Our client is a successful family owned business that is about to embark on a huge growth curve by establishing a sister company which will be genuinely transformational in their industry. This has involved significant funding from both banks and a syndicate of private equity investors.

Due to this impending growth and the significant additional accounting requirements for the new company, the decision has been made to recruit a commercially astute Group Financial Controller to be part of the Senior Management Team. The Group Financial Controller will be responsible for the finances of both companies, providing reporting to all the key investors, funders and regulators.

The organisation represents an excellent opportunity for a motivated qualified accountant who wants to work in a high growth business environment. In addition, the business will provide a firm career platform with good opportunity for personal and professional development as well as the mandate to shape and define how the finance function evolves. It is envisaged that over time this role will develop into a Finance Director position and therefore it is key that applicants have the potential to operate at that level.

The Candidate

The Group Financial Controller position requires a professionally qualified Accountant who possesses excellent managerial, commercial, and technical skills. A background in a related sector would be useful, but more important is that the individual has the ability to operate effectively in a family owned company environment and has experience of a business undergoing significant change.

It is critical that the Group Financial Controller can effectively support the Directors, while consistently meeting the needs of stakeholders both within and external to the business. In particular, it is crucial they can take responsibility for the delivery of accurate and high quality financial information while organising and leading the finance function. This is especially pertinent to the accounting requirements for the new company which will be under the scrutiny of the external investors.

A summary of the key candidate requirements are as follows:

• High calibre graduate with a good track record of academic achievement
• A qualified accountant with appropriate post-qualification experience (circa 5+ years)
• Experience of managing a small finance team
• Solid technical knowledge of statutory accounting, taxation and compliance
• Experience of implementing robust financial controls and procedures
• Self-starter, willing to be involved in the detail, whilst having sufficient gravitas to support and challenge the Directors as required
• Confident communicator at every level, with strong inter-personal and influencing skills when dealing with both internal and external stakeholders
• Self-motivated, organised and capable of developing in the current role over time
• Commercial and analytical approach, displaying drive, ambition, and professionalism
• Ability to see the “bigger picture” and how accounting function can contribute to achievement of strategic objectives
• Capacity to deal with non-financial tasks such as commercial contract reviews
• Good IT skills, especially in relation to Microsoft applications and Excel in particular
• Knowledge of Sage Accounts would be desirable but not essential

Job Description

The Group Financial Controller is a key member of Senior Management Team and will report to the Directors. The Group Financial Controller will be responsible for all financial, company secretarial and legal activities within the parent company, its subsidiaries, associated companies and other entities as required by the Directors.

The main duties and responsibilities will involve:

• Preparation of accurate and timely monthly management accounts
• Delivery of the annual statutory accounts process
• Preparation of forecasts, budgets and other management information and analysis as required
• Maintenance of a strong financial control environment
• Overseeing a small team responsible for book-keeping, payroll, credit control, purchasing and other financial control functions
• Managing relevant financial aspects of service contracts
• Preparation of VAT returns
• Providing information and company secretarial support for Senior Management meetings
• Liaising with Company Bankers, Investors, Solicitors and Auditors
• Overseeing other office functions such as IT and HR
• Other ad hoc duties as required and as the business develops

What to do next

To apply or to find out more, please contact out retained advisor Mark Lewis at Rutherford Cross. Please note any direct or third party submissions will be sent to Rutherford Cross for assessment.