Financial Controller

Breathehr; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

ELMO UK Group is seeking a Financial Controller to lead accounting, controls and reporting for four UK entities. You will head month‑end close, statutory audits, cash management, tax, revenue recognition and a wider finance transformation agenda.

Hybrid role based in London/Horsham with a hands‑on approach, leading a small team and partnering with senior leaders on forecasting, pricing and investment decisions.

Qualifications

• ACA or ACCA with audit experience essential
• Experience as Financial Controller or senior finance role, ideally in SaaS/tech
• Strong IFRS/FRS 101 knowledge with statutory audits
• Experience leading multi‑entity month‑end close, reporting and controls
• Ability to design and implement finance transformation projects, including AI governance

Responsibilities

• Own accounting, controls and reporting across UK entities with proactive insight for leadership and investors
• Lead month‑end close, intercompany accounting, balance sheet reconciliations and close improvement
• Use Claude and other tools to automate reconciliations, journals, variance analysis, and audit prep
• Produce monthly management accounts and UK Board/ investor reporting with clear commentary
• Oversee statutory audits, year‑end accounts, VAT and corporation tax; ensure tax compliance
• Manage third‑party company secretarial provider and statutory filings across four entities
• Own 13‑week cash flow forecast, banking relations and working‑capital discipline
• Oversee billing, credit control and AP ensuring timely payments and approvals
• Drive finance transformations including subscription management and ERP migration
• Develop a strong control environment with appropriate governance over AI‑assisted processes

Job description

Financial Controller, ELMO UK Group

Location: Horsham, West Sussex / Central London
Working pattern: Hybrid, minimum three office days per week
Contract: Permanent, full-time
Reports to: Finance and Operations Director

A bit of background on ELMO UK Group

The ELMO UK Group is growing at around 50% a year, and we’re looking for a Financial Controller who can keep the finance function ahead of that growth.

The Group includes three trading businesses — Breathe, Rotageek and ELMO — as well as a non-trading holding company. Together, the businesses are building a strong position in HR, payroll and workforce management technology, backed by the scale and support of the wider ELMO Group and our K1 private equity owners.

This is an opportunity to join at an important stage of growth. You’ll lead a team of four, own the financial control environment across the UK entities and help shape how finance operates as the business scales.

Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. But we'll let you in on a secret: there's no such thing as a 'perfect' candidate. ELMO UK Group is a place where everyone can grow. So however you identify and whatever background you bring with you, ...

Our Values: What We Live By

Start With People - We remember our work affects real people, so we take the time to listen, understand and act with care.

Own It, Together - We take responsibility for our part, support each other through the messy bits, and focus on fixing things rather than finding blame.

Clear Is Kind - We speak honestly and with care. We don’t avoid difficult conversations, and we make sure people have the clarity they need to move forward.

Why This Role Is SO Important:

We’re looking for a Financial Controller who can do more than keep the books. You’ll own accounting, controls and reporting across four UK entities and provide the accurate, timely insight that UK leadership and our investors can rely on.

You’ll lead the month-end close, statutory audits, cash management, tax, revenue recognition, controls and core finance operations. At the same time, you’ll help leaders understand what the numbers mean and challenge assumptions around cash, growth, investment and commercial decisions.

The business is growing faster than the team, so scaling through better processes, automation and AI is central to the role. You’ll use Claude to remove manual effort, improve the speed and quality of insight and build that capability across the finance team.

You’ll also play a key role in the finance transformation ahead of us, starting with the move to a new subscription management system and potentially leading into a future ERP migration. This is a hands‑on role with real scope to improve how finance works across the Group.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Let’s be clear from the start: this isn’t a role where you simply report the numbers after the fact. You’ll build a strong control environment, improve the way finance operates and use insight to help the wider business make better decisions.

Leading the Month-End Close: Owning the close for each entity, including intercompany accounting, balance sheet reconciliations and continuous improvement in close timelines.

Using AI to Improve Finance: Using Claude and other appropriate tools to simplify and automate reconciliations, journals, variance analysis, reporting commentary and audit preparation, while building capability within the team.

Producing Management Accounts: Preparing monthly management accounts and supporting UK Board reporting and reporting packs for K1, with clear commentary on performance against budget and forecast.

Owning Statutory Reporting: Managing annual statutory audits and year-end accounts for every UK entity under FRS 101, from planning through to sign-off.

Managing Company Secretarial Compliance: Managing the third‑party company secretarial provider and ensuring statutory filings for all four entities, including Companies House accounts and confirmation statements, are completed accurately and on time.

