Financial Controller

FINANCIAL CONTROLLER
£75K - £85K PA
FULL TIME, PERMANENT
HYBRID, NG9

SF Recruitment have been instructed to recruit for a Financial Controller on a full time, permanent basis. The ideal candidate will be Nottingham based, Finance leader with true aspirations to develop not only themselves, but the team around them, with a view of progressing into the Finance Director position.

The Financial Controller is responsible for leading the financial control, reporting, governance and operational finance activities of the business, ensuring robust financial stewardship, excellent service to stakeholders and the development of a high-performing finance team. Reporting to the Finance Director and with direct reports, the role provides accurate, timely and insightful information that supports effective decision-making, sustainable growth and strong customer outcomes, while maintaining a robust control environment and acting as deputy to the Finance Director when required.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Reporting & Accounting
- Lead the preparation and review of monthly, quarterly and annual financial reporting, ensuring accuracy, completeness and timeliness.
- Own the month-end and year-end close processes, ensuring robust controls, clear accountability and adherence to reporting timetables.
- Ensure the integrity of the general ledger, balance sheet reconciliations and supporting financial records.
- Review and challenge key accounting judgements, estimates and reconciliations.
- Oversee preparation of statutory accounts and support the Finance Director in delivering high-quality external reporting.
- Ensure accounting policies remain appropriate, documented and consistently applied across the business.

Team Leadership & Development
- Lead, coach and develop the finance team, creating a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and high performance.
- Establish clear ownership, responsibilities and service standards across all finance processes.
- Conduct performance reviews, development planning and succession planning for team members.
- Develop technical capability across the team, ensuring strong knowledge of accounting standards, controls and regulatory requirements.
- Foster a collaborative and customer-focused culture within finance, ensuring stakeholders receive a professional and responsive service.
- Create capacity and resilience within the team by reducing key-person dependency and improving cross-training.

Portfolio Accounting & IFRS 9 Governance
- Oversee portfolio accounting activities, including revenue recognition, impairment, provisioning and interest income reporting.
- Provide oversight and challenge of IFRS 9 reporting, assumptions and provisioning methodologies, working closely with the Portfolio Analyst.
- Ensure portfolio reporting remains robust, well-controlled and aligned with accounting requirements.
- Review arrears, impairment and portfolio performance reporting to ensure emerging risks are identified and appropriately communicated.
- Support governance surrounding IFRS 9 assumptions, model outputs and related accounting judgements.

Audit, Governance & Compliance
- Lead the annual external audit process, coordinating finance activities and ensuring timely resolution of audit requests.
- Maintain a strong financial control environment across all finance activities.
- Ensure appropriate segregation of duties, authorisation controls and fraud prevention measures are operating effectively.
- Oversee the completion and quality of regulatory, statutory and compliance-related financial reporting.
- Monitor evolving accounting, tax and regulatory developments, assessing the impact on the business and recommending appropriate action.
- Drive continuous improvement in financial controls, reporting processes and governance arrangements.

Treasury, Funding & Cash Management
- Oversee cashflow management and liquidity monitoring, ensuring sufficient funding is available to support customer lending activities and operational expenses.
- Review funding performance, covenant compliance and treasury reporting.
- Support the Finance Director in funding discussions, lender relationships and funding-related projects.
- Oversee banking arrangements, payment controls and cash management processes.
- Ensure appropriate reporting and governance around securitisations, debt facilities and other funding structures where relevant.

Commercial Insight & Decision Support
- Provide insightful analysis of business and portfolio performance, helping senior stakeholders understand underlying drivers, risks and opportunities.
- Review and challenge key performance indicators, financial trends and operational metrics.
- Support decision-making through robust financial analysis and commercially focused recommendations.
- Ensure Board and Executive reporting clearly communicates financial performance and emerging issues.
- Work closely with Operations teams to improve business performance and financial outcomes.

Continuous Improvement & Finance Transformation
- Identify and deliver improvements in finance processes, controls, systems and reporting.
- Support implementation and optimisation of new finance systems.
- Drive automation and standardisation of routine activities to improve efficiency and control.
- Develop reporting and analytical capabilities that improve business insight and decision-making.

Skills & Expertise:

Essential
- ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified.
- Significant post-qualified experience within financial control, financial reporting or finance management roles.
- Experience managing and developing finance teams.
- Strong understanding of financial controls, statutory reporting and external audit processes.
- Strong stakeholder management and business partnering skills.

Desirable
- Financial services, lending, banking or regulated industry experience.
- Knowledge of IFRS 9, impairment accounting and portfolio reporting.