Sowena Group
Financial Controller
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Job Title: Financial Controller
Location: Preston (On-Site)
Salary: £75,000-£85,000
Reporting to: Group Finance Director
About the Company
Our client is a rapidly growing, private equity-backed business based in Preston. Following significant investment, the organisation has expanded through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions and has ambitious plans for continued growth.
Despite its growth, the business has retained an entrepreneurial, fast-paced culture where accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement are highly valued. This is an exciting opportunity to join an ambitious organisation where you'll have the opportunity to make a genuine impact while helping shape the next stage of its growth journey.
The Role
Sowena Group have been exclusively retained to recruit for a Financial Controller to take ownership of the finance function. Reporting directly to the Group Finance Director, you'll play a pivotal role in strengthening financial control, improving processes and supporting the continued growth and transformation of the business.
This is far more than a traditional Financial Controller position. It's a hands-on role within a complex organisation where you'll have genuine influence over financial performance while helping shape the future of finance through systems transformation and continuous improvement.
As the organisation continues to invest in its finance function and operating model, the role will evolve to include broader commercial support and business partnering responsibilities, working closely with stakeholders to drive operational performance, improve profitability and optimise cash generation.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Control & Reporting
- Take full ownership of the monthly management accounts process, including P&L reporting, balance sheet reconciliations and detailed variance analysis.
- Maintain and enhance robust financial controls, ensuring accuracy, compliance and continuous improvement across the finance function.
- Lead cash flow forecasting, working capital management and support effective cash collection activities.
- Prepare annual budgets, regular forecasts and meaningful KPIs that provide valuable insight into business performance.
- Coordinate statutory reporting, support the annual audit process and liaise with external advisors.
- Ensure compliance with all relevant tax and statutory reporting requirements, including VAT, CIS and corporation tax.
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Business Partnering
- Act as the trusted finance partner to operational leadership teams, providing timely financial support and commercial insight.
- Deliver meaningful analysis to support decision-making, improve margins, manage costs and drive operational performance.
- Support project and contract accounting, including work in progress (WIP), profitability reporting and financial performance analysis.
- Present complex financial information in a clear and practical way to support non-financial stakeholders.
Systems & Continuous Improvement
- Support the ongoing development of finance systems, reporting processes and internal controls.
- Play a key role in the implementation and optimisation of NetSuite, working alongside finance and transformation teams.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, standardise processes and increase the use of system-led reporting.
- Contribute to finance transformation initiatives as the organisation continues to scale and evolve.
Leadership & Collaboration
- Provide guidance and oversight to the transactional finance team, ensuring the effective delivery of core finance processes.
- Build strong relationships across operational and support functions to promote best practice and financial accountability.
- Collaborate closely with central finance and wider business teams to ensure consistent reporting, robust controls and alignment with organisational objectives.
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About You
- ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified.
- Strong background in financial control, management accounting and month-end reporting within a fast-paced operational environment.
- Previous experience within a project-based, operational or contracting environment, with knowledge of contract accounting and WIP reporting (advantageous).
- A solid understanding of UK GAAP and statutory reporting requirements.
- Experience of improving finance processes, strengthening financial controls and supporting systems or finance transformation projects. Exposure to NetSuite (advantageous).
- Strong commercial awareness, with the confidence to challenge, influence and build trusted relationships across finance and operational teams.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate financial information into meaningful insight for non-finance stakeholders.
- The ambition to grow into a broader commercial finance and business partnering role as the organisation continues to evolve.
Why Join?
- A high-profile role with direct exposure to senior leadership.
- The opportunity to lead meaningful finance transformation and systems improvement initiatives.
- A varied position that combines financial control with increasing commercial influence and business partnering.
- Genuine career development within a growing organisation committed to investing in its people and processes.
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