Financial Controller

CARBON3; Mereworth; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A renewable energy solutions company in the UK is seeking a Financial Controller to manage the full finance function, including transaction processing and cash management. The ideal candidate will have a strong finance background in construction and experience with cloud accounting tools like Xero and QuickBooks. This role offers competitive salary, career growth opportunities, and benefits like annual leave and training programs.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Career growth opportunities

Annual leave 25 days + 8 BH

Training & development programs

Company EV salary sacrifice scheme

On-site parking

Qualifications

• Experience in construction / installation / engineering / project-based services.
• Comfortable managing AP, AR, and cash collection.
• Able to challenge and support operational teams.

Responsibilities

• Run the full finance function including month-end and cash management.
• Oversee customer billing and credit control.
• Manage banking relationships and AP processes.

Skills

Strong SME finance background

Hands-on month-end experience

High competence with Microsoft Office (Excel)

Very strong organisational skills

Experience with cloud accounting (Xero, QuickBooks)

Comfortable with VAT, CIS, PAYE

Tools

Xero

QuickBooks

Sage Business Cloud

Job description

Company Overview

Established in 2019, Carbon3 specialises in renewable energy, electric vehicle charging and ESG solutions for new build construction and retrofit projects. As experts in our field, we are committed to delivering sustainable solutions while achieving planning and sustainability targets.

The Role

As Financial Controller you will run the full finance function: transaction processing, month‑end, cash management, statutory compliance, internal controls, and commercial finance support.

You will:

• Implement better processes, automate repetitive tasks, and tighten financial timetables.
• Build strong working capital discipline (credit control, AP terms, cash forecasting).
• Sit on the management team with clear accountability: present KPIs and cash forecasts, challenge spend/pricing, flag issues early, and drive agreed actions to deadlines.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial control & reporting

• Own the month‑end close (journals, accruals, prepayments, WIP).
• Develop strong financial controls, calendars, and reporting timetables so everyone knows what is due, when, and by whom.
• Prepare board‑level insight: margin by project / customer, commercial risks, overhead trend, debtor exposure.
• Support budgeting and forecasting.

2. Cash management

• Monitor and manage cash flow; maintain short‑and‑medium‑term cash forecasts.
• Optimise working capital (debtors, creditors, stock/WIP).
• Manage banking relationships and act as primary day‑to‑day contact.

3. Revenue, invoicing & credit control

• Oversee customer billing. Management of the invoice and application for payment process in line with contract terms, milestones, retention % and VAT treatment.
• Ensure that all live and completed projects are accurately tracked for retentions, due dates, and release/collection.
• Maintain and issue statements to corporate customers.
• Lead proactive credit control.
• Set and review customer credit limits using credit data and internal sign‑off before exposure increases.

4. Purchase ledger / supplier management

• Oversee Accounts Payable:
• Ensure all supplier invoices are correctly captured, coded, and matched to approved POs.
• Resolve supplier queries with the relevant project owner.
• Keep supplier terms correct in the system and make sure we are paying in line with agreed terms.
• Schedule and prepare payment runs that balance supplier relationships with cash preservation.
• Maintain accurate AP ageing and keep disputes documented and under control.

5. Compliance and governance

• Oversee PAYE, pensions, CIS, VAT, Companies House deadlines (with support from external accountants where appropriate).
• Ensure documentation (contracts, retention schedules, credit approvals, supplier terms, etc.) is properly stored, referenced, and retrievable.

6. Process improvement & automation

• Map current finance workflows (billing, AP, AR, reconciliations, retentions, CIS, VAT) and remove friction.
• Automate repetitive tasks where possible (import routines, bank feeds, statement issue cycles, reminders, trackers).
• Improve data quality in the finance system so reporting is fast, accurate, and repeatable.

What You’ll Bring

• Strong SME finance background, ideally in construction / installation / engineering / project‑based services where staged billing, CIS, and retentions matter.
• Hands‑on month‑end experience.
• High competence with Microsoft Office, especially Excel (you’re comfortable building cashflow, manipulating data, and stress‑testing assumptions).
• Very strong organisational skills and attention to detail. You like things tidy, documented, and controlled.
• Experience with cloud accounting (Xero, QuickBooks, Sage Business Cloud etc.).
• Comfortable with VAT, CIS, PAYE, pensions basics, and HMRC submissions.
• Experience running or overseeing AP, AR, cash collection, and supplier payments day to day.
• Able to challenge and support operational teams.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary (dependent on experience)
• A chance to shape the future of renewable energy and sustainability.
• A collaborative environment where innovation is valued.
• Career growth opportunities in a rapidly expanding industry.
• Competitive salary with attractive benefits.
• Annual leave 25 days + 8 BH
• Training & development programs
• Company EV salary sacrifice scheme
• Company events
• On‑site parking

Carbon3 is an equal opportunity employer and we pride ourselves on being committed to offering equal opportunities to all potential employees and have zero tolerance for discrimination. We foster a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best work and be relevant in a rapidly changing world. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

Note: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, only successful candidates will be contacted for further consideration. Thank you for your interest in joining the Carbon3 team!