They're are looking for someone who is hands on to look after the finance function as the current person is due to leave in 10 weeks, so there will be a lengthy handover. If you have a strong background with working SME businesses they may be interested in your profile. Ideally looking for the right person to start under 2 weeks.

The Role

As a forward-thinking company, success for us is a highly collaborative effort, and as such, a strong team player with experience and a commitment to perfection is required.

To be successful in this role, you will to take complete ownership of the overall finances of the business across UK, Sri-Lanka and the US. As the key point of contact providing financial support to non-finance stakeholders and senior management, you will take responsibility for all management accounting activities, look to improve modelling processes, review and improve long term planning. You will have full responsibility for budgeting and forecasting. Reporting to the Managing Director, you will be required to implement and deliver financial rigour, support decision making and information in line with the needs and requirements of the business.

Summary of Essential Job Functions

• Work closely with the COO and part-time CFO to prepare business plans providing proactive, strategic financial advice to improve our profitability, future growth. You will look to support on allocated resources and work to reduced costs.
• Oversight responsibility for Sales Ledger, Purchase Ledger, Cashbook and Control functions
• Responsible for reporting on the overall profitability of the business, ensuring that this correctly reported by regions
• Oversee a budgetary control system and monitor actual data against approved budgets, plus analyse any variances.
• Work with the Client Services team on revenue forecasting and targets, guiding on project profitability, KPI measures & Rate cards
• Act as a senior management advisor on commercial issues including agency, client, supplier and personnel contracts
• Communicate key financial messages and issues in a proactive, transparent and concise manner to ensuring all business stakeholders and managers are aware of issues (both positive and negative) impacting on the finances of the group
• Manage and monitor balance of accrued and deferred revenue and work in progress. Proactively reduce these balances and escalate issues
• Prepare month-end reconciliations of balance sheet accounts such as accrued revenue, deferred revenue and client billing Analyse and review Profit & Loss account and balance sheet making sure you understand all balances and act on any anomalies
• Design and provision of high quality and timely financial management information and KPIs to monitor performance and progress against agreed plans
• Regular management accounting duties, including the production of monthly management accounts; budgeting; financial forecasting
• Tax compliance (VAT/GST, Corporation and Payroll taxes)
• Compile Annual Statutory Reporting
• Management of cashflow
• Monitor and improve the internal control environment, ensuring that all transactions are properly authorised and controlled
• Develop and improve financial systems and processes that better serve the wider business
• Use financial analysis and information to proactively solve problems, make recommendations and provide solutions
• Management of revenue recognition programmes

Skills, Experience and Personal Attributes

• Experience working in multiple currencies with multiple tax jurisdictions/requirements
• Provide proactive & commercial strategic financial recommendations to allow growth
• Strong financial modelling experience, specifically for integrated budget models
• Hands-on approach, attention to detail, and the ability to lead by example
• The ability to communicate well with people on all levels and influence key stakeholders
• Organised and disciplined approach to managing and achieving individual tasks and overall workload.
• Ability to be flexible, and adapt to a fast paced and changing environment
• Must be able to thrive in situations that are not always structured or defined
• Experience within the media/digital/creative/marketing communications sector
• Experience with general ledger functions and the month-end/year-end close process
• ACA/ACCA/CIMA experience gained at Financial Controller level in SME businesses
• Previous experience of working in a fast-moving environment with the ability to communicate at all levels