Financial Controller

Avantia Law Limited; London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the legal field seeks a Financial Controller to oversee financial operations and strategic initiatives. This pivotal role requires proven expertise in financial leadership and compliance, along with a commitment to shaping the company's financial future. You will be instrumental in driving performance and ensuring regulatory compliance while collaborating across departments.

Benefits

25 days holiday + UK Bank Holidays

An additional day off for your birthday

Private healthcare or wellness budget reimbursement

Annual subscription to Calm or Headspace

Early finish Fridays in the summer

Pension scheme, enhanced after 1 year

Enhanced family friendly policies after 1 year

Work from abroad option for 1 month per year

Qualifications

• 6+ years of relevant experience in finance.
• Big 4 firm Audit experience preferred.
• Experience in private equity-backed or VC companies is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Finance team and ensure audit readiness.
• Manage cash flow, treasury, and financial controls.
• Collaborate with commercial leaders for strategic decisions.

Skills

Financial modelling

Team leadership

Change management

Education

Qualified Accountant ACCA or ACA

Tools

Xero

Job description

ABOUT YOU AND THE ROLE

We are looking for a Financial Controller to manage Avantia’s financial operations as well as strategic financial planning, analysis, and reporting to support informed decision-making. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure efficient financial management and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements as well as help shape the company's financial vision, guiding financial decisions, and ensuring long-term sustainability and growth.

This is a newly created key hire for the Finance team and the business.

This role will report to the VP of Finance and will have team management responsibilities.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead the Finance team and act as a role model to drive a high-performance culture

• Own technical accounting – Accounting policy documentation (e.g. revenue recognition, share based payments, intangible assets, etc.) and prepare the company for potential accounting standard changes

• Ensure key control processes are effectively designed and managed, including audit, tax, treasury, and financial controls

• Ensure audit readiness, lead and coordinate external audits.

• Oversee transactional finance, payroll, treasury, and cash flow management (AP & AR), transforming and automating these areas

• Oversee tax strategy and compliance, transfer pricing, and R&D tax credit claims, with the support of external advisors as needed

• Ensure compliance with the local statutory requirements in the jurisdictions where the company operates (UK and US).

• Collaborate with commercial leaders to highlight the importance of controls as the business scales

• Act as a trusted advisor to the VP of Finance, providing strategic guidance beyond financial control

• Manage cash flow and ensure availability of funds to meet operational and strategic needs.

• Ensure there is accurate cash and loan covenant reporting as well as maintaining all domestic and global banking relationships

Strategic Initiatives:

• Support the VP of Finance and executive team in evaluating and executing strategic initiatives, including new products, partnerships and capital raising, from an accounting perspective.

• Cost awareness and management: Involvement in and drive the procurement and budgeting process, carefully reviewing and scrutinising spend requests with the view to balancing business needs with growth/ profitability goals.

• Participate in the financial due diligence process for potential acquisitions and investments.

• Prepare the company for potential future financial events such as fundraising/capital markets transactions.

• Qualified Accountant ACCA or ACA (or international equivalent)
• Big 4 firm Audit experience preferred
• 6+ years of relevant experience is required, ideally within SaaS or professional services industry
• Experience in a private equity-backed or VC backed company is highly desirable, ideally in a similar role
• Experience in working with US entities / subsidiaries and related reporting and tax requirements preferred
• Proven experience in a hands-on Finance Manager/Financial Controller role.
• Strong financial modelling skills
• Proven track record in leading and mentoring teams
• A strong background in financial control, with commercial finance experience being an advantage
• Solid understanding of accounting policies such as UK and US GAAP and IFRS and the practical applications
• Able to initiate, manage and adapt to change and challenge the status quo.
• Experience working with Xero and / or experience in implementing new systems is highly desirable

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

At Avantia, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace, and we firmly believe in equal opportunities for all. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences that each individual brings to our team. We embrace diversity in all its forms. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to contribute their best work. Our hiring process is merit-based, and we welcome applications from all qualified individuals. We encourage you to communicate any reasonable accommodations you may need during the recruitment process and future employment. Please let your Talent team contact know ahead of any interview, we will be happy to suggest or confidentially discuss reasonable adjustments.

• 25 days holiday + UK Bank Holidays
• An additional day off for your birthday
• Private healthcare or the option to use the budget to be reimbursed for other wellness activities of your choice
• Annual subscription to your choice of Calm or Headspace
• Early finish Fridays in the summer
• Pension scheme, enhanced after 1 year service
• Enhanced family friendly policies after 1 year service
• Option to work from abroad for a max of 1 month per year (subject to policy & approval)

AVANTIA LAW - CORE VALUES

We empower our people

We trust our people to excel by giving them a voice, the freedom to grow, and the support they need to succeed. Together, we hold ourselves accountable and create meaningful impact—for our clients, our team, and our industry.

We champion excellence

Our values are at the heart of every decision we make. We stand by our commitments, consistently delivering exceptional results and building trust through every action. Excellence isn’t just a goal—it’s how we operate.

We are building the future

We’re redefining the legal landscape. Through innovation, challenging conventions and listening to our clients, we’re forging a new path and shaping the next generation of law.