

Sales Ledger & Invoicing

  • Manage the full sales invoicing process, including raising and reviewing invoices/proformas for accuracy, contract compliance, and timely delivery.

  • Liaise with internal teams, external contacts, and contract managers to ensure onboarding, VAT, PO, and payment details are accurate.

  • Maintain records in Salesforce and Access, update customer information, and troubleshoot technical issues.

  • Monitor income receipts, reconcile payments across systems (Salesforce, Stripe, PayPal, Access), and manage overdue debt via credit control processes.

  • Support relationship management with customers, providing reports, chasing outstanding balances, and escalating as necessary.

Purchase Ledger & Payments - provide cover and oversight

  • Process supplier invoices, employee expenses, and charge cards, ensuring timely payment and compliance with policies

  • Maintain purchase ledger records, reconcile bank accounts

  • Support Finance Assistant duties as required, ensuring accounting systems are accurate and up to date.

Budgeting & Reporting

  • Monitor budgets against actual spend across departments and project-specific budgets, providing budget updates to budget holders.

  • Assist in project budget updates and attend meetings with operations teams to provide financial insights.

Accounting & Month-End Processes

  • Maintain accurate accounting records in Access and related systems, ensuring all processes and policies are followed.

  • Prepare monthly control accounts, journals, and reconciliations for month-end close.

  • Support year-end schedules, liaise with external auditors, and assist with VAT returns (including international considerations).

  • Reconcile income and bank accounts and ensure currency rates and financial records are updated monthly.

System & Process Support

  • Contribute to system design and process improvements within Access and Salesforce, including handling support queries.

Your Profile:

  • Relevant professional qualification - AAT qualified with relevant experience / Studying towards ACCA/ACA/CIMA.

  • 3-5 years of relevant work experience in a similar role. Charity sector experience would be an advantage but is not essential.

  • Familiarity with Access Financials software is an advantage.

  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage confidently across all levels of the organisation.

  • Strong analytical skills along with excellent communication to translate complex financial data for both finance and non-financial stakeholders.

  • Able to work within a small friendly team and manage hybrid/remote working.

Why Join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation?

  • Mission-Driven Work: Be part of an organisation working on some of the most pressing challenges of our time: circular economy and systemic change.

  • Collaborative Culture: Work in a dynamic, diverse, and collaborative environment where every team member is valued and empowered to contribute.

  • Growth and Impact: Play a key role in shaping an organisation that is influencing global systems and driving positive environmental change.

  • Work-Life Balance: We believe in creating a healthy, balanced work environment. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation offers flexible working options to support the well-being of our employees.

Apply by clicking the green icon where you will be asked to upload a CV and covering letter.

Desired starting date: March 2026 - this is a fixed term contract for 10 months to cover maternity leave.

Closing date: 27th February 2026

Salary package: circa £40,000 per annum plus generous holiday allowance, 25 days plus UK Bank Holidays plus discretionary organisational extra days leave at Christmas and Easter, generous parental leave; enhanced pension options/private health scheme after 6 months; wellbeing programme.

Location: UK based with the need to travel to either our Isle of Wight or London offices on a monthly basis.

Application process:

  • Initial Zoom meeting with our Talent team and prospective Line manager to start the process (we will send you the outline of the interview, so you know what to expect).

  • A work-related assignment to complete at home or as part of the interview process so we know you will be comfortable with the type of work you would do here.

  • Interview with our People Team, Team Lead and prospective manager. This may be based in our offices in London, Brussels or Isle of Wight. Alternatively, this meeting will be via Zoom as we recognise travel isn’t always possible, especially for our international candidates.

  • For more senior roles we will conduct a presentation interview too.

What we do:

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation develops and promotes the idea of a circular economy.  We work with, and inspire, business, academia, policymakers, and institutions to mobilise systems solutions at scale, globally. Our mission is to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

Our vision is a new economic system that delivers better outcomes for people and the environment. Business models, products, and materials are designed to increase use and reuse, replicating the balance of the natural world, where nothing becomes waste, and everything has value. A circular economy, increasingly built on renewable energy and materials, is distributed, diverse, and inclusive.