Head of Financial Reporting, Financial Services FTC

Our client, a leading Consumer Finance company are looking to boost their Finance team.

They currently have a vacancy for a Head of Financial Reporting on a fixed term contract basis. There will be a blend of home/office working.

Candidates must have a Financial Services background.

Overview of the Role

To head up the financial reporting function for the group, being primarily responsible for external quarterly reporting.

Responsible for annual external reporting for all 16 entities within the Group.

For all external reporting, ensure compliance with IFRS and Companies house.

To hold key relationships with various teams around the business e.g. Analytics, Legal, IT, Investor relations to keep up to date with business activities and ensure all relevant information is included within the annual report.

Key contact within the Finance team with external auditors

Ownership over complex judgemental accounting areas – producing accounting papers, month end processes, quarterly audit committee papers over key judgements.

Perform/review month end procedures for majority of these areas, including production of monthly manual journals. These areas include IFRS 9, EIR, securitisation, bond sale accounting, bond premium and interest accounting, IFRS 16, share based payments, complaints provision.

Ownership of accounting for complaints, including having an in depth understanding of how complaints redress is calculated and accounting entries resulting from this, collation of complaints data and calculation of current and forward looking generic provisions.

Review of month end and quarter end management information, investigating and analysing cost variances to plan etc. Work with teams to ensure completeness and accuracy of management information in line with accounting policies.

Skills and Experience

Essential:

??? Managing a team, regular constructive feedback, running appraisals etc

??? Experience reviewing monthly journals, monthly management accounts, investigating variances etc

??? IFRS/Companies house knowledge, in depth knowledge of accounting standards used by the business, ensure financial statements are compliant

??? Project management – managing quarterly calendar, delegation to ensure all external reporting

??? Review of monthly management accounts

??? Presentational skills – presenting detailed technical accounting matters in a clear, understandable way

Desirable:

??? Audit experience / experience of reviewing financial statements – using skeptism to review numbers and ensure complete accuracy and internal consistency. Reviewing compliance with accounting standards

Knowledge and Behaviours

Essential:

??? Attention to detail

??? Proactive – ensure aware of business activities, proactively action and consider impact on finance team

??? Takes ownership

??? Knowledge of all relevant accounting standards, applying them to technical accounting papers needed to be produced

??? A basic knowledge of tax, liasing with tax specialists