Accountant

About Iliad

Iliad is a non-profit dedicated to advancing foundational AI alignment research. We run the Iliad Intensive, the Iliad Fellowship, and a range of conferences that bring together researchers working on the hardest problems in AI safety. We also incubate research organisations and an academic journal, and have an internal research team. We're a small and quickly growing team.

About the role

We are growing, and we are looking for an accountant to help us keep our finances accurate, compliant, and transparent as we scale. You will join a small, remote-first finance team and play a hands-on role across day-to-day accounting, month-end close, statutory compliance, and funder reporting.

This role suits someone who enjoys owning their work, improving processes, and working closely with colleagues across time zones. It calls for a dynamic person who will quickly take on a broader technical and compliance remit while also focusing on core transactional accounting and reconciliations, with room to grow.

For remote work this role needs substantial overlap with the UK time zone and some overlap with Central Time (US).

Key responsibilities

Core accounting and month-end close

• Maintain the general ledger, including journals, accruals, prepayments, bank, balance sheet, and intercompany reconciliations.
• Process and review accounts payable, accounts receivable, expense claims, and payment runs in line with internal controls.
• Support the preparation of monthly management accounts and the month-end close, including multi-currency revaluations as applicable.
• Maintain clear documentation and audit trails, and contribute to continuous improvement of finance processes and systems.

Accounting and compliance

• Account for income and expenditure by grant and funding source, tracking any restrictions or conditions set by funders.
• Prepare statutory accounts in line with FRS 102, and support the annual external audit where required.
• Support annual filings to Companies House, including the annual accounts and confirmation statement.
• Prepare and file VAT returns where applicable, including the treatment of grants and donations, and support corporation tax, PAYE, pension, and other HMRC obligations with payroll and external advisers.

Reporting

• Track grant income and spend against funder budgets and conditions, and prepare financial reports for donors.
• Produce periodic budget-versus-actual analysis and support forecasting and cash-flow monitoring.
• Provide finance information to the senior leadership team and work closely with the finance leadership to prepare dashboards for board reporting and the annual directors' report.

Controls

• Uphold strong internal controls and segregation of duties by championing industry best practice.
• Offer preliminary guidance to the finance leadership around UK statutory, treasury, and tax compliance matters.

What we are looking for

We think strong candidates will meet most of these criteria, but don't expect any individual to meet all of them. We would encourage you to apply, even if you are uncertain.

Essential

• ACA, ACCA, CPA or CIMA qualified, or part-qualified with a clear path to completion.
• 2+ years experience in UK accounting, with working knowledge of UK GAAP (FRS 102), VAT, and UK statutory reporting.
• Strong Excel skills and experience with a cloud-based accounting system or ERP.

Desirable

• Experience in a charity or not-for-profit environment, including grant or fund accounting.
• Experience reporting to grant-makers or institutional funders.
• Experience in multi-currency or multi-entity environments.
• Experience with Xero.
• Experience working with US-based affiliate entities, including intercompany transactions.
• Experience working in a remote or international team.
• Interest in AI safety or in mission-driven organisations more broadly.

Skills and attributes

• High attention to detail and a strong control mindset.
• Clear written and verbal communication, and comfortable with asynchronous, remote working.
• Ability to manage competing deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Proactive, collaborative, and keen to improve how things are done.
• Sound judgement and integrity when handling sensitive financial information.

‍

If you're interested but unsure whether you're a fit, please apply. We want to hear from you, even if you don't meet every requirement.

What we offer

Our benefits include:

• 25 days paid vacation annually, plus local holidays. 
• Flexible working hours: We're a distributed organisation with employees in a variety of locations and offer flexible working hours.
• A personal development budget (e.g. books, courses, conferences relating to your role).
• A work laptop.
• Occasional in-person team retreats in California and England.
• The opportunity to contribute to an important mission and help build the finance function of a growing non-profit.

How to apply

Apply here by Sunday 13 December 2026, 23:59 AoE (Anywhere on Earth).

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process.