Financial Controller

About the role

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Financial Controller will lead the small finance team through a period of change, ensuring that the team deliver on the exacting day to day requirements of a regulated firm within the insurance industry, constantly looking for opportunities for process improvement, system integration whilst simultaneously managing the expectations of our PE backers.

Role and Responsibilities

• The financial controller will be responsible for the following.
• Prepare consolidated monthly management accounts and give high quality financial insights to support the decision-making process.
• Prepare budget, profit and loss forecast and cash flow forecast as and when required and highlight any cashflow issues to the senior management.
• Prepare and file all the FCA/RMAR returns accurately and on time.
• Prepare quarterly VAT and IPT returns.
• Reconciling sales against the companys insurance system and processing cost of sales journals.
• Thoroughly checking the bookkeeping done by the finance team members.
• Checking accruals, prepayments and other month end journals and processing them if required.
• Checking supplier payment run and banking set-ups before authorizing them through the banking platform.
• Send payroll changes to payroll provider and check payroll reports.
• Ensuring the balance sheet is fully reconciled at month end, particularly multi-currency insurer accounts.
• Check insurer bordereau and broker statements on monthly basis and reconciling them against accounting system.
• Constantly review the claims funds and ensure the claim fund is always maintained at appropriate level working with our insurers.
• Prepare and file all the relevant forms on Companies House as and when required.
• Support the CEO on price modelling and other technical insurance matters.
• Perpetual review of the end to end finance activities, looking for opportunities to streamline working alongside the Head of Change.
• Strengthen internal finance controls and documenting all the key financial processes.
• Fully leverage the EASY CRM platform and look for opportunities for cost savings
• Finance team management training, coaching and performance monitoring

Person Specification

• Fully qualified accountant with at least 5 years of experience in the Insurance sector
• Must have experience of working with XERO and a good awareness of SAGE
• Must have worked within multi-currency and multi jurisdiction business models
• Must be able to work from the Brighton office at least two days a week
• Very strong system thinking and demonstrated ability to drive process improvement through system connectivity, data migration and risk-based decision making.
• Strong excel skills and has previous experience of using Vlookup, Sumifs, Pivot tables and other advanced modelling skills for planning and forecasting.
• Hands on experience within finance and ability to meet all deadlines and self manage prioritization with excellent attention to detail.
• Experience of using Wise, Revolut and other challenger bank applications desirable
• Have very strong data analytical skills and able to connect the dots between data sets to drive out information for senior management decision making.
• Strong communication skills and ability to communicate effectively across different departments and levels.
• Good awareness of operating within an FCA regulated entity.
• Working with a Private Equity funded business desirable but not essential.
• Self starter, energetic and looking for a great opportunity to grow with a small company.