Financial Controller

The Opportunity

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a commercially focused Financial Controller to join a privately owned distribution business. This is a highly hands-on leadership role with full responsibility for day-to-day financial management, control, and reporting.

Working closely with the Managing Director and Board, you will deliver accurate monthly management accounts and commercially insightful business intelligence, with a particular focus on contract revenue, install base analysis, service income, and audit readiness.

This role would suit a qualified accountant who thrives in an SME environment, enjoys being close to the business, and wants to influence outcomes rather than operate purely as a technical accounting specialist.

Role Purpose

The Financial Controller will ensure financial discipline, transparency, and insight to support strategic decision-making and investor confidence. The role combines strong financial control with commercial partnership across sales, service, and operations.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Control & Reporting

• Deliver monthly forecasts, sales KPIs, and management reports to the Board

• Ensure timely and accurate month-end close with clear variance analysis

• Oversee monthly management accounts (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow)

• Manage budgeting, forecasting, and rolling reforecast processes

• Maintain liquidity oversight and robust cash flow management

• Support statutory accounts preparation and year-end processes

• Assist the MD and quality team in maintaining the Integrated Management System (IMS)

Business Intelligence & Commercial Insight

• Produce monthly board packs including:

  • Revenue and margin analysis across equipment sales, service contracts, and support activities

  • Recurring vs non-recurring revenue tracking

  • Contract backlog and renewals

  • KPI dashboards covering growth, profitability, and cash performance

• Translate financial data into clear, commercially relevant insight

• Provide ad-hoc analysis to inform pricing, investment, and resourcing decisions

Contract & Service Revenue Management

• Own financial oversight of contract and service revenue, including:

  • Revenue recognition and billing accuracy

  • Deferred income and contract liabilities

  • Service contract profitability and utilisation analysis

• Partner with sales, service, and operations teams to improve margins and performance

• Support contract renewals, pricing reviews, and service attach rate analysis

Audit, Compliance & Risk

• Lead statutory audits and support investor and customer audits

• Ensure compliance with accounting standards, tax requirements, and internal controls

• Maintain audit-ready documentation and processes throughout the year

• Engage confidently with customer audits

Cash Flow & Working Capital

• Manage cash flow forecasting and reporting

• Drive working capital improvements across receivables, payables, and inventory

• Support credit control and debtor management processes

• Develop business cases to support infrastructure and growth investments

Systems, Process & Team Leadership

• Manage and develop the accounts function

• Improve financial systems, controls, and processes to enable growth

• Work closely with external accountants, auditors, and tax advisors

• Partner with non-finance teams to improve financial understanding and accountability

• Support the MD with internal HR matters and maintain HR documentation (with external HR support)

Key Skills & Experience

Essential

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)

• Proven experience in a hands-on Financial Controller or senior finance role within an SME or owner-managed business

• Strong experience delivering insight-driven monthly reporting to MD and Board level

• Commercially grounded experience with contract, recurring, and service-led revenue models

• Demonstrable expertise in:

  • Margin and profitability analysis

  • Contract performance and renewal economics

  • Practical revenue recognition

• Experience owning live budgeting, forecasting, and rolling reforecast processes

• Track record of partnering with sales, service, and operations teams to improve pricing, margins, and recurring revenue

• Experience leading audits efficiently and proportionately

• Strong working knowledge of cash flow management and working capital optimisation

Highly Desirable

• Background in technical, equipment-led, or service-intensive B2B environments

• Experience in privately owned or investor-backed businesses

• Exposure to pricing strategy, contract renewals, and commercial negotiations

• Proven ability to improve systems and processes to support growth

• Comfort operating broadly within an SME environment, including light HR support

Personal Attributes

• Hands-on, detail-oriented, and highly organised

• Commercially aware and analytically strong

• Confident communicator with non-finance stakeholders

• Comfortable working directly with a Managing Director and Board

• Pragmatic, proactive, and solutions-focused