Financial Controller

UBT; Wickford; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days leave

Extra holidays option

Breakfast & lunch ingredients

Private Healthcare

Birthday voucher

EAP (24/7)

Job summary

UBT, a well-established manufacturing group in the UK, seeks an experienced Financial Controller to own the finance function across three entities. You will lead month-end, budgeting, forecasting and board reporting, plus partner with procurement and operations on pricing and profitability.

You will manage a small team UK-wide and offshore in the Philippines, with responsibility for cash flow, stock, costing, and treasury, while driving automation and systems improvements.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with SME experience and strong manufacturing finance exposure.
• Experience owning year-end, statutory accounts and external audits.
• Experience managing remote/offshore finance teams and cross-currency finance.

Responsibilities

• Own financial control, management accounts, budgeting and forecasting across three entities.
• Lead the year-end and statutory reporting process, including the external audit.
• Own the balance sheet, cash flow, banking, working capital and treasury.
• Oversee stock valuation, standard costing, margin analysis and inventory provisioning.
• Partner with Procurement and Operations to improve stock, pricing and profitability.
• Provide commercial insight and challenge to the MD and SLT, including investment and pricing decisions.
• Produce and present board reporting and financial analysis.
• Manage tax, VAT, statutory compliance and external adviser relationships.
• Lead improvements to finance systems, automation, reporting and AI adoption.
• Develop and manage a small, partly offshore finance team.

Skills

Qualified accountant

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualification

Job description

Our client is a well-established manufacturing business based in Wickford, Essex. They are looking for an experienced Financial Controller to join their team.

As Financial Controller you will take full ownership of the finance function, a £20–25m group operating across 3 entities, manufacturing, projects and compliance services.

Reporting directly to the Managing Director and sitting on the Senior Leadership Team, this is the most senior finance role in the business. You’ll have real influence over commercial decisions, while remaining close to the detail and delivering the numbers yourself.

This is not a purely supervisory role. You’ll lead a team of four across the UK and Philippines, but you’ll also be hands-on with month-end, reporting, stock, costing, cash flow and commercial analysis.

What you’ll do

• Own financial control, management accounts, budgeting and forecasting across three entities.
• Lead the year-end and statutory reporting process, including the external audit.
• Own the balance sheet, cash flow, banking, working capital and treasury.
• Oversee stock valuation, standard costing, margin analysis and inventory provisioning.
• Partner with Procurement and Operations to improve stock, pricing and profitability.
• Provide commercial insight and challenge to the MD and SLT, including investment and pricing decisions.
• Produce and present board reporting and financial analysis.
• Manage tax, VAT, statutory compliance and external adviser relationships.
• Lead improvements to finance systems, automation, reporting and AI adoption.
• Develop and manage a small, partly offshore finance team.

Requirements

About you

You’ll be a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with senior finance experience in an SME

You’ll bring:

• Strong manufacturing finance experience, particularly stock, standard costing and margin analysis.
• Ownership of year-end, statutory accounts and external audit.
• Experience managing and developing a remote/offshore finance team.
• Strong commercial and analytical skills, with the confidence to challenge senior stakeholders.
• Experience with multi-currency environments and FX.
• A track record of improving processes, systems or automation.
• The ability to balance strategic thinking with a willingness to get into the detail.

This is an opportunity to own the finance function rather than operate within one. You’ll report directly to the MD, have a seat at the senior leadership table and play a key role in shaping the financial and commercial direction of the group.

• Salary- £70,000- £85,000 basic plus profit related bonus
• 25 days annual leave increasing by 1 day for each year’s service up to a maximum of 28 days
• Option to buy up to 3 additional holidays
• Breakfast and lunch ingredients provided
• Private Healthcare (following successful completion of probation)
• £10 gift voucher on your birthday
• Free 24 hour employee assistance programme