Group Financial Controller

Sector: Private Equity-Backed Morgan Mckinley are supporting a PE backed business in their search for a Group Financial Controller, you will be the backbone of the finance function. We are a fast-paced, PE-backed service business where accuracy, speed, and visibility are paramount. You will lead the core finance team and oversee the FP&A function to ensure that our commercial decisions are backed by "one version of the truth." This is a high-visibility role, acting as the right hand to the CFO and ensuring the business is audit-ready, scalable, and operationally excellent. Financial Control & Reporting Consolidation: Lead the month-end close process for the Group, ensuring timely and accurate delivery of management accounts. Service-Sector Metrics: Own the reporting of service-specific KPIs, including WIP (Work in Progress), Revenue Recognition, and Staff Utilization. The "Audit-Ready" Environment: Maintain a robust control framework across the group to satisfy PE-level scrutiny and year-end requirements. Leadership & FP&A Integration Team Leadership: Manage and develop a team of [Number], overseeing the transactional and management accounting functions. FP&A Oversight: While managing the "actuals," you will oversee the FP&A lead to ensure that budgeting, rolling forecasts, and variance analyses are integrated with the core ledger. System Optimization: Drive the improvement of financial systems to automate manual reporting and enhance data integrity. Cash & Working Capital Cash Flow Excellence: Manage the group's cash position, with a focus on optimizing the Order-to-Cash (O2C) cycle within a service-based billing environment. Debt Management: Monitor banking covenants and provide necessary reporting to lenders and PE investors. The Candidate Profile Qualified: ACA / ACCA / CIMA with substantial post-qualified experience (likely 5-8 years+). Service Industry Background: Experience in a business where "people are the product" is highly desirable (understanding billable hours, project margins, and contract revenue). PE Experience: You are comfortable with the "weekly/monthly" reporting rhythm required by Private Equity and the focus on EBITDA integrity. Technical Expert: A strong technician who enjoys "getting under the hood" of the accounts to fix processes and improve accuracy. Communication: Ability to distill complex technical accounting into clear, commercial summaries for the CFO and the Board