Financial Controller

Harrison Holgate; City Of London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Harrison Holgate seeks a Financial Controller for an insurance broker to build a CASS-ready finance infrastructure from day one. You’ll shape controls, systems and reports with the senior leadership team, in a lean environment.

Responsibilities include month-end close, management accounts, client money reconciliations, premium accounting, VAT, and audit liaison, plus RMAR and prudential reporting. Drive automation and scalable processes across finance and operations.

Qualifications

• Qualified or part-qualified accountant with professional designation or in progress.
• Hands-on experience in client money and CASS 5 requirements.
• Experience building finance processes and controls in an insurance broking context.

Responsibilities

• Own month-end close, monthly management accounts and investor reporting.
• Maintain day-to-day discipline over insurer money held under risk transfer and trust accounts.
• Lead premium accounting, brokerage, commission recognition and bordereaux.
• Manage credit control, debtor management and card payment flows.
• Oversee accounts payable, payroll and VAT as required.
• Banking, payment approvals, treasury and cash forecasting.
• Reconcile data from broking platform to GL.
• Run year-end statutory process and manage audit relationship.
• Support/regulatory reporting (RMAR and prudential resources calculations).
• Lead transition of finance/back-office activities away from regulatory principal.

Skills

CASS knowledge

Client money handling

Financial reporting

Process improvement

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA

Job description

Financial Controller - Insurance Broking (CASS / Client Money)

A recently created insurance brokers is seeking a qualified accountant with insurance broker experience to join them as their Financial Controller. This role is central to building and owning a fit-for-purpose finance and money-handling infrastructure from day one - designed to be CASS-ready and scalable without adding significant headcount.
You will work closely with the senior leadership team, Board and investors, with genuine scope to shape processes, systems and controls across finance and operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Own month-end close, monthly management accounts and investor reporting
• Maintain strong day-to-day discipline over insurer money held under risk transfer, including designated trust accounts, reconciliations and supporting evidence (incl. return premiums and claims money)
• Lead premium accounting: brokerage, commission recognition, insurer accounts and bordereaux
• Manage credit control and debtor management (incl. premium finance relationships and card payment flows)
• Oversee accounts payable, payroll and VAT (as required)
• Banking, payment approvals, treasury and cash forecasting
• Reconcile data from the broking platform to the general ledger
• Run year-end statutory process and manage the audit relationship
• Support/own regulatory reporting (RMAR and prudential resources calculations)
• Lead the transition of finance, payroll and wider back-office activities away from the regulatory principal

What You'll Help Build

• High-quality MI to support decision making and investor requirements
• Controls and evidence required for FCA direct authorisation and ongoing reporting
• Client money readiness (CASS 5): client money calculation, trust account structure, acknowledgement letters and CASS resolution pack - ready for future client money permissions and annual CASS audit
• Budgeting and forecasting cycle, evolving into Board/investor pack
• Automation and scalable processes across finance and wider operations
• Assessments on make/buy/outsource for business-critical systems

About You

• Qualified or part qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA)
• Client money experience is essential: hands-on exposure to CASS 5 and understanding of statutory vs non-statutory trusts, risk transfer and practical client money calculations
• Comfortable building processes (not just maintaining them); proactive and pragmatic
• Happy working "high to low" in a lean environment (own the accounts, but also contribute to strategic conversations)
• Systems-minded with a continuous improvement mindset; keen to automate repetitive work where appropriate