Financial Controller

Walsh Waste & Recycling; Oranmore; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Walsh Waste & Recycling is seeking a Financial Controller to own the commercial and strategic finance agenda, reporting to the General Manager. You will lead the finance function end to end, shaping it from the ground up and supporting growth toward 2031 targets.

You will oversee the Finance/Management Accountant tier, drive pricing discipline, and deliver timely management accounts, statutory reporting, and robust KPIs for senior leadership.

Qualifications

• 7+ years’ experience in finance leadership roles.
• A professional accountancy qualification (ACA/ACCA/CPA/CIMA) is essential.
• Experience leading a finance team and managing through others.
• Commercial mindset with pricing tendering or contract negotiation experience.
• Proficient with analytics/AI tools and financial systems.

Responsibilities

• Drive commercial and strategic finance for the group, including pricing discipline.
• Lead monthly management accounts, statutory statements, and external audit.
• Own budgeting, rolling forecasts, cash flow, and treasury management.
• Develop and lead the finance team and supplier relationships.
• Implement systems and process improvements for better reporting and insight.

Skills

Leadership

Pricing

Forecasting

Analytics/AI tools

Contract negotiation

Education

ACA/ACCA/CPA/CIMA

Tools

CRM

Finance systems

Analytics tools

Job description

The Financial Controller owns the commercial and strategic finance agenda for the group, reporting directly to the General Manager. The role leads the finance function end to end, including the Finance/Management Accountant tier that carries day-to-day transactional and statutory work, and is the senior finance voice supporting the General Managers plan for financial visibility, pricing discipline and controlled growth toward the company's 2031 targets.

This is a genuine opportunity to help build something meaningful during an exciting phase of growth. Rather than inheriting a finished finance function, you will have the chance to shape and influence it from the ground up. We are looking for someone who thrives in a hands-on environment, embraces the detail and is happy to work alongside the team.

Key responsibilities

Commercial and Strategic Finance

• Analyse historic financial performance to identify trends, variances and opportunities, supporting strategic decision-making with clear insight.
• Own pricing strategy: maintain price lists, track competitor pricing and lead the pricing committee — presenting the pricing strategy and any material price changes to the GM for approval and sign-off.
• Provide commercial finance input into tenders — pricing, quotations, contract terms and deal pricing.
• Support the GM with the strategic development of the finance function.
• Lead financial analysis for strategic projects, including due diligence to support potential acquisitions.

Financial Control, Reporting and Compliance

• Produce monthly management accounts and analysis and review internal accounting reports to ensure proper application of revenue recognition policy.
• Prepare statutory financial statements and lead the annual external audit process.
• Ensure compliance with VAT, PAYE/PRSI, CT and other statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain and improve tight financial controls across the business.
• Review and produce KPIs and weekly/monthly dashboards for the leadership team.
• Document finance policies and procedures.

Budgeting, Cash and Treasury

• Lead the annual budget process: work with each department head to build and challenge their department budget, consolidate into the group budget, and present it to the GM for review and sign-off.
• Roll out approved budgets to department heads and hold quarterly review meetings with each department to track performance against budget and agreed targets.
• Own rolling forecasts and run regular forecasting meetings with department head; monitor actuals against budget and forecast and work with stakeholders to understand and address deviations.
• Manage treasury, cash flow forecasting, working capital and credit management.
• Oversee payroll governance — controls, reconciliations, exceptions and approvals — including where processing is outsourced.

Systems, Process and People

• Lead systems and process improvement, getting the most from existing tools and identifying where new ones are needed.
• Make active use of analytics/AI tools, the CRM and other internal systems to improve reporting and insight.
• Lead and develop the finance team, including the Finance/Management Accountant tier and wider finance/business support staff.
• Manage key finance-related supplier relationships (banking, professional advisers).

Person specification

• 7+ years’ experience preferably in the private sector or industry.
• A professional accountancy qualification is essential (ACA, ACCA, CPA or CIMA).
• Has held a finance leadership position (Head of Finance or Financial Controller) in a service, industry-based or multi-site environment.
• Track record of leading and developing a finance team, ideally including managing through another finance manager rather than only individual contributors
• Commercially minded, with direct pricing experience, tendering or contract negotiation, not just reporting on them
• Confident using modern analytics/AI tools and financial systems to drive reporting and insight, not just produce it.
• Waste & recycling, transport & logistics or broader multi-branch services experience is desirable but not essential.
• Able to work under their own initiative, manage competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment

Closing date for applications is Monday the 5th of October.