Finance Director - Operations & Controls - Hampshire

Our client, a high growth business, is looking to bolster its senior management team with the addition of a Finance Director to join the Group Finance team at the UK Headquarters based in South Hampshire.

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, this newly created role will manage the day to day operations for the Hampshire-based finance function. Leading the team, this position will be responsible for all financial and management reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and statutory accounting.

As Finance Director, this position requires a strong commercial and technical orientation, coupled with a collaborative and inspiring leadership style. This role also requires the Finance Director to be comfortable with complexity, ambiguity and change.  

Specific responsibilities include:

• Contribute as a key member of the group finance team by helping create a professional finance organisation
• Working cross-functionally to liaise with, and build relationships between all business units
• Supporting group functions ensuring robust financial control and effective reporting across the group
• Establish finance as a true ‘business partner’, further integrate finance, risk and project management excellence in the business, and provide value through the provision of quality, timely and accurate information and advice
• Maintain and develop a high standard of financial and management reporting within the business in terms of integrity, speed and quality
• Ensure management information systems serve the needs of the business and reflect changes as the group develops, as well as continuing to explore opportunities to improve efficiency and timeliness of reporting processes
• Lead the consolidation of half year and full year results, and manage all group accounting; including the production of the annual report and group statutory accounts
• Responsible for all technical accounting issues and advise the business of the implications of any changes in accounting standards
• Manage business planning in conjunction with CFO and Executive Team
• Provide hands-on leadership and management of the Hampshire finance function and develop the team such that it can act as a source of talent for finance group-wide
• Support the transformation of the finance function to drive efficiency in systems and processes
• Liaise with external auditors to manage the external audit routine. 

The successful candidate will be a confident and engaging person who can build influential relationships around a diverse group. They will have stature, gravitas and presence, enabling outstanding leadership and people management skills. As an exceptional communicator, the successful applicant will be able to demonstrate a persuasive manner and the ability to exert influence in driving change throughout the company. In addition to this, we will need candidates to meet the below technical criteria;

• Extensive ACCA, ACA or CIMA PQE
• Big Four or Mid-Tier training preferable
• Strong understanding and ability to interpret complex agreements and apply to IFRS 15
• Preferable to have worked in a UK PLC environment
• Must be able to demonstrate strong judgment skills, both in making decisions independently and in involving the CFO or other parties
• Must have experience of systems implementation and ownership
• Must be able to demonstrate an ability to effectively build remote relationships with both financial and non-financial colleagues and advisors
• Must have owned global audit relationships
• Must be a proactive self-starter with an ability to take ownership efficiently
• Must have owned global period close processes, including at a detailed level
• Experience required in assessing and enhancing the effectiveness of financial controls and compliance
• Experienced in taking a hands-on approach to process and people management
• Strong communicator, with polished verbal and written communication skills and able to tailor message and content to the audience
• Ability to understand and further explain complex concepts to audiences with varied skill sets

This role represents an outstanding opportunity to join a company very much in growth mode. There will be lots of autonomy and opportunity to get involved with several areas of the business and moreover, this role is seen very much as a succession plan to the CFO. This role will suit an ambitious professional with career aspirations to take on the number 1 slot in finance.

Please note we will be unable to consider candidates on a 6 month notice period.