Salary & Package
£45,000 to £60,000 (based on experience)
- performance-based bonus
- share options
- 25 days annual leave + 3 additional days at Christmas
- access to salary exchange schemes for pension, electric car and cycle to work team events and career development support
We’re looking for a hands‑on, people‑focused Financial Controller to join our E‑commerce & Retail Finance‑as‑a‑Service (FaaS) team. You’ll play a central role in client delivery, team management, and transformation projects — helping founders get real‑time performance insight — from gross margins to fulfilment efficiency — while ensuring finance runs smoothly.
This role combines technical oversight, people development, and project execution — making it ideal for someone who thrives on variety and wants to step confidently into a future Portfolio FD and CFO position.
You’ll be seen as a manager in a pod of 10+ team members, drive process improvements, support client transitions, and elevate the quality of reporting and insight across a wide range of e‑commerce & retail clients. You’ll be backed by cutting‑edge tech and a commercially focused e‑commerce sector team that wants you to succeed and grow with us.
Responsibilities- Lead and develop a team of 10+, providing oversight, coaching, and support across e‑commerce & retail clients
- Oversee accounting and reporting for online retail transactions, stock movements and payment reconciliations
- Manage and improve finance processes for new clients — map data flows from Shopify, Amazon or ERP systems into clean accounting structures
- Support the delivery of bespoke management information packs and dashboards; across typical e‑commerce metrics: CAC, LTV, AOV, conversion, repeat rate, return rate, contribution margin
- Review close activities and working papers (e.g. reconciliations, VAT returns, prepayments, accruals, journals), with particular focus on stock & inventory management
- Review monthly and quarterly management accounts, including commentaries and insights
- Review year‑end statutory accounts and corporation tax computations
- Take primary relationship ownership for less complex clients; support Portfolio CFOs on others
- Investigate and respond to technical accounting queries
- Work across cloud‑based finance systems (e.g. Xero, Quick Books, Sage) and reporting tools
- Get stuck into ad hoc projects, non‑routine queries, and internal process improvements — as part of an agile, fast‑moving team
- ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified (or equivalent)
- 1+ years post‑qualified experience with exposure to e‑commerce & retail businesses
- Proficiency in stock and margin accounting, understanding of the inter relation between stock, cost of sales & gross margin analysis
- Strong knowledge of bookkeeping, management accounts, consolidations, and month‑end finance processes
- Experience preparing/reviewing accounts under UK GAAP and Companies Act requirements
- Strong Excel skills and experience with cloud accounting platforms (Xero, Quick Books, Sage)
- Experience managing multiple stakeholders and juggling competing priorities
- Excellent attention to detail, time management, and process discipline
- A client‑first mindset — always striving to add value and deliver better outcomes
- A proactive approach to questioning and improving how things are done
- Ambition to grow into a Portfolio CFO role within Ascendant
- Experience leading a sector, pod, or multi‑team structure
- Experience supporting client transitions and system migrations
- Demonstrable understanding of e‑commerce & retail models: in particular returns, fulfilment, channel P&L
- Hands‑on exposure to Shopify, Unleashed, Striped, Adyen, 3PL, ERP integrations or similar
- Prior experience leading a pod or mentoring junior team members
- Experience working in fast‑paced, high‑growth…
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