Project Controller

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL); Guildford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

SSTL in the United Kingdom seeks a Finance lead for costing and bidding, and to act as the CFO for projects. You will review bid costings prepared by Engineering, ensure currency, rates, margins, taxation and contingencies are correct, and work with the Bid team to optimise cash flow and profitability.

You will also monitor project performance, review costs and forecasts with Project Managers, and prepare management accounting data plus customer reporting.

Qualifications

• ACCA/CIMA/ACA or related degree would be desirable.
• Proven and demonstrable experience in a relevant role.
• Experience in a project-related IFRS 15 environment with costing and bidding.
• Experience in a dynamic, fast-paced organisation within engineering/manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Lead finance on bids; validate bid costings against criteria such as currency, rates, profit, taxation and contingencies.
• Collaborate with Bid manager on milestone payment plans for cash flow optimisation.
• Assist bid managers with bid presentation packs.
• Maintain project financial health; review actuals, commitments and forecasts with project teams.
• Prepare monthly/quarterly management accounting data and cash flow forecasts.
• Manage customer financial reporting and liaise with customers' financial tools.
• Support internal/external audits and drive process improvements in finance.
• Act as a CFO-style adviser within the project decision-making process.

Skills

Positive attitude

Organisational skills

Analytical skills

Team working

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Multi-tasking

Education

ACCA / CIMA / ACA or related degree desirable

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Dynamics

Data Warehouse

SharePoint

S4 Hana (Public Cloud)

Job description

Key Purpose of Role

To ensure the effective financial control of various designated projects & bids.

Reports To

Financial Project Control Manager

Key Tasks

Costing & Bidding

• Operate as finance lead on bidding activities. This involves reviewing & validating the bid costings that have been prepared by Engineering. Ensure that associated financial criteria are correctly applied (e.g. foreign currency, customer approved rates, profit margins, taxation, provisions & contingencies).
• Work with Bid manager to determine appropriate milestone payment plans to ensure most favourable cash position.
• Assist bid managers with bid presentation pack preparation.
• Work with Bid team to ensure compliance to the Bid Process.

Project Control

• Working closely with project managers to ensure financial objectives are met and to play a key role within the project decision making process whilst striving to act as the “CFO” of the project.
• Regular review of project actual costs, commitments and forecasts with the Project team & project managers, in conjunction with the project schedule.
• Regular review of overall financial project health and steer of recovery actions (e.g. cash, debtors, in year financial trading position).
• Presentation of financial status in relevant management reviews.
• Regular review of the project risk register ensuring a strong risk management culture and financial link.
• Work across functions to resolve queries, mitigate issues and ensure project data is of the highest quality.
• Providing required management accounting project data according to the reporting schedule of the business. Includes sales, profit & cash flow monthly / quarterly forecasting.
• Management of all customer financial reporting requirements & interaction with customer’s financial / reporting tools for both bids and projects.
• Support to any required internal / external project related audits.
• Taking an active role in identifying and delivering improvements to processes within finance and the business (e.g. assisting with collection of cost of non-quality data)
• Ad-hoc requests from team leader.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications

ACCA / CIMA / ACA or related degree would be desirable.

Experience

Proven and demonstrable experience in a relevant role.

Experience within a project-related (IFRS 15) environment covering both costing, bidding and program delivery.

Experience within a dynamic and fast paced organisation.

Experience within an Engineering / Manufacturing industry.

Knowledge & Skills

• Positive attitude and strong work ethic
• Excellent organisational, analytical and team working skills.
• Flexible and able to multi-task; managing a number of different bids and projects simultaneously and being able to adapt to changing priorities.
• Solid understanding of finance & applicable project accounting standards.
• Excellent inter‑personal & communication skills – both written and verbal.
• Able to develop good working relationships with key people in the business.
• Ability to use various Microsoft tools (e.g. Excel, Power point, Dynamics, Data Warehouse, Share point). A high level of Excel skill is required.
• High level of concentration and attention to detail with ability to sense check.
• Knowledge of S4 Hana (Public Cloud) would be advantageous but not essential.

Location

• Guildford, Surrey

Other

• The successful candidate will be required to obtain and maintain a UK national security clearance