Finance Controller

You will lead the UK-based finance team and have responsibility for financial control, reporting, cash flow, budgeting, statutory compliance and day-to-day finance operations across the relevant group entities.

This is a hands-on controllership role .

You will work closely with senior management and the international finance team and will be expected to identify issues, provide commercial insight and implement improvements to finance processes and controls.

US or Canadian accounting is not essential.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Control & Month End

• Take full ownership of the monthly finance close for the relevant group entities.
• Prepare and review monthly P&L, balance sheet and cash-flow reporting .
• Own the month-end timetable and ensure all reporting deadlines are achieved.
• Review and approve journals, accruals, prepayments and other month-end adjustments.
• Perform and oversee detailed balance-sheet reconciliations , including bank reconciliations.
• Prepare detailed monthly P&L analysis, variance analysis and management commentary.
• Prepare and review subsidiary gross profit and operating expense reports.
• Ensure appropriate accounting treatment for group and intercompany transactions.

International Finance

• Take overall responsibility for the financial control and reporting of the relevant international entities.
• Manage entity cash flows, foreign currency movements and payments to head office.
• Work closely with the international finance team on group reporting, consolidation and intercompany matters.
• Develop a strong understanding of the accounting, reporting and statutory requirements applicable to each entity.
• Ensure new or unfamiliar jurisdictional requirements are understood, documented and appropriately managed.

Accounts Receivable, Payable & Cash

• Take overall responsibility for customer collections and supplier payments .
• Oversee aged debtors and creditors and ensure appropriate follow-up action.
• Oversee customer chargebacks , disputes and related recovery processes.
• Monitor working capital and identify opportunities to improve cash conversion.
• Ensure supplier payment runs and other payments are accurate, authorised and made on time.
• Maintain strong cash controls and ensure appropriate cash-flow visibility for management.

Inventory & Warehousing

• Own monthly inventory valuation and reconciliation processes.
• Reconcile inventory records to stock held at third-party warehouses / 3PL providers .
• Investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies, stock movements and valuation issues.
• Work with operational and warehouse teams to improve inventory controls and reporting.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Analysis

• Play a lead role in preparing annual budgets for the relevant entities.
• Prepare rolling forecasts and cash-flow forecasts.
• Analyse financial performance against budget and forecast and provide clear commentary.
• Identify trends, risks and opportunities and provide commercially useful recommendations to management.
• Support senior management with financial analysis and decision-making.

Audit & Compliance

• Lead and manage external and statutory audits for the relevant entities.
• Prepare audit schedules and ensure supporting documentation is complete and accurate.
• Maintain appropriate accounting policies, procedures and internal controls.
• Ensure statutory and tax-related reporting deadlines are met.
• Develop sufficient knowledge of relevant local statutory and tax requirements, using external advisers where appropriate.

Team Leadership & Process Improvement

• Manage, develop and support the finance team.
• Set clear objectives, deadlines and standards.
• Review existing processes and controls and implement improvements where appropriate.
• Work with the wider international finance function to standardise and improve reporting.
• Identify opportunities for automation and improved use of ERP and reporting systems.
• Provide finance advice and solutions to senior management.
• Build a culture of strong financial control, accountability and continuous improvement.

Person Specification

Essential Experience

• 5–10+ years' relevant finance experience , ideally within a multinational, group or international business.
• Significant experience operating as a Financial Controller, Group Financial Controller, Regional Controller, Senior Finance Manager or equivalent .
• Proven experience taking full ownership of a finance function or legal entity .
• Strong hands-on experience of monthly management accounts and full month-end close .
• Experience managing finance teams .
• Strong knowledge of balance-sheet control, reconciliations, cash flow and working capital.
• Proven experience with AP, AR, customer collections and supplier payments .
• Experience with inventory accounting and, ideally, third-party warehouse/3PL reconciliations .
• Experience preparing or reviewing statutory and tax-related reporting.
• Experience managing external/statutory audits.
• Strong budgeting and forecasting experience.
• Experience working with an ERP system.
• Excellent Excel and financial analysis skills.
• Strong understanding of foreign currency transactions and currency conversion .
• Ability to quickly understand and apply new accounting, statutory and regulatory requirements where required.

Qualifications

• ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent professional qualification .

Personal Attributes

• Hands-on and comfortable taking ownership.
• Highly analytical and commercially minded.
• Methodical with excellent attention to detail.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Organised and able to manage competing deadlines.
• Confident leading and developing a small finance team.
• Comfortable communicating financial information to non-finance stakeholders and senior management.
• Fast learner with the ability to understand and apply new jurisdictional requirements.
• Discreet, trustworthy and commercially aware.
• Proactive in identifying problems and implementing practical solutions.
• Comfortable operating in an international environment and working collaboratively with colleagues across different functions and locations.