Interim Deputy Group Financial Controller

West Malling Source: WhatJobs

£85,000–£95,000

Interim Deputy Group Financial Controller

Location: West Malling (Hybrid Working, 2 days in office)

Contract: 3 - 6 Month FTC

Salary: £85k - £95k FTE, DOE + 20% bonus + additional benefits

Reporting to: Group Financial Controller

Start Date: Available to start immediately or by the end of October

The opportunity

A large, multi-site service organisation, part of a wider group, is looking for a Deputy Financial Controller to join the business on an interim basis, to take overall accountability for management accounting, head office accounting, group balance sheet control, forecasting and accounts payable.

It will suit an experienced immediately available finance leader who enjoys building a well-run function as much as the technical work: someone who sets a clear operating rhythm, develops their direct reports to work independently, and wants month-end, year-end and audit to run with minimal firefighting.

What you'll be doing

Leadership and control

Lead, coach and performance-manage the functional leads, developing them to operate independently within the agreed control framework
Deputise for the Group Financial Controller as required
Ensure every process has a named owner, every control is identified, and there is a clear audit trail of adherence
Create, develop and enforce processes, policies, reconciliations, checklists and internal controls
Set weekly, monthly and quarterly reporting rhythms, using agreed KPIs to track team performance, and make sure risks, errors and control gaps are logged and resolved promptly

Management accounts and balance sheet

Oversee the timely, accurate preparation and consolidation of the group's monthly management accounts
Lead monthly dashboard discussions with operational management, identifying financial risks, opportunities and actions
Take responsibility for the group balance sheet, ensuring reconciliations are completed and independently reviewed
Lead quarterly balance sheet reviews and the quarterly management accounts process, maintaining year-end readiness and alignment with parent company requirements
Oversee ledger governance, including the chart of accounts, access rights and period and year-end controls
Support the corporate accounting function through month-end, year-end and external audit

Forecasting

Own and coordinate the rolling forecast, including the bi-weekly outlook and the annual forecast and planning cycle
Work with operational and finance stakeholders to make sure forecasts are evidence-based, and constructively challenge submissions
Analyse performance against budget and forecast, explain material variances, and develop scenario and sensitivity analysis to support decisions

Accounts payable

Oversee the accounts payable function, including invoice processing, payment runs, expenses, petty cash, and prepaid and virtual cards
Maintain robust controls over supplier onboarding, master data, payment approvals and bank detail changes, with clear segregation of duties
Keep spend controls proportionate and effective without getting in the way of operational efficiency
Monitor KPIs on timeliness, accuracy, control adherence and aged creditors, and build strong relationships with procurement, suppliers and operational teams

About you

Essential

Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
Significant experience in a financial control role, including management accounts consolidation and balance sheet ownership
A track record of leading and developing finance teams, including managers or functional leads
Experience owning or coordinating rolling forecasts and variance analysis
Experience overseeing accounts payable, with a strong grasp of payment and supplier controls
Confident with ERP ledger governance, and strong Excel skills
Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, comfortable working with operational leaders
Highly organised, with a structured approach to deliverables, KPIs and continuous improvement