Financial Controller

I'm partnered with a scaling and highly acquisitive Top20 Accountancy practice who are seeking a Financial Controller to join the team, to take responsibility for the Midlands group of SME firms. This role will work within the Hub to support the Hub Directorand review actual and forecast results from individual firms within the Hub to report up to Group. Provides first line contact for queries from the respective firms.

The reporting requirements and systems will continue to evolve as the business grows and develops. The Hub Financial Controller will work with the Hub Directors and Board to develop and implement these systems.

**Key Tasks**:

- Delivery of the monthly consolidated Hub financial reporting pack (including KPIs and commentary) to the Hub Director within timescales laid out by Group finance.
- Involve and develop key members of the administrative and support team within the Hub to enable projects to be implemented quickly and efficiently and to ensure adequate cover.
- Work with the Hub Director to design and implement appropriate controls and systems to ensure all Hub firms financial reporting is in line with Group requirements. Will include centralisation of financial control of the individual firms to the Hub.
- Implement and monitor robust credit control systems to enable detailed KPI reporting to the Hub Director. Liaise with the individual firms to ensure adoption of the credit control systems to enable KPI targets to be achieved.
- Assist the Hub Directors in implementation of the Hub banking system including transition of existing individual firm banking arrangements to Hub control.
- Lead the transition of clients to direct debit based payment across the Hub.
- Act as the main contact at Hub level for dealing with Group finance queries on the firms and Group's requests for information from the firms in the first instance. Responsible for the collation and review of the quality of information submitted by the firmsin response to these Group queries and information requests.
- Monitor cash balances across the Hub on an ongoing basis. Arrange for approval of payments where required in line with authority matrix.
- Assist in implementation and review of Practice Ignition and pricing across the Hub.
- Ensure individual firms supply information to the Hub within determined timescales and physically close individual firm ledgers in Xero for each accounting period.
- Review of individual firm balance sheets to ensure compliance with group finance policies, including regular review of key balance sheet reconciliations as set out by Group finance.
- Support the firms with implementation of group accounting and reporting policies and communicate updates to these as required.
- Review of firm standing data to ensure completeness and accuracy (including Chart of Accounts and standing customer data).
- Work closely with the Hub Director and the Group financial planners and analysts on the annual budgeting and ongoing forecasting/performance reporting for the Hub and individual firm submissions. Provide suitable commentary to support key movements in thefinancials.
- Support and review firm completion of year end submissions and any additional statutory reporting submissions as required.
- Be the main Hub contact for the external auditors, collating Hub information and responding to the audit requests, with support from Group finance where required.
- Escalate issues to the Hub Director in a timely, efficient manner.

**Person specification**:

- Strong attention to detail
- Excellent communication skills
- Good analytical skills - able to review returns from individual firms before reviewing with Hub Director.
- Good working knowledge of IFRS
- Experience of using Xero
- Ideally experience of using Board
- Ideally ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified