Assistant Accountant

Looking to start your career in finance with a global organisation where you can develop your accounting skills, work with financial data, and gain exposure to financial reporting, regulatory processes and insurance operations? As an Assistant Accountant, you'll support financial reporting and month-end activities, work closely with experienced finance professionals, and build the technical knowledge and practical experience needed to develop a successful career in finance. What part will you play? If you’re looking for a place where you can make a meaningful difference, you’ve found it. The work we do at Markel gives people the confidence to move forward and seize opportunities, and you’ll find your fit amongst our global community of optimists and problem-solvers. We’re always pushing each other to go further because we believe that when we realize our potential, we can help others reach theirs. Join us and play your part in something special!

This is an exciting chance to work with Markel’s Finance department. Markel’s Accounting and Finance department supports the four divisions and offices across the UK, Europe, Canada and Asia Pacific. The role of Finance at Markel is varied, they are responsible for recording financial transactions, providing financial information to the Markel Corporation, ensuring compliance of legal and regulatory reporting obligations, and providing accurate financial performance information to key decision makers. The successful candidate will be an important part of the wider team within Finance and will be encouraged to quickly establish strong working relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders.   What you’ll be doing: Become familiar with all current systems. Work effectively and efficiently to adhere to internal and external reporting deadlines. Support the preparation of various UK GAAP financial statements and regulatory returns. Assist in the quarterly financial close process including preparation of US GAAP accounting and disclosures, preparing balance sheet reconciliation and analysis. Analyse data in order to create periodic reports for the Finance department. Coordinate with members of the financial team to schedule meetings and take minutes. Assist with other work across the wider Finance team. Liaise and communicate effectively across Finance and other departments. Greatly enhance your knowledge and use of Excel in a professional setting. Take part in structured training conducted by senior employees with an extensive amount of knowledge in the industry to ultimately help successful candidates learn the fundamentals of insurance. Develop your career, with regular check-ins to ensure you are fully supported in progressing and gaining more autonomy within your role.   Our must-haves: Are proactive and show a willingness to learn. Are collaborative with excellent interpersonal skills, capable of both working independently and well as part of a team. Are self-motivated individuals who possess an inquisitive nature. Are organised individuals with the ability to prioritise tasks efficiently and flexibly. Can display clarity of thought, as well as strong attention to detail. Are resilient and analytical problem solvers who are eager to work with data whilst maintaining a high level of accuracy. Demonstrate some experience working with Excel. Are a fast learner who asks questions and can pick up new systems quickly.   What is available to you: You’ll get support every step of the way – we know that starting out in a new role and industry can be daunting but Markel’s ego-free environment gives you all the support that you need to go further and achieve great things. Support for your professional development, including the opportunity to work towards recognised accountancy qualifications such as AAT, ACCA, SIGMA and ACA, helping you build the skills and confidence to progress your career in finance. Exposure to a number of departments