Financial Controller

Borehamwood £75,000-£85,000 Permanent

A growing stock-led retail, wholesale and e-commerce business is looking for a commercially minded Financial Controller to take ownership of its accountancy function following a sustained period of growth.

This is less about inheriting a perfectly polished accountancy department and more about improving what is already there. The business has grown quickly, creating a genuine need to redesign processes, strengthen controls and build better financial reporting for the leadership team.

Based in Borehamwood, you'll report directly into senior leadership, manage a small finance team and have the autonomy to shape how finance operates as the business moves into its next stage.

The role

As Financial Controller, you'll take responsibility for both the day-to-day finance operation and the development of a more scalable reporting and control environment.

You'll be joining a stock-led wholesale and e-commerce business where understanding stock, margin, working capital and cash flow is particularly important.

You'll be responsible for:

• Producing monthly management accounts, including meaningful variance and margin analysis
• Redesigning finance processes and controls to support continued growth
• Developing management information and financial reporting for senior leadership
• Building budgets, forecasts and cash flow models
• Improving reporting around stock, gross profit, margins and working capital
• Taking ownership of balance sheet reconciliations and financial controls
• Managing cash, banking and funding relationships
• Overseeing transactional finance across receivables, payables and credit control
• Improving systems, automation and the wider finance infrastructure
• Managing intercompany accounting and reconciliations
• Preparing year-end files and liaising with external accountants and auditors
• Managing and developing a small finance team
• Working closely with operational and commercial teams across the business

What we're looking for

The successful Financial Controller will ideally be ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified and comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial SME environment where finance still needs developing.

You'll probably have:

• Previous experience leading or significantly managing an SME finance function
• Strong management accounting and financial reporting experience
• Experience improving processes, controls and reporting following business growth
• Good knowledge of stock accounting, margins and working capital
• Strong Excel and financial modelling skills
• Experience using modern accounting and ERP systems
• Confidence working directly with senior management and challenging where appropriate
• A practical approach and willingness to remain hands-on when required

Exposure to online retail platforms or e-commerce accounting would be useful, although the core requirement is experience within a stock-led wholesale environment rather than being an e-commerce specialist.

What's on offer

The role offers a salary of £75,000-£85,000 alongside the opportunity to genuinely influence how a growing business manages its finances.

For someone based around Borehamwood, this is a particularly interesting opportunity if you've reached the point where maintaining someone else's processes is becoming less appealing than actually building better ones.

Applications are welcomed from qualified finance professionals looking for a broad, visible role where financial reporting, process improvement and commercial involvement all sit firmly within their remit.