ESG
Financial Controller
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Reports to: Managing Director
Contract: Maternity Cover
Direct Reports:
- Management Accountant
- Accounts Administrator
- Accounts Administrator
Role Purpose
The Financial Controller is responsible for leading the finance function at ESG, ensuring the company operates with robust financial controls, accurate financial reporting, strong governance, and commercially focused financial management. While the Management Accountant prepares the monthly management accounts and day-to-day financial reporting, the Financial Controller is accountable for reviewing, challenging, and approving the financial information before it is presented to the Managing Director and Senior Leadership Team. The role will provide strategic financial leadership, improve business performance through commercial analysis, manage cash flow and working capital, and ensure ESG’s rental assets and storage operations achieve maximum return on investment. As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Financial Controller will provide financial insight that supports profitable growth, operational excellence, and informed decision-making.
Finance Leadership
- Lead, mentor, and develop the finance team.
- Manage the workload and priorities of the Management Accountant and Accounts Administrators.
- Build a high-performing finance department.
- Drive a culture of accountability, accuracy, and continuous improvement.
- Develop finance processes and procedures.
- Ensure appropriate segregation of duties and financial controls.
- Support recruitment, training, and succession planning within the department.
Financial Reporting & Governance
- Review, challenge, and approve all financial reporting prepared by the Management Accountant, including:
- Monthly Management Accounts
- Profit & Loss
- Balance Sheet
- Cash Flow
- Departmental Performance
- Project Profitability
- Gross Margin Reporting
- Accruals and Prepayments
- Journals
- Balance Sheet Reconciliations
- Work in Progress (WIP)
- Fixed Asset Register
- The Financial Controller is accountable for the completeness, accuracy, and integrity of all financial information presented to the business.
Cash Flow & Working Capital
- Producing and reviewing rolling cash flow forecasts.
- Monitoring daily cash balances.
- Managing working capital.
- Reviewing debtor collections.
- Approving supplier payment runs.
- Managing payment terms.
- Supporting banking facilities and funding requirements.
- Improving cash conversion across the business.
Commercial Finance
- Review project profitability.
- Analyse project margins.
- Identify commercial risks.
- Challenge financial performance.
- Support pricing decisions.
- Review major quotations and commercial proposals.
- Produce financial analysis for strategic decisions.
- Identify cost-saving opportunities.
- Improve overall business profitability.
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Budgeting & Forecasting
- Lead the annual budgeting process.
- Produce quarterly forecasts.
- Monitor departmental expenditure.
- Analyse budget variances.
- Produce scenario modelling.
- Support strategic planning.
Rental Assets
- Review rental asset utilisation and maximise return on investment.
- Monitor rental revenue against asset value.
- Produce monthly rental performance reports.
- Review asset depreciation and replacement programmes.
- Ensure the rental asset register is accurate and reconciled with the fixed asset register.
- Monitor damaged, lost, and obsolete assets.
- Review rental pricing to maximise profitability.
- Recommend future rental asset investment.
Storage
- Monitor profitability of customer storage services.
- Review warehouse occupancy and utilisation.
- Analyse storage revenue against available capacity.
- Ensure all storage charges are accurately invoiced.
- Identify opportunities to improve warehouse profitability.
- Support pricing reviews for storage services.
Financial Controls
- Purchase approval procedures.
- Supplier payment controls.
- Credit control.
- Company credit cards.
- Expenses.
- Fixed asset controls.
- Stock valuation.
- Banking controls.
- Delegated authority limits.
- Financial policies and procedures.
Systems & Reporting
- Microsoft Business Central
- Power BI Financial Reporting
- Banking Systems
- Expense Management Systems
- Develop reporting that provides timely and meaningful information to management.
Compliance
- Companies Act
- HMRC Regulations
- VAT
- PAYE
- Pension Regulations
- Internal Financial Policies
- Audit Requirements
- External Reporting Obligations
- Act as the primary contact for external accountants, auditors, and banking partners.
Leadership
- Lead and develop the finance team.
- Conduct regular one-to-one meetings.
- Complete performance reviews.
- Set objectives and development plans.
- Promote continuous improvement.
- Build strong working relationships across all departments.
- Support managers with financial understanding and decision-making.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Financial Performance:
- Month-end accounts signed off within five working days;
- Accurate financial reporting
- Clean year-end audit
- Cash flow forecast accuracy
- Debtor days within target
- Creditor days within agreed terms
- Budget and forecast accuracy
- Gross margin reporting accuracy
Commercial Performance:
- Project profitability improvements
- Working capital improvements
- Cash conversion improvements
- Financial risk reduction
- Cost-saving initiatives delivered.
Rental & Storage:
- Rental utilisation percentage
- Rental return on assets (ROA)
- Rental revenue; Rental gross margin
- Rental asset availability
- Lost and damaged asset cost
- Storage occupancy percentage
- Storage revenue
- Storage gross margin
- Revenue per square metre of storage
- Warehouse utilisation
- Uninvoiced rental and storage value.
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Leadership:
- Finance team development
- Process improvements implemented
- Automation projects delivered
- Cross-department stakeholder satisfaction.
Authority
- Approval of monthly management accounts.
- Supplier payment runs (within delegated authority).
- Financial procedures and controls.
- Accounting policies.
- Banking relationships.
- Balance sheet sign-off.
- Year-end accounts.
- Audit responses.
- Finance team management.
- Budget monitoring and reporting.
Essential Experience
- ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified (or qualified by significant experience).
- Minimum five years in a senior finance role.
- Experience leading finance teams.
- Strong commercial awareness.
- Manufacturing, construction, exhibition, or project-based industry experience.
- Excellent knowledge of management accounting.
- Cash flow forecasting expertise.
- Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
- Experience using ERP systems.
Desirable
- Microsoft Business Central.
- Power BI.
- Project accounting.
- Asset management.
- Rental business experience.
- Multi-company accounting.
- European VAT knowledge.
Personal Attributes
- Commercially minded.
- Strong leadership skills.
- Highly organised.
- Excellent attention to detail.
- Analytical thinker.
- Proactive problem solver.
- Excellent communicator.
- Honest and trustworthy.
- Calm under pressure.
- Positive attitude.
- Continuous improvement mindset.
Success Measures
Within the first 12 months, the Financial Controller will have:
- Built a highly effective finance function recognised for accuracy, responsiveness, and commercial insight.
- Reduced month-end reporting to within five working days.
- Strengthened financial controls and governance across the business.
- Improved cash flow forecasting and working capital performance.
- Delivered accurate budgeting and forecasting processes.
- Implemented meaningful financial dashboards using Business Central and Power BI.
- Improved the commercial performance of ESG’s rental assets and storage operations.
- Become a trusted financial adviser to the Managing Director and Senior Leadership Team.
Role Summary
The Financial Controller is a senior leadership position responsible for ensuring the financial health, governance, and commercial success of ESG. The role combines strong financial control with commercial business partnering, supporting the continued growth of the business through accurate reporting, effective leadership, and sound financial decision-making.
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