Financial Controller - Leading Branding/Design Agency

Our client is recognised as one of the world’s leading strategic brand design agencies known for its award winning work for clients

The Role

The primary role of the Financial Controller is to provide day to day control and management of the company’s finances as a foundation for the stability, growth and profitability of the business

Within this role a key objective is to develop/improve our overall financial processes, systems and practices and lay the foundation for a more efficient/effective business in a way that provides a strong platform for our creativity.

Responsibilities

This role will include the following specific responsibilities:

Financial Planning

• Leading both short-term and longer-term financial planning in consultation with the partners, the managing director and the senior management team
• Preparation of annual budgets/business plans
• Weekly and monthly revenue, profit & loss and cash flow forecasting
• Setting revenue targets
• Staff capacity, utilisation and rate card development/analysis

Financial Control & Compliance

• Providing effective control and management of all aspects of the company’s finances and maintaining integrity of all financial information
• Managing cash requirements of the business
• Review of performance against budget
• Development and maintenance of internal control systems
• Job costing and job profitability analysis
• Supervision of sales ledger – including debt recovery, setting client terms and invoicing
• Supervision of purchase ledger – including setting supplier terms & managing payments
• Ensure compliance with accounting standards
• Ensure compliance with all government legislation and any other statutory bodies
• Liaison with external consultants
• Liaison with payroll bureau
• VAT Returns

Financial Systems

• Establishing and monitoring of appropriate systems, databases and processes
• Developing and maintaining an effective, accurate and streamlined management reporting of finances including job costing, invoicing, job profitability and financial performance
• Identify systems/processes improvements to gain greater efficiency

Reporting & Analysis

• Weekly update on business performance via management report
• Monthly reporting to management teams in London
• Ad-hoc reporting/analysis

Team Leadership

• Leading and developing the London finance team of three (including FC)
• Establish clear responsibilities, roles and career development for finance staff
• Lead 6 monthly appraisals in conjunction with partners and managing director

Legal matters

• Review of customer contracts/terms & conditions
• Liaise with external legal consultants

Reporting Structure

• Directly to the Managing Director and working in close consultation with the  managing director on a daily basis.
• Close liaison with the members of the senior management teams in London and New York.
• Liaise with the company’s external accountants to assist with the preparation of quarterly and year-end accounts for the partnership mainly for tax purposes.

Key Attributes & Skills

• Strong financial and commercial know-how, awareness and intelligence
• The vision to see the ‘bigger picture’ and relate finance to the broader business issues and opportunities

Experience of the design industry or the wider creative/media industry would be preferred but is not essential.