Managing Cash and Treasury: Owning 13-week cash flow forecasting, banking relationships, mandates, facilities and working‑capital discipline.

Overseeing Billing and Credit Control: Managing billing, credit control and debtor management, working with commercial teams to resolve overdue balances and disputes.

Overseeing Accounts Payable: Managing weekly supplier payment runs, ensuring invoices are properly approved, coded and paid on time, and supporting purchase approval workflows and supplier contract reviews.

Calculating Sales Commissions: Calculating sales commissions accurately and on time in line with approved commission plans.

Owning the UK Tax Position: Managing VAT, corporation tax, transfer pricing and R&D tax relief, while identifying tax risks linked to deal structures, cross‑border transactions, billing changes and systems.

Managing the Compliance Calendar: Working with external advisers to make sure tax and wider compliance obligations are planned, tracked and completed on time.

Reviewing Payroll: Reviewing third‑party payroll output for reasonableness before payments are released.

Ensuring Accurate Revenue Recognition: Making sure SaaS revenue is recognised correctly under IFRS 15, including ARR, deferred revenue and multi‑year or complex contracts.

Designing Financial Controls: Creating, documenting and maintaining strong financial controls, approval processes, segregation of duties and audit trails, including appropriate governance over AI‑assisted processes.

Leading Finance Transformation: Playing a key role in the migration to a new subscription management system and potentially a future ERP migration, ensuring tax, revenue recognition, billing, reporting and controls are designed correctly from the start.

Maintaining Finance Policies: Drafting or supporting finance and company policies, including expenses, delegated authority, procurement and treasury, and keeping them up to date.

Partnering With the Business: Working with budget holders and senior leaders on forecasting, pricing, enterprise deal structure, contract reviews and investment decisions.

Leading and Developing the Team: Managing, coaching and developing a Senior Accountant, Assistant Accountant and two Finance Assistants, setting clear priorities and building capability as the business grows.

What Success Looks Like in Your First Six Months

A fast, accurate and well‑controlled month‑end close across all UK entities.

Management accounts, Board reporting and investor reporting delivered accurately and on time, with clear insight and commentary.

Statutory audits, year‑end accounts, tax obligations and Companies House filings progressing smoothly and reliably.

Improved visibility and discipline across cash flow, working capital, billing, debtors and supplier payments.

Practical AI improvements implemented across finance, with Claude helping reduce manual effort and improve insight.

A strong control environment with clear approvals, segregation of duties, audit trails and appropriate AI governance.

The subscription management system migration progressing with finance, tax, revenue recognition and control requirements built in from the start.

A well‑led finance team with clear priorities, growing capability and strong confidence in the way finance operates.

Key Competencies & Behaviours

You’re technically strong: You have the accounting knowledge and control mindset to own a multi‑entity finance function and maintain high standards of accuracy and compliance.

You’re commercially minded: You understand what the numbers mean and can turn financial data into clear insight for leaders making decisions about cash, growth and investment.

You’re comfortable with complexity: You can manage multiple entities, intercompany accounting, SaaS revenue recognition, tax, audit and transformation activity without losing sight of detail.

You’re improvement‑focused: You look for ways to simplify, automate and strengthen processes rather than accepting manual work as inevitable.

You’re practical with AI: You use AI tools thoughtfully, understand where human judgement is essential and can help a team adopt new ways of working responsibly.

You’re a clear communicator: You can explain financial information, risks and recommendations to finance and non‑finance audiences, including senior leaders, auditors, banks and investors.

You’re a strong people leader: You set clear priorities, coach effectively and help a small finance team develop as the business grows.

You’re confident and constructive: You can challenge assumptions, raise risks early and work collaboratively with commercial and operational stakeholders.

You’re highly organised: You can manage recurring deadlines, statutory obligations, projects and competing priorities with reliable follow‑through.

You take ownership: You identify what needs to change, make practical recommendations and stay accountable for the outcome.

It would help if you have:

• ACA qualification, or ACCA with audit experience. This is essential.
• Experience as a Financial Controller or in a senior finance role with equivalent scope, ideally in SaaS, technology or another high‑growth business.
• Strong working knowledge of IFRS and FRS 101, with a track record of delivering statutory audits and year‑end accounts.
• Experience running the close across multiple entities, including intercompany accounting.
• Solid commercial tax knowledge, particularly VAT and corporation tax.
• Experience delivering finance systems or transformation projects, such as subscription management, billing or ERP implementation or migration.
• Strong understanding of SaaS revenue recognition under IFRS 15