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About the Role

The Compensation and Benefits Accountant is responsible for the accurate accounting, reporting, and control of employee compensation and benefits across the Group, ensuring timely and accurate recording and reporting of payroll costs, bonuses, commissions, pensions, share-based compensation, and other employee benefits. This role collaborates with various departments to provide strong financial control and support business analysis, reporting, and accounting advice.

Responsibilities

Own the accounting for employee compensation and benefits, including payroll, bonuses, commissions, pensions, share-based payments, and other employee-related costs.
Prepare and review monthly journals, accruals, prepayments, and provisions related to compensation and benefits, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and appropriate documentation.
Calculate, review, and challenge bonus, commission, and other incentive accruals.
Support the accounting for share-based payments and other long-term incentive arrangements, including IFRS assessments and disclosures.
Maintain clear accounting documentation and ensure consistent application of Group accounting policies.
Work with HR to deliver the Directors Remuneration Report section of the Group’s Annual Report.
Lead month-end close activities for compensation and benefits, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and appropriate period recording.
Prepare and review balance sheet reconciliations for payroll, bonuses, pensions, benefits, and other employee-related accounts.
Provide accurate monthly reporting and analysis of compensation and benefits costs, including actuals versus budget/forecast and commentary on material movements.
Support the preparation of financial statements, management reporting, and disclosures related to employee costs and benefits.
Maintain a strong financial control environment across compensation and benefits accounting.
Ensure payroll and benefits interfaces and accounting outputs are reconciled to the general ledger.
Support internal and external audit requests, providing evidence, reconciliations, and explanations.
Identify and remediate control weaknesses, process gaps, and recurring issues.
Support the FP&A team by preparing compensation & benefits forecasting and headcount forecasting.
Partner with HR, Payroll, FP&A, Tax, and other stakeholders to understand compensation and benefits arrangements and ensure appropriate accounting treatment.
Provide financial and accounting support for new compensation structures, incentive plans, benefits changes, and other people-related initiatives.
Translate compensation and benefits data into clear financial insight for stakeholders.
Identify opportunities to simplify, automate, and improve compensation and benefits accounting processes, reporting, and controls.
Act as a subject matter expert for compensation and benefits accounting, sharing knowledge and supporting colleagues.
Build strong working relationships across Finance and the wider business.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant IFRS standards, payroll, and employee benefits accounting requirements and Group policies.
Support finance transformation, systems enhancements, and other strategic initiatives related to payroll, HR, and compensation data.
Undertake other accounting and financial control responsibilities appropriate to the role and business needs.

Requirements

Qualified accountant (2-4 years post-qualification ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent).
Strong post-qualified experience in financial control, management accounting, or financial reporting, ideally within financial services, a listed company, or a Big 4 audit environment.
Experience accounting for payroll, bonus, commission, pension, share-based payment, or other employee benefit arrangements.
Good working knowledge of IFRS, with experience applying accounting standards to employee benefits and share-based payments.
Experience with month-end close processes, balance sheet reconciliations, accruals and provisions, and financial reporting.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Strong controls and governance mindset, with experience supporting audit processes and maintaining clear and robust documentation.
Excellent Excel and data analysis capability.
Experience working with payroll, HR, or finance systems and large employee datasets.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work effectively with Finance, HR/Reward, Payroll, and senior stakeholders.
Proactive and open to change, with a willingness to simplify, automate, reengineer, and improve processes and ways of working.

Skills

IFRS
IAS 19
IFRS 2
Month-end close processes
Balance sheet reconciliations
Accruals
Provisions
Financial reporting
Analytical skills
Problem-solving skills
Controls and governance
Audit support
Documentation
Excel
Data analysis
Payroll systems
HR systems
Finance systems
Large employee datasets
Written communication
Verbal communication
Process improvement
Automation

Location

Group

Work Type

Full-time

Experience Level

2-4 years post-qualified experience

Education Level

Qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent)

Benefits

Pensions
Share-based compensation
Other employee benefits
Share-based payments
Long-term incentive arrangements

About the Company

CMC Markets is an equal opportunities employer.

Equal Opportunity

CMC Markets is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age.