Financial Controller – Transformation & IPO Readiness

Contract: 2-year Fixed Term Contract
Location:
Berkshire (with some travel)
Start Date:
Within 1 month
About the Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Financial Controller to join a business entering a significant phase. This newly created role will play a critical part in strengthening financial reporting, governance, and control frameworks while supporting the organisation's long-term strategic objectives.

Reporting into the CFO and working alongside an established finance team, the successful candidate will lead a range of finance transformation initiatives. These include enhancing reporting standards, embedding robust controls, improving planning processes, and delivering a successful transition to IFRS.

The role is focused on driving change, coordinating complex work streams, and preparing the business for increased external scrutiny and future capital market opportunities.

• Strengthen the quality, integrity, and consistency of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting
• Enhance balance sheet governance, ownership, reconciliations, and review processes
• Ensure financial outputs are robust, well-documented, and capable of withstanding external scrutiny
• Improve documentation of key accounting judgements, estimates, and technical positions
• Support the development of a best-in‑class reporting environment aligned to a scaling business

• Lead finance work streams supporting the organisation’s IPO readiness programme
• Develop reporting, governance, and control frameworks expected of a publicly listed business
• Ensure financial information, processes, and documentation support due diligence, investor scrutiny, and regulatory requirements
• Support preparation of financial disclosures aligned with capital markets expectations
• Coordinate internal and external stakeholders to deliver key readiness milestones
• Drive improvements in financial governance, audit preparedness, and reporting transparency

• Lead the end‑to‑end transition from current accounting standards to IFRS (including IFRS 17)
• Develop accounting policies, technical position papers, and supporting documentation
• Assess and quantify the impact of key accounting differences across the business
• Coordinate input from finance, operational teams, auditors, and external advisors
• Ensure controlled and successful implementation alongside ongoing reporting requirements
• Lead delivery of a coordinated finance transformation roadmap across multiple work streams
• Develop clear plans, milestones, deliverables, and risk management processes
• Drive progress through collaboration and influence across finance and the wider business
• Maintain momentum while ensuring continuity of business‑critical reporting activities
• Act as a catalyst for continuous improvement across reporting, governance, and control processes

• Introduce greater structure, discipline, and consistency to budgeting and forecasting processes
• Improve alignment between forecasts, KPIs, and reported financial performance
• Establish clear governance frameworks and performance review cycles
• Support integration of planning processes with statutory and external reporting requirements

• Develop reporting structures aligned with best practice in regulated environments
• Improve quality, consistency, and transparency of financial disclosures
• Establish repeatable, documented processes supported by a strong audit trail
• Align management reporting and statutory outputs where appropriate

• Design and embed a robust financial control framework
• Define ownership, review, and sign‑off responsibilities across finance processes
• Strengthen month‑end close processes, accountability, and reporting discipline
• Support external audit, financial due diligence, and assurance activities

• Provide technical accounting expertise to support KPI development and reporting
• Assist in creation of IFRS‑to‑management reporting bridges and reconciliations
• Ensure adjusted performance measures are clearly defined, consistent, and supportable
• Partner with commercial and corporate finance teams to enhance reporting quality and decision‑making

Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)

Experience supporting IPO readiness or exit processes (essential)

Strong financial reporting and technical accounting expertise

Experience leading finance transformation, reporting improvement, or change programmes

Proven ability to influence stakeholders and deliver through collaboration

Strong project management and organisational skills

IFRS implementation or conversion experience highly desirable