Financial Controller

Best.Energy; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working, Bristol HQ

Pension scheme through NEST

33 days holiday

Parental and family leave

Healthcare cashback plan

Learning time

Best.Energy Big Wednesdays

Job summary

Best.Energy is seeking a fully qualified Financial Controller to join our UK team. You will own management accounts, budgeting, forecasting and financial controls across UK and international entities.

Reporting to the CFO, you’ll drive timely reporting, robust financial models and insightful analysis, while leading Xero-based processes and ensuring compliance. This hands-on role suits someone who balances detail with strategic forecasting.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified ACA, ACCA or CIMA, with a minimum of three years’ post-qualification experience.
• Proven experience taking ownership of management accounts production and month-end processes.
• Strong budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting experience, with the ability to turn financial information into practical insight.
• Very strong, hands-on Xero skills, including reporting, journals, reconciliations, tracking categories and troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

• Own the production of monthly management accounts, including journals, accruals, prepayments and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Produce clear reporting and commentary on financial performance, explaining variances and risks.
• Own the annual budget process and regular operational forecasts with the CFO and budget holders.
• Maintain cash-flow forecasts, monitor working capital and highlight pressures or opportunities.
• Analyse revenue, costs and margins to support pricing, investment and project decisions.
• Maintain effective accounting processes, reconciliations, controls and audit trails.
• Lead statutory accounts preparation and coordinate audit requirements and tax reporting.
• Act as technical lead for Xero and improve reporting and data quality.

Skills

Management Accounts

Budgeting

Forecasting

Xero

Excel

Financial Reporting

Controls & Compliance

Communication

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified

Tools

Xero

Job description

Power better decisions. Bring the numbers to life and help us turn wasted energy into savings for businesses and a positive impact on the planet.

Location: Hybrid working, with three days per week at our Bristol City Centre HQ

Best.Energy is a leading cleantech company in the energy efficiency space, providing energy monitoring, management and smart building services to clients across the world.

We have a distributed workforce, primarily based in the UK, with satellite offices in Malaysia, Kenya and the United States. We are looking for an experienced, fully qualified Financial Controller to join our UK team and strengthen our financial reporting, planning and controls.

Reporting to the CFO, you will take ownership of management accounts production, budgeting, forecasting and financial control. Working closely with our Accounts Manager, you will help ensure our financial information is accurate, timely and useful to colleagues making decisions across the business. The role covers our UK and international entities, currencies and projects

This is a broad, hands-on role within a small team, with no line management responsibilities. Your focus will be balanced between getting the accounting detail right and looking ahead through forecasts, analysis and commercial reporting. You will be comfortable investigating a reconciliation, producing the monthly accounts and discussing what the numbers mean with the CFO and budget holders.

Main Responsibilities Include:

• Management Accounts: Own the production of monthly management accounts, including journals, accruals, prepayments and balance sheet reconciliations, meeting agreed reporting deadlines.
• Financial Reporting: Produce clear reporting and commentary on financial performance, explaining variances, highlighting risks and recommending practical actions.
• Budgeting and Forecasting: Own the annual budget process and regular operational forecasts with the CFO and budget holders, challenging assumptions and maintaining reliable financial models. Support the CFO’s strategic forecasting.
• Cash Flow and Working Capital: Maintain cash-flow forecasts, monitor working capital and highlight emerging pressures or opportunities to the CFO. Work with colleagues to ensure Accounts Receivable are well managed.
• Commercial Analysis: Analyse revenue, costs and margins, providing insight to support pricing, investment, project performance and operational decisions.
• Financial Controls: Maintain effective accounting processes, reconciliations, approval controls and audit trails, identifying and addressing weaknesses.
• Statutory Reporting and Compliance: Lead statutory accounts preparation and coordinate audit requirements and tax reporting with external advisers and the CFO.
• Xero: Act as the technical lead for Xero, improving reporting, maintaining data quality, resolving issues and making effective use of its functionality and connected systems.
• Finance Operations: Work closely with the Accounts Manager to coordinate month-end inputs, resolve accounting queries and support purchase orders, daily banking and treasury processes. Provide cover when required and follow up overdue customer payments after initial chasing by the sales team.
• Process Improvement: Identify opportunities to simplify processes, improve reporting and use automation appropriately, while maintaining accuracy and financial control.

Required Skills:

• Fully qualified ACA, ACCA or CIMA, with a minimum of three years’ post-qualification experience.
• Proven experience taking ownership of management accounts production and month-end processes.
• Strong budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting experience, with the ability to turn financial information into practical insight.
• Very strong, hands-on Xero skills, including reporting, journals, reconciliations, tracking categories and troubleshooting.
• Strong Excel and financial modelling skills, with the ability to analyse data, test assumptions and investigate variances.
• Sound technical accounting knowledge, including financial controls, statutory reporting and year-end processes.
• Confidence working across both detailed accounting tasks and broader commercial analysis.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage a varied workload and meet deadlines.
• Clear communication skills, with the confidence to explain financial information to colleagues outside finance and challenge constructively.
• A practical, collaborative approach and the ability to take ownership and follow issues through to resolution.

Experience gained in a mid-sized accountancy practice, supporting a range of SME clients, would be particularly welcome. Experience within technology, engineering, energy or a project-based business would also be beneficial, alongside exposure to project costing, multi-currency accounting or finance systems improvements.

Working Location

Our UK office is based in central Bristol. The successful candidate will be expected to attend the office three days per week, with the remaining days worked remotely. Arrangements during induction will be agreed to support getting to know the team and business.

What You’ll Get – Life at Best.Energy

Life at Best.Energy is busy, make no mistake about that! We are people on a mission, and a great one at that, and we all look after each other.

Our benefits include:

• Hybrid working, based from our Bristol HQ
• Pension scheme through NEST Pensions
• Inclusive, flexible holiday allowance of 33 days
• Enhanced parental and family leave policies
• Everyday healthcare cashback plan
• Dedicated learning time
• Best.Energy Big Wednesdays

We celebrate diversity and know that it is critical to our success at Best.Energy. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone and work hard to be an inclusive employer.

If you are a qualified accountant who enjoys variety, takes pride in getting the detail right and wants your insight to influence business decisions, we want to hear from you.

If you need any adjustments to the application or selection process so you can perform at your best, please let us know. We will be happy to help.