Deputy Group Financial Controller

Deputy Group Financial Controller

Location: West Malling (Hybrid Working)

Contract: Full time, permanent

Salary: £85k - £95k DOE + 20% bonus + additional benefits

Reporting to: Group Financial Controller

The opportunity

A large, multi-site service organisation, part of a wider group, is looking for a Deputy Financial Controller to take overall accountability for management accounting, head office accounting, group balance sheet control, forecasting and accounts payable.

Reporting to the Group Financial Controller and deputising as required, you will lead a team of functional leads and make sure each area runs with clear ownership, defined deliverables, robust controls and effective reporting. Discipline and audit trail matter, but the brief goes beyond control: you will drive continuous improvement and give the business clear insight into financial and operational performance.

It will suit an experienced finance leader who enjoys building a well-run function as much as the technical work: someone who sets a clear operating rhythm, develops their direct reports to work independently, and wants month-end, year-end and audit to run with minimal firefighting.

What you'll be doing

Leadership and control

• Lead, coach and performance-manage the functional leads, developing them to operate independently within the agreed control framework
• Deputise for the Group Financial Controller as required
• Ensure every process has a named owner, every control is identified, and there is a clear audit trail of adherence
• Create, develop and enforce processes, policies, reconciliations, checklists and internal controls
• Set weekly, monthly and quarterly reporting rhythms, using agreed KPIs to track team performance, and make sure risks, errors and control gaps are logged and resolved promptly

Management accounts and balance sheet

• Oversee the timely, accurate preparation and consolidation of the group's monthly management accounts
• Lead monthly dashboard discussions with operational management, identifying financial risks, opportunities and actions
• Take responsibility for the group balance sheet, ensuring reconciliations are completed and independently reviewed
• Lead quarterly balance sheet reviews and the quarterly management accounts process, maintaining year-end readiness and alignment with parent company requirements
• Oversee ledger governance, including the chart of accounts, access rights and period and year-end controls
• Support the corporate accounting function through month-end, year-end and external audit

Forecasting

• Own and coordinate the rolling forecast, including the bi-weekly outlook and the annual forecast and planning cycle
• Work with operational and finance stakeholders to make sure forecasts are evidence-based, and constructively challenge submissions
• Analyse performance against budget and forecast, explain material variances, and develop scenario and sensitivity analysis to support decisions

Accounts payable

• Oversee the accounts payable function, including invoice processing, payment runs, expenses, petty cash, and prepaid and virtual cards
• Maintain robust controls over supplier onboarding, master data, payment approvals and bank detail changes, with clear segregation of duties
• Keep spend controls proportionate and effective without getting in the way of operational efficiency
• Monitor KPIs on timeliness, accuracy, control adherence and aged creditors, and build strong relationships with procurement, suppliers and operational teams

About you

Essential

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
• Significant experience in a financial control role, including management accounts consolidation and balance sheet ownership
• A track record of leading and developing finance teams, including managers or functional leads
• Experience owning or coordinating rolling forecasts and variance analysis
• Experience overseeing accounts payable, with a strong grasp of payment and supplier controls
• Confident with ERP ledger governance, and strong Excel skills
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, comfortable working with operational leaders
• Highly organised, with a structured approach to deliverables, KPIs and continuous improvement

Desirable

• Experience in a multi-site service environment