Title:  Investment Accountant - NESO

About the role

National Energy System Operator (NESO) recognises the potential of bright and talented individuals, and we encourage you to join us as Great Britain’s energy system undergoes an ambitious, exciting, and vital transformation. Together with industry, we are creating a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

Reporting to the Projects Finance Lead, the Investment Accountant provides comprehensive financial support to the project portfolio teams, providing regular financial analysis and reporting to facilitate effective financial management of projects. It proactively supports Project Managers, providing analysis, risk assessment and financial insight to support decision-making and ensuring appropriate accounting controls are followed.

This role can be based in Warwick or Wokingham, and we continue to offer hybrid working from office and home. We are open to full time and part time applicants, as well as flexible working arrangements.

Key accountabilities

• Working with the Project Management team to ensure that:
  • Project forecasts are always thorough, comprehensive, fully incorporate accurate risk, and are consistent with the demands of the programme. 
  • Project finances (actuals and forecasts) are accurate and robust and that all risks and opportunities are effectively managed.
  • Any amounts that need to be written off are actioned accordingly.
  • Useful Economic Life of assets is understood and monitored.
  • Projects are commissioned on a timely basis and that relevant WBS elements are closed.
• Providing a review of performance to Senior Management and project teams, undertaking trend, variance analysis, critical evaluation, and providing financial insight to drive improved project performance. Conduct regular project surgeries to review financial insights and identify appropriate actions.
• Delivering customer service excellence to internal customers, ensuring financial performance insights are delivered directly to the business and that all financial performance is understood. Provide timely responses to queries received relating to project accounting processes. 
• Ensuring accuracy of actual costs incurred, that projects are accurately entered on company systems in accordance with NESO’s accounting policies and appropriate accounting standards.
• Ensuring that all controls for the function are properly conducted, and any deviations are escalated as appropriate and remedied accordingly.  
• Providing data for investment business cases for actual spend and for closure papers for total project spend. Ensuring sanction spend is fully understood and tracked. 
• Being recognised as a critical trusted partner for the business, utilising financial expertise and project knowledge to provide support to the wider business. 
• Delivering ad-hoc training for the business project teams to ensure all project managers and portfolio leads and other business customers understand basic accounting such as accruals and prepayments and understand their responsibilities regarding receipting of purchase orders, time sheeting etc.

About you

We’re forging the path, and we know we can’t do it alone. That’s why we need visionary minds like yours to join us on this transformative journey. In this case, we’re looking for someone who:

• Educated to graduate level and / or equivalent professional experience. 
• Fully qualified accountant (member of CIMA, ACCA, or ACA) or working towards a relevant qualification.     
• Experience in financial and management accounting/reporting (including planning, forecasting, and budgeting).
• Experience of project accounting including investment appraisal.
• Experience of using SAP S/4 HANA is preferred.
• Experience in a business facing role ideally in a regulated business.
• Good understanding of governance, risk, and internal control frameworks.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong customer service orientation.
  

About what you'll get

A competitive salary between £50,000 - £55,000pa – dependent on experience and capability.

As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus based on company performance, 26 days annual leave as standard and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%.

About us

The creation of National Energy System Operator (NESO) is driven by an urgent need to unify and optimise our approach to energy. A more integrated and coordinated strategy is needed to meet the unprecedented challenges of climate change, ensuring secure energy supply, and keeping costs manageable for consumers.

Join us and empower your potential, energise our team, and be part of something bigger.

Your energy, our future, together.

About the National Energy System Operator (NESO)

In Autumn of 2024, the ESO transitioned to National Energy System Operator, or NESO for short. Previously denoted as the Future System Operator (or FSO), the new National Energy System Operator is the independent body responsible for planning Great Britain’s electricity and gas networks and operating the electricity system.  

NESO, including all of its existing roles, are now at the heart of the new National Energy System Operator. As NESO, we will build on our existing roles, capabilities, and ways of working significantly to create an organisation the energy system and its users’ need. Our new capabilities will enable us to look across vectors, including electricity, natural gas and hydrogen, and crucially consider the trade-offs between them.

The organisation is set up as a public corporation with its own Board of independent directors, with complete operational independence from government, the regulator and any and all commercial interest. As was the ESO, NESO will be licenced and regulated by Ofgem through price control agreements and obligated to identify optimal solutions to system operations and planning in the most sustainable, affordable and secure way for all.

The time to deliver is now. As part of our team, you won’t just be touching the lives of almost everyone in Great Britain – you’ll be shaping the way we use and consume energy for generations to come.

More information

This role closes on 17/10/2025 at 23:59, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary.

We work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office. 

We're committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve, and a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.

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