Assistant Finance controller, Finance

Apex Group Ltd (UK Branch); Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Apex Group is seeking a Financial Controller for our shared service center. This role ensures high-quality financial information, robust controls, and scalable processes to support operations across Europe and the broader group.

You will partner with FP&A, Tax, and Business Finance Leads to align results with forecasts and plans. The position requires a CA qualification, a accounting/finance degree, and 3–5 years post-qualification Controllership experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related discipline.
• Qualified Chartered Accountant.
• 3-5 years post-qualification experience in a Controllership or comparable role.
• Strong systems and technical skills, and ability to adapt to new and changing technology.
• Private Equity-backed portfolio company experience strongly preferred.
• Experience owning and leading month-end consolidation and reporting to a parent entity.
• Experience working with distributed international finance teams and shared service centers.
• Desire to operate in fast-paced and change-oriented environments.
• Strong business partnering skills.
• Experience leading external audits, preferably with a Big Four auditor.
• Technical expertise in IFRS and internal controls over financial reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead local month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close processes with accurate reporting to the parent entity.
• Prepare consolidated financial statements and management reports for the Board and lenders.
• Perform monthly balance sheet reviews, reconciliations, and variance analyses.
• Coordinate external audit processes.
• Develop and maintain accounting policies in line with IFRS and Group policies.
• Design and monitor internal controls over financial reporting; remediate gaps.

Skills

Financial reporting

Consolidation

IFRS knowledge

Business partnering

Auditing coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance

Chartered Accountant (CA)

Job description

The Apex Group was established in Bermuda in 2003 and is now one of the world’s largest fund administration and middle office solutions providers.

Our business is unique in its ability to reach globally, service locally and provide cross-jurisdictional services. With our clients at the heart of everything we do, our hard-working team has successfully delivered on an unprecedented growth and transformation journey, and we are now represented by over circa 13,000 employees across 112 offices worldwide.Your career with us should reflect your energy and passion.

That’s why, at Apex Group, we will do more than simply ‘empower’ you. We will work to supercharge your unique skills and experience.

Take the lead and we’ll give you the support you need to be at the top of your game. And we offer you the freedom to be a positive disrupter and turn big ideas into bold, industry-changing realities.

For our business, for clients, and for you

Purpose of the Role

The Financial Controller based in our shared service center responsible for leading the controllership function and ensuring the integrity of the financial information across our local operations within Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. You will report to the Jersey Head of Finance and work closely with the broader finance team.

The primary purpose of this role is to ensure high-quality and timely financial information, a robust control environment, and scalable processes that enable leverage of investments in our technology platforms and our Shared Service capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Reporting & Close

• Local month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close processes, ensuring accurate and timely reporting of all relevant entities to the parent entity
• Preparation of consolidated financial statements and management reports for the Board, private equity sponsor, and lenders
• Monthly balance sheet reviews, account reconciliations, and variance analyses
• Coordination of external audit processes

Policies, Controls & Compliance

• Develop, implement, and maintain accounting policies in line with IFRS and Group policies
• Design and monitor internal controls over financial reporting; remediate control gaps and drive a culture of control discipline
• Compliance with tax, statutory, and regulatory reporting requirements in partnership with Tax and Legal
• Lead technical accounting assessments for complex transactions
• Post merger integration of accounting systems, policies and procedures
• Finance transformation initiatives, including ERP, process automation, and standardization of local procedures with the wider group and shared services center

Business Partnering & Strategic Support

• Partner with FP&A, Treasury, Tax, and Business Finance Leads to ensure alignment of reported results with forecasts and plans
• Partnership and building strong relationships with our Business Finance Leads is critical to success in this role

Leadership & Culture

• Being a valued Partner to the Business
• Enhance our Culture of High Performing Teams and Accountability
• Lead by example by embodying the ‘Get It Done’ mindset and be willing to ‘Do the Do’ yourself.
• Mentor and coach direct reports

Experience required

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related discipline
• Qualified Chartered Accountant
• 3-5 years post-qualification experience in a Controllership or comparable role
• Strong systems and technical skills, and ability to adapt to new and changing technology
• Private Equity-backed portfolio company experience strongly preferred
• Experience in having owned and led month-end consolidation process, and reporting to a third party or parent entity
• Experience in working closely with distributed international finance teams and shared service centers
• Desire to operate in fast-paced and change-oriented environments
• Strong business partnering skills
• Experience leading external audits, preferably with a Big Four auditor
• Technical expertise in IFRS and internal controls over financial reporting

Disclaimer: Unsolicited CVs sent to Apex (Talent Acquisition Team or Hiring Managers) by recruitment agencies will not be accepted for this position. Apex operates a direct sourcing model and where agency assistance is required, the Talent Acquisition team will engage directly with our exclusive recruitment partners.