Financial Controller (16 month FTC) (Maternity Cover)

Aquila Air Traffic Management Services Limited; Fareham; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension Plan

Life Assurance

Income Protection

Private Medical Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Discretionary bonus

Job summary

Aquila Air Traffic Management Services Limited is seeking a Financial Controller on a 16-month fixed term contract in Fareham, UK. You will lead the day-to-day financial control team, ensuring robust reporting and compliance with IFRS and UK GAAP.

Responsibilities include managing month-end close, reconciliations, and coordinating statutory audit and taxation activities, while supporting the wider finance team and organisation objectives.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent).
• Post-qualification experience in financial control, reporting and statutory accounts.
• Experience in month-end close, reconciliations and deadlines.
• Strong IFRS/UK GAAP knowledge and internal controls.
• Advanced Excel and handling large data sets.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day financial control team with strong reporting.
• Lead the month-end close process and ensure timely closing of ledgers.
• Manage monthly reconciliations, financial results and commentary.
• Maintain robust controls and IFRS/UK GAAP reporting compliance.
• Coordinate statutory audit and taxation activities with external partners.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Financial analysis

Communication

Education

ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent

Tools

SAGE 200

Job description

About Aquila ATMS

At Aquila Air Traffic Management Services (ATMS), we are dedicated to creating a workplace where innovation, collaboration, and excellence thrives. As a joint venture between NATS and Thales, we combine the expertise of leading air traffic control services and global systems integration to deliver cutting-
edge solutions in air traffic management.

Join us in shaping the future of air traffic management, and together, we will elevate aviation safety and efficiency worldwide!

The Role

We are looking for a Financial Controller to join our team on a 16-month fixed term contract. This role provides an opportunity to contribute to the organisation’s goals and support the work of the wider team. In this position, you will help deliver key activities that support effective operations, continuous improvement, and positive outcomes for colleagues, customers, and stakeholders.

Your core responsibilities will include:

• As Financial Controller, you’ll play a key role in leading the day-to-day financial control team, providing direction and support to the team while ensuring strong financial control and high-quality reporting.




• Leading the month-end close process, ensuring financial ledgers are accurate, complete and closed on time.




• Managing monthly reconciliations, financial results and reporting, providing clear commentary and resolving issues with Finance colleagues.




• Maintaining robust financial controls and ensuring reporting complies with relevant accounting requirements, including IFRS and UK GAAP.




• Coordinating statutory audit and taxation activities, working closely with external auditors, tax specialists and other key stakeholders.

This is a hands on role where you’ll contribute to meaningful work and play a part in helping the organisation achieve its objectives.

About You

You’re an experienced Financeprofessional who contributes positively to your team and the wider organisation. You work collaboratively, adapt to different situations, and bring sound judgement to your work. You communicate clearly, build effective working relationships, and approach challenges with a practical, solutions-focused mindset.

To be successful in this role, you’ll bring:

• Relevant experience as a Financial Controller or in a similar senior Finance role.




• Strong knowledge of financial reporting, month-end close, account reconciliation, IFRS and UK GAAP.




• Experience in financial control, statutory accounts, audit, taxation and cash management.




• The ability to analyse complex financial information, solve problems and communicate clearly with stakeholders at all levels.

You also:

• Promote Aquila’s Just Culture, reporting incidents, safety non compliance, or potential issues in an appropriate and timely manner.




• Consistently demonstrate behaviours aligned with Aquila’s core values and leadership behaviours in all actions and decisions.

Essential Criteria

• A fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent), with current membership of the relevant professional accountancy body.




• Substantial relevant post-qualification experience across financial control, financial reporting and statutory accounts.




• Proven experience of managing month-end close, financial ledgers and balance-sheet reconciliations while working to demanding reporting deadlines.




• Strong technical Finance capability, including a good working knowledge of IFRS and UK GAAP, alongside experience of internal controls, taxation compliance and cash management.




• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and confidence working with financial systems and large data sets.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working within the defence or aerospace sector, or another complex or regulated environment.




• Knowledge of IFRIC 12 and/or relevant Finance requirements within a regulated, defence or aerospace environment.




• Experience of cash forecasting, shareholder finance teams and loan funding arrangements.




• Knowledge of SAGE 200.

If you don’t meet every requirement but feel you have relevant experience, we’d still like to hear from you. We support flexible working arrangements and encourage applications from candidates seeking part-time or hybrid roles.

Benefits

Core Benefits

• 201 hours (approx. 27 days) annual leave + 1 Company Day to be used at Christmas (Excluding Bank Holidays) - Prorated for part time contracts




• Time off to volunteer (up to 3 days per annum)




• Company Pension Plan (Aquila contribution = employee contribution + 1%, up to 7%)




• Life Assurance (2x basic salary or up to 8x if in the pension scheme)




• Income Protection




• Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 support and counselling




• Company paid Private Medical Insurance (Couple cover)




• Variable Compensation Plan (discretionary bonus)

Flexible Benefits

Through Aquila’s flexible benefits platform, you can tailor your package, including:

• Healthcare Cash Plan options




• Additional PMI cover




• Buy or sell annual leave




• Cycle to Work scheme




• Discounts at high street retailers

Family, Wellbeing & Lifestyle

• Enhanced Maternity pay




• Enhanced Paternity leave & pay




• Enhanced Occupational Sick pay




• Mental Health First Aiders




• Recognition through Altair Award




• Employee referral bonus

Security Clearance Statement

Due to the nature of the work that we do, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires you to be a UK National and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. If approved by the MOD, a dual national from a Non-ITAR country may be considered. Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance- United Kingdom Security Vetting – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Equal Opportunities, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Aquila ATMS is an equal opportunities employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Applications are welcomed from suitably qualified candidates from all backgrounds. Employment decisions are made fairly and without discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, marriage or civil partnership, or any other characteristic protected by law.