Please note this is a Fixed Term Contract until 31st December 2026
We’re looking for an established Financial Controller to lead all aspects of the FitFlop Financial Accounting department on an interim basis. You’ll be focused on maintaining and developing accurate accounting practices and procedures across our global business and leading a team of 12+ to deliver key business goals.
You’ll be a qualified accountant with proven experience in a similar global role within a fast‑pace and entrepreneurial environment ideally within the retail, ecommerce or FMCG space.
As well as the technical skills, you’ll be a confident communicator – able to share key information both up and down the business, highlighting risks and spotting opportunities in advance. You’ll be a strong leader and be able to motivate and develop your team to deliver their goals, as well as working within a wider finance community.
The Responsibilities:
- Overall responsibility for the Group Financial Control team, Accounts Payable and Credit Control including team members in the US.
- Owning the Monthly Management Accounts ensuring the accuracy of the numbers through appropriate revenue recognition, accrual and provisions, and working with the Commercial Finance team to produce the monthly management pack with value added commentary and analysis within two weeks of month end.
- Ensuring all journals are appropriately reviewed and authorized before being entered in to the G/L.
- Ensuring monthly balance sheet reconciliations are completed and reviewed to timelines, this should include a detailed review of all Balance Sheet accounts to identify any issues for action.
- Owning the cash‑flow reporting and forecasting short and long term on a weekly / daily basis, ensuring targets are set and achieved for cash collection and payments to factories, while maintaining an appropriate cash headroom.
- Owning tax across the business, including year‑end computations and payments, transfer pricing and country specific needs. This will include being the day to day contact for external tax advisors where appropriate.
- Contribute to the Group Budget and Reforecasts and 3‑5 Year Strategic Planning process, working with the Commercial Finance team. Support the yearly timetable for submissions and review meeting and instructions to achieve the accurate and timely delivery thereof.
- Authorising/recommending credit limits for customers and ensuring appropriate letters of credit and stand‑by letters of credit are in place before shipping to customers, particularly in APAC.
- Key contact for Due Diligence and data requests from auditors and banks as appropriate.
- Maintain, review and develop accounting practices and procedures across the business.
- Updating the whole business on high level financial performance with a simple slide and communication at appropriate cascade or leadership team opportunities.
- Supporting the roll‑out of a Core System Upgrade.
- Ad‑hoc requests from the CFO when required.
People:
- Management and development of a team of 15 across Financial Accounting, Credit Control, Accounts Payable and the US - setting clear goals and objectives, driving personal development and creating succession plans.
- Cross‑functional collaboration – working closely with your stakeholders across the business including Commercial Finance, Operations, HR and Legal.
- Communication – sharing key business information at the right time, highlighting risks and proposing potential solutions.
The Person:
- ACA qualified Accountant with proven experience, ideally in similar role, within FMCG, retail or ecommerce.
- Experience of working in an international business an advantage.
- A fantastic people manager with the ability to recruit, lead and motivate a team.
- A highly self‑motivated individual with a positive can‑do mind‑set, as well as an eye for the detail.
- Commercially minded with an excellent level of business acumen.
- Strong communication and influencing skills. Excellent stakeholder management skills; someone who recognises the importance of over‑communication to the team and wider business, within a matrixed international organisation.
- Independent thinker – has conviction and tenacity and takes initiative without waiting to be asked.
- Proactive nature – ability to identify the need for change and drive it through to action.
- Customer‑centric and commercial in your approach, you will enjoy working in a developing business – with all the growth pains that come with it!
- Resourceful and creative, focuses on getting the right things done within time commitments.
What good looks like:
- A robust financial control environment where there are clear process notes for each role, sign off levels for each journal, and review of every reconciliation each month end identifying actions that need to take place to clear reconciling items, ultimately to be reviewed with the Group Financial Controller monthly as a Balance Sheet sign off.
- Management Accounts completed, with commentary, and reviewed with CFO within 2 weeks of month end.
- A transformed management accounts pack that adds real value to the business, helping to define appropriate KPI’s for different divisions.
- Daily, weekly and monthly dynamic cash flow forecasting and reporting to the Group Financial Controller and CFO.
- A clear financial timetable, with appropriate review and presentation meeting booked into calendars at least 6 months in advance.
- Statutory Accounts and Tax Returns completed well in advance of deadlines, with the appropriate deliverables made available to the auditors and advisors to avoid over run costs.
- Communication to the Finance Team tailoring the content as appropriate to the audience, on a regular basis.
- Great people management, identifying and nurturing talent, so that key roles can be filled internally through succession planning and recruitment of high quality individuals externally where appropriate.
The Benefits:
- ⏰ Hybrid and flexible working hours (3 days per week in the office)
- ☀️ Summer Fridays (6 ½ days in July and August on Fridays)
- A day off for your Birthday
- ️ Work from anywhere for 2 weeks
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