Chartered Accountant with a strong technical grounding from Big Four audit training, now looking to bring that foundation into a Financial Controller role within an SME. Comfortable getting hands-on across the full finance function — reporting, consolidation, audit, budgeting and cashflow — rather than sitting within one specialism of a larger team.
Currently operating as Group Accountant within an international group, where the day-to-day involves owning monthly management accounts, year-end statutory accounts, and the external audit relationship — practical, technical experience that translates directly into an SME setting.
What makes them genuinely different:
- Hands-on ownership of monthly management accounts and consolidated financial reporting — used to being the one who actually produces the numbers, not just reviewing them.
- Leads year-end financial statements and manages the audit process directly with auditors — confident running this end-to-end.
- Prepares rolling cashflow forecasts on a regular cycle — practical cash discipline that’s directly relevant to SME finance.
- Owns budget and forecast consolidation across multiple business areas, with experience aligning numbers across different parts of a business.
- Acts as the technical accounting point of contact, comfortable resolving accounting queries and keeping things compliant without needing to escalate.
- Big Four trained, with solid grounding in audit fundamentals — risk assessment, controls, and substantive testing — plus exposure to acquisitions, disposals and transaction due diligence.
- Has managed audit teams and supported junior staff development, so comfortable building and leading a small finance team.
Best suited for: Financial Controller roles within an SME or owner-managed business, ideally £5m–£50m turnover. A good fit for a business that wants someone technically capable and reliable, who can take ownership of the finance function day to day and grow into the role as the business does.
