Job Purpose

This role is to ensure the integrity of the financial statements for PBSUK and Irwell Law and to partner with the business to offer key insights to enable the business to reach its financial goals.

Job Overview

You will lead a team of 4 that deals with:

• Preparation of Management Accounts
• Statutory Accounts and year end audit
• Budgets and Forecasts
• Cashflow forecasting
• Regular performance and cost reporting to the business
• Other ad hoc reporting

You will also support teams that deal with transactional processing for Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable (Team of 15). You will assist with providing both support and constructive challenge to business heads. The aim is to sharpen our approach with a clear focus upon margin analyses, promoting a better understanding of profit flows, ultimately improving decision making and profitability, considering both short term and long term elements. To lead on process and system enhancements to drive quality and efficiency. You will co-ordinate with other company’s and group finance to share best practice and drive a consistent approach across the Group. Ensure budgeting and quarterly forecasting accurately reflects business activity and identified opportunities / risks and that deviations are identified and highlighted in a timely manner. You will act as the designate to the Finance Director – PBSUK and Irwell Law.

Key Responsibilities

Lead a team which provides the following:

Timely and Accurate Management Accounts

• Month end close by end of working day 6 and reporting in line with Group deadlines.
• Drive accuracy across the team and with the application of effective controls and judgement, ensure errors are to immaterial levels.
• Insightful reporting and analysis of variances.
• Ownership of P&L and Balance Sheet for PBSUK. Deep level of understanding of ledger transactions and robust review of the balance sheet.

Commercial Insights

• Create and implement a framework for robust and detailed reporting around operational KPIs, including financials, sales, efficiency projects and staffing – linking to both business and Group reporting requirements.
• Prepare and present financial analyses to key stakeholders – identifying emerging trends or themes in metrics to positively impact future performance.
• Seek to identify and implement improvements in speed and accuracy of operational / financial MI preparation and delivering ‘one version of the truth’ and common data dictionaries within PBS – this will also involve working closely with Group finance.
• Oversight and review of the Commercial Finance team processes and outputs.

Financial control

• Ensure that key financial controls and are designed, documented and executed. Ensure that key reconciliations are performed and fully understood.
• Analysis and challenge of costs that are not in line with procurement policies and budgets / forecasts.
• Increase use of systems and automation to improve financial control and increase efficiency.
• Ensuring financial statements are completed in line with applicable accounting standards and policies such as revenue recognition are appropriately supported.
• Key reconciliation between Unity contract system and other support.
• Group re-charges are effectively managed.
• Completion of VAT return and other ad-hoc tasks.
• Work closely with Group Payroll and commissions accountant, to perform a high-level monthly review and sign off control process.

Business partnering

• Acting as a key interface with the PBSUK management team including sharing relevant financial information with stakeholders.
• Support forecasting activity alongside Management reporting to set ambitious but deliverable targets and ensuring sufficient granularity to measure performance and costs within budget.
• Provide interface with operational teams to gather and critique input and ensure regular communication of what is set. Provide monthly analyses and commentary around variances.

Team management

• Ensure staff have clear development and progression objectives.
• Developing team KPI’s, monitoring performance and timely intervention to address issues.
• Improving individuals through effective coaching and performance monitoring and early intervention to address any performance issues.
• Leading a robust and effective recruitment process to ensure the team is resourced appropriately.

Qualifications/Experience

• Have a recognised accountancy qualification ACCA/CIMA/ACA
• Possess strong analytical skills with excellent attention to detail
• Confident self-starter and commercial acumen
• Ability to handle multiple tasks while meeting tight deadlines
• Have strong Excel skills and the ability to self-serve on information requirements
• Possess strong communication skills and the ability to develop positive working relationships within the finance function, and the wider business
• Well developed skills in written presentation and narrative