Freelance Senior Intercompany Accountant

We are looking for a technically strong Senior Intercompany Accountant for a focused 6-week contract . This is a high-impact role designed to clean up and stabilize our intercompany accounts across a complex international group. The primary objective is 'detective work': you will take the lead in identifying, matching, and correcting historical imbalances between our global subsidiaries to ensure all accounts net to zero for consolidation.

The Problems You Will Solve

Our group finance team has already performed the heavy lifting of extracting transaction data from each subsidiary. Your role is to step in and solve the following:

• Disentangle Transactions: Match high-volume entries across multiple entities and currencies where counterparties currently do not align.
• Resolve FX Mismatches: Investigate discrepancies arising from timing differences and IAS 21 foreign exchange revaluations.
• Bridge Communication Gaps: Work with international controllers to find 'missing' invoices or correct miscoded entries that prevent accounts from balancing.
• Clean the Slate: Provide the Group Reporting team with a reconciled dataset that allows for a seamless, error-free consolidation process.

Core Responsibilities

• Global Reconciliation Management: Lead the monthly, quarterly, and year-end intercompany reconciliation process for all global entities, ensuring all balances (AR/AP), financing and trading net to zero.
• Multicurrency Mastery: Manage complex foreign exchange (FX) translations and revaluations. You will investigate and resolve discrepancies caused by currency fluctuations and timing differences.
• Dispute Resolution: Act as the lead mediator between international controllers to resolve 'out-of-balance' accounts, identifying the root causes of mismatches (e.g., missing invoices, incorrect coding, or tax treatment).
• Consolidation Support: Provide clean, reconciled data to the Group Reporting team to facilitate seamless global consolidation.
• Process Optimization: Design and implement standardized intercompany billing policies and automated reconciliation workflows to reduce manual errors.

Technical Requirements

• Qualification: ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified with 3–5+ years of post-qualification experience.
• Experience: At least 5 years in accounting, specifically within a large, multi-entity international group.
• Systems: Proficiency in NetSuite (highly preferred) or a similar Tier 1 ERP. Advanced Excel skills are essential for data manipulation.
• Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of IAS 21 (FX recording), routine intercompany recharging, and the basics of international transfer pricing.

The Ideal Candidate

Not just a number cruncher; you will be a problem solver. You understand that behind every mismatch is a story and you have the persistence to track it down.

• High Attention to Detail: ability to work with large volumes of data and methodically draft and correct the balances to agree between counterparties in currencies
• Communication Skills: Ability to work across time zones and cultures, explaining complex accounting issues to stakeholders
• Analytical Mindset: You look beyond the 'what' to understand the 'why' of financial data flows.

Is This Role for You?

This isn't a 'business as usual' maintenance role. It requires someone who enjoys the methodical process of tracking down data discrepancies and has the persistence to resolve them. You should be comfortable working independently across different time zones and communicating clearly with stakeholders to get the information you need.