Head of External Reporting

Biffa Waste Services; High Wycombe; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Biffa Waste Services is seeking an experienced Head of External Reporting to join the Group Finance team and own financial and statutory reporting across the Biffa Group.

You will lead a team of qualified accountants through year-end and half-year reporting, manage the external audit relationship, ensure IFRS and statutory compliance, and contribute to complex accounting matters including acquisitions, pensions, and group entity rationalisation.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with strong IFRS knowledge and experience in a large, complex Group.
• Proven leadership of a finance team and experience in Group consolidation and year-end reporting.
• Experience coordinating with external auditors and Audit Committee discussions.
• Excellent communication skills, able to engage CFO and senior finance leaders.
• Proficiency in Excel; familiarity with Microsoft D365 or Power BI is advantageous.
• Eligibility to work in the United Kingdom.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Group financial reporting process at year end and half year, from consolidation to Annual and Half Year Reports.
• Oversee statutory accounts production for ~100 legal entities across the Group.
• Act as the primary contact for auditors and lead audit planning discussions.
• Ensure IFRS and statutory disclosure compliance and lead guidance on new accounting standards.
• Provide expert technical accounting support to finance teams globally.
• Produce and review technical accounting papers and financial models for significant judgements.
• Lead accounting lead for acquisitions and the group-wide entity rationalisation program.
• Identify opportunities to improve the ERP system (Microsoft D365) efficiency.

Skills

IFRS knowledge

Group consolidation

Audit liaison

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

Qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA)

Tools

Microsoft D365

Power BI

Job description

The role

We’re looking for an experienced Head of External Reporting to join our Group Finance team and take ownership of financial and statutory reporting across the Biffa Group.

This is a high-profile senior finance role with significant exposure across the business, including regular interaction with the CFO, Divisional Finance Directors and senior leaders across FP&A, Tax and Treasury.

Leading a team of qualified accountants, you’ll oversee the Group’s year-end and half-year reporting processes, manage the external audit relationship and ensure our financial reporting continues to meet IFRS and statutory requirements.

Alongside our core reporting cycle, you’ll play a key role in some of the Group’s most complex technical accounting matters, including acquisitions, joint ventures, pensions, derivatives, provisions and service concession arrangements.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll lead and develop the External Reporting team, taking responsibility for:

• Leading the Group financial reporting process at year end and half year, from consolidation through to production of the Annual Report and Half Year Report.
• Overseeing the production of statutory accounts for approximately 100 legal entities across the Group.
• Acting as the primary point of contact for our auditors, leading audit planning and discussions.
• Ensuring Group reporting complies with IFRS and statutory disclosure requirements, including leading the implementation of new accounting guidance.
• Providing expert technical accounting support to finance teams across the business.
• Producing and reviewing technical accounting papers and financial models relating to significant accounting judgements, including papers presented to the Audit Committee.
• Acting as the technical accounting lead for acquisitions.
• Leading our Group-wide entity rationalisation programme, with the objective of significantly simplifying the Group’s legal entity structure.
• Identifying opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our recently implemented Microsoft D365 ERP system.
• Championing best practice in financial controls and processes throughout the organisation.

Why this role?

This is an opportunity to take on a broad and influential Group Finance position combining leadership, external reporting, technical accounting and business-wide projects.

You’ll work closely with some of the most senior finance leaders in the organisation, have exposure to the Audit Committee and CFO, and play an important role in shaping the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of financial reporting across the Group.

Biffa – we’re changing the way people think about waste

At Biffa, we love working with waste. Whether we’re turning it into sustainable power, finding new ways to recycle it or simply keeping it off the streets, we believe every day is an opportunity to improve the lives of millions. It’s a view that’s shared by our 11,000+ people around the country, who trust us to provide them with a career that’s always rewarding, often challenging, but never dull.

We believe different ideas, perspective and backgrounds are key to developing a creative and effective working environment which is why you’ll find us championing diversity and equality at every turn.

About you

• Qualified accountant (ACA or ACCA) with strong IFRS knowledge and experience within a large, complex Group environment.
• Strong background in Group consolidation, Annual Report production, statutory accounts and managing year-end and external audit processes.
• Proven experience leading and developing a finance team.
• Confident communicator, able to engage the CFO, Divisional Finance Directors and other senior finance leaders and explain complex accounting matters clearly.
• Strong Excel skills; experience with Microsoft D365 or Power BI would be advantageous.
• Technical accounting expertise across acquisitions, pensions and complex judgements would be advantageous.
• Experience presenting accounting matters to an Audit Committee would be advantageous.
• Eligibility to work in the United Kingdom.