Interim Financial Controller

Robert Walters UK; Bromsgrove; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A recruitment consultancy is seeking an Interim Financial Controller in Bromsgrove to oversee finance operations during a maternity cover. The role involves managing a small team, ensuring compliance with VAT regulations, and preparing statutory accounts. Candidates should be fully qualified (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) and have experience with Sage 200 and Excel. This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to contribute to a dynamic finance team while navigating tight deadlines and fostering collaboration.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Financial Controller or in a senior finance role.
• Fully Qualified - ACA, ACCA, or CIMA.
• Ability to manage small teams effectively.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations of the finance department.
• Support a team of three during maternity cover.
• Prepare statutory accounts and liaise with auditors.

Skills

Financial management

Team management

VAT regulations knowledge

Excel proficiency

Sage 200 expertise

Education

ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualification

Tools

Sage 200

Excel

Job description

Job Overview

The Interim Financial Controller role offers you the chance to oversee a busy finance department, working closely with a small, dedicated team while ensuring the smooth running of all financial operations. You will play a pivotal part in maintaining robust financial controls, supporting statutory and audit processes, and managing high-volume transactional activity.

As an Interim Financial Controller based in Bromsgrove, you will play an integral role in guiding the finance department through a period of maternity cover. Your day‑to‑day activities will involve close collaboration with your team as you manage all aspects of financial operations, from overseeing daily transaction processing to ensuring month‑end procedures are completed accurately. You will be responsible for statutory accounts preparation, liaising with auditors, and maintaining compliance with relevant VAT regulations across multiple jurisdictions. Your expertise in Sage 200 and Excel will be crucial as you handle large volumes of data efficiently. Success in this role will come from your ability to maintain high standards under pressure while nurturing a positive team culture that values cooperation, dependability, and shared achievement.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the daily operations of the finance department, ensuring all processes run smoothly and efficiently throughout the maternity cover period.
• Manage and support a small team of three, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment that encourages professional growth and development.
• Complete the month‑end process accurately and within deadlines, preparing detailed reports for senior management review.
• Assist with statutory accounts preparation and coordinate with external auditors to facilitate a seamless audit process.
• Handle high volumes of sales transactions and invoices on a daily basis, maintaining meticulous records and ensuring prompt processing.
• Ensure compliance with UK VAT regulations, including timely submissions and accurate reconciliations, while also supporting Austrian and Irish VAT requirements as needed.
• Utilise Sage 200 software extensively for financial management tasks, leveraging its features to streamline workflows and enhance reporting accuracy.
• Apply strong Excel skills to analyse data, prepare complex reconciliations, and generate insightful financial reports for decision‑making purposes.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement within the finance function, recommending changes that promote efficiency and accuracy.
• Provide ad hoc financial analysis and support to other departments as required, demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness to business needs.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate for the Interim Financial Controller position will bring substantial experience from previous roles overseeing finance functions within fast‑paced environments. Your background should include hands‑on involvement in managing teams where collaboration was key to achieving departmental goals. You will have demonstrated your capability in handling complex month‑end routines as well as supporting statutory reporting requirements. Familiarity with multi‑jurisdictional VAT matters, particularly UK VAT, is highly valued here. Your technical acumen with Sage 200 software must be complemented by advanced Excel abilities that allow you to interpret data effectively. Beyond technical skills, your approachable manner will help foster positive relationships both within your immediate team and across wider business units. Adaptability is crucial; you should feel comfortable responding constructively when faced with new challenges or shifting priorities.

• Proven experience working as a Financial Controller or in a similar senior finance role within a busy finance function is essential for success in this position.
• Fully Qualified - ACA, ACCA, CIMA
• Demonstrable ability to manage small teams effectively by fostering collaboration, providing guidance, and encouraging professional development among colleagues.
• Comprehensive understanding of month‑end processes including reconciliations, journal postings, accruals, prepayments, and report preparation is required.
• Experience assisting with statutory accounts preparation as well as coordinating external audits is highly desirable for this interim assignment.
• Strong knowledge of UK VAT regulations is essential; exposure or familiarity with Austrian and Irish VAT would be advantageous but not mandatory.
• Advanced proficiency using Sage 200 software is required; you should be comfortable navigating its features to manage financial data efficiently.
• Excellent Excel skills are necessary for analysing large datasets, preparing reconciliations, building reports, and supporting decision‑making processes.
• Ability to handle high volumes of sales transactions/invoices daily while maintaining accuracy under tight deadlines is important for this role.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills are needed to build trust within your team and communicate effectively across departments at all levels of the organisation.

A flexible approach combined with problem‑solving abilities will enable you to adapt quickly to changing priorities during this maternity cover contract.