Group Controls Accountant

Halfords Careers; West Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Salary and discretionary bonus

Pension and life assurance

Employee discounts

24 days holiday + bank holidays

Job summary

Halfords is seeking a Group Controls Accountant to strengthen the internal controls over financial reporting as the organisation attains attestation under Provision 29 of the UK Corporate Governance Code. You will partner with stakeholders across Finance and Risk to ensure a robust control environment.

The role focuses on designing, implementing, and operating ICFR, performing tests, and driving remediation with senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant or auditor with strong controls and governance experience.
• Experience in internal audit, risk management, governance, or financial reporting.
• Strong understanding of SOX/ICFR or similar control frameworks and UK Corporate Governance requirements.
• Experience identifying control weaknesses and driving remediation actions.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills across senior levels.

Responsibilities

• Support development, assessment, and monitoring of ICFR and Provision 29 compliance.
• Conduct controls testing and provide evidence of control effectiveness.
• Identify deficiencies, assess risks, and track remediation plans.
• Collaborate with process owners to improve controls and efficiency while maintaining governance.
• Prepare documentation and MI for senior stakeholders, Internal and External Audit.
• Support risk assessments and balance sheet reconciliation improvements.

Skills

Qualified accountant

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Regulatory/compliance knowledge

Controls testing

Problem solving

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA/CIA or equivalent

Job description

About us

At Halfords, our mission is to inspire and support a lifetime of motoring and cycling. As a specialist retailer, we lead the market through customer-driven innovation and a distinct product range. We are dedicated to providing our customers with an integrated, unique, and convenient service experience, from e-bike and electric vehicle servicing to on-demand solutions. Our commitment is to foster customer loyalty by offering compelling reasons to keep coming back to our stores, ensuring a lifetime of motoring and cycling enjoyment.

The teams at our Support Centre work with every other area of our business, putting them at the heart of the action and playing a key role in our success and growth. Everyone brings their individual knowledge and experience to work every day, working as one team to keep things moving smoothly.

If you’re willing to get stuck in, you’ll love it here too. So put yourself at the heart of a dynamic, fast-paced working environment where expertise and focus take people far.

The role

As a Group Controls Accountant, you will play a pivotal role in strengthening and embedding Halfords' financial control environment as we prepare for our first attestation under Provision 29 of the UK Corporate Governance Code. A key focus of the role will be supporting the design, implementation and ongoing operation of our Internal Controls over Financial Reporting (ICFR) framework. Working within the Risk & Control team, you will partner with stakeholders across the business to ensure our control environment is robust, effective, and capable of supporting the needs of a complex FTSE 250 organisation.

Reporting to the Group Controls Manager, you'll lead on Financial Controls whilst supporting broader controls, risk, and remediation activities across the organisation. You'll perform controls testing, assess control effectiveness, identify gaps, and work closely with stakeholders to implement practical improvements that enhance governance without creating unnecessary complexity. This role offers exposure across Finance, Technology, Risk, Internal Audit, and wider business functions.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys combining technical controls knowledge with stakeholder engagement and process improvement. With significant focus on continuing to strengthen the control environment, you'll have the chance to influence how controls operate across the Group, work with senior stakeholders, and make a visible impact on an important strategic programme.

Key responsibilities

• Support the ongoing development, assessment, and monitoring of the Group's Provision 29 compliance requirements along with Internal Controls over Financial Reporting (ICFR) framework
• Perform controls testing and assurance activities, providing evidence of control effectiveness and identifying areas requiring remediation
• Identify control deficiencies, assess associated risks, and support the implementation and tracking of remediation plans
• Partner with process owners to improve controls, streamline workflows, and enhance operational efficiency while maintaining appropriate governance
• Prepare clear and accurate documentation, reporting, and management information for senior stakeholders, Internal Audit, and External Audit
• Support risk assessments, balance sheet reconciliation quality reviews, and wider controls transformation initiatives across the business

About you

• Qualified accountant or auditor (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIA, MCIIA, or equivalent)
• Experience within financial controls, internal audit, risk management, governance, or financial reporting environments
• Good understanding of internal control frameworks such as SOX, ICFR, or similar controls-based environments, alongside knowledge of UK Corporate Governance requirements
• Experience identifying control weaknesses and supporting the delivery of effective remediation activities
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret information, assess risk, and recommend practical solutions
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, comfortable working with colleagues at all levels across the business
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a changing environment

Reward & benefits

• A fair and competitive salary evaluated against market data, annual discretionary bonus scheme, pension, life assurance, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and enhanced family leave
• Commitment and dedication to your ongoing personal and professional development. We help you to own and grow your potential so you can be at your best in your current role and to support your future career aspirations
• We offer hybrid working with a blend of working in our Support Centre and from home
• You will have access to a wealth of employee discounts across the Halfords suite of products and services
• Wellbeing and inclusion are at the heart of our colleague experience. We offer resources and ongoing support to enhance your wellbeing at work and active Colleague Networks supporting inclusion initiatives across Halfords

Not sure you meet all the criteria? We'd encourage you to take the wheel and apply anyway! At Halfords we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for our colleagues. We're an equal opportunities employer and proud to welcome applications from all backgrounds and embrace diversity within our one Halfords Family.

Halfords operates a Hybrid working policy with this position bring based 2 days per week at our Support Centre in Redditch, West Midlands.