Head of Group Accounting & Financial Control
Reference: 979370
Location: Midlands, UK
Type: Full-time, Permanent, Hybrid
Sector: Energy Infrastructure & Storage
Description
Our client integrates site development, construction, energy management and financing to stabilise the UK electrical grid and support intermittent renewable generation. Backed by major infrastructure investors and scaling rapidly, our client is recruiting for a Head of Group Accounting & Financial Control to join them on a permanent staff basis.
The Role
The Head of Group Accounting & Financial Control will own the integrity of the Group’s accounting records, the month-end close, Group consolidation, statutory and tax compliance, and the finance systems and data quality that underpin them. The role will deliver a robust month-end close, reliable balance sheet reporting and accurate Group consolidation across a growing portfolio of entities and SPVs, at a point where our client is moving to IFRS and to a more scalable finance platform.
This is a hands-on senior leadership role requiring strong technical accounting judgement and attention to detail. The successful candidate will be comfortable reviewing balance sheet reconciliations, resolving complex accounting matters, preparing consolidation entries and working with local finance teams and external auditors to deliver accurate, timely reporting.
The role leads the accountant and outsourced providers and works closely with the CFO, the FP&A Lead and the technology team.
Key Responsibilities
Group Accounting & Financial Control
Own the month-end close calendar, period-lock discipline and close-time targets, to be agreed within the first 90 days.
Perform detailed reviews of balance sheet reconciliations and investigate or challenge unusual and aged items.
Review general ledger accounts and accounting entries to ensure completeness, accuracy and compliance with Group accounting policies and IFRS.
Perform regular reconciliations between accounting records and cash movements, investigating and resolving any discrepancies in coordination with the relevant finance teams.
Own cash reporting and payment controls, and support treasury reporting (cash forecasting sits with the FP&A Lead).
Own the financial control framework appropriate for a growing, PE-backed Group, including journal governance, segregation of duties and a Group-wide record-to-report controls policy.
Ensure accurate actuals and provide reliable accounting data to the CFO, the FP&A Lead and other finance stakeholders, including the data and timetable for Board, InfraVia and lender reporting.
Statutory Accounts, Audit & Tax Support
Own delivery of the Group’s statutory accounting timetable.
Prepare and review statutory accounts, disclosures and supporting schedules.
Prepare audit deliverables and respond to queries from external auditors in coordination with the CFO.
Own VAT, CIS and other tax compliance processes, working with external providers and ensuring consistency with the underlying accounting records.
Oversee the outsourced payroll and tax providers [and company secretarial support – to be confirmed]
Consolidation, IFRS & Intercompany
Prepare and review monthly, quarterly and annual consolidation entries and supporting schedules.
Review reporting packages from subsidiaries and SPVs, ensuring consistent application of Group accounting policies and IFRS.
Lead the IFRS conversion and own IFRS technical accounting, including policies for impairment, leases (IFRS 16), decommissioning provisions and acquisition accounting, and accounting papers for significant or non-routine transactions.
Perform intercompany reconciliations and prepare elimination entries.
Own Chart of Accounts harmonisation and the move towards automated consolidation, defining requirements with the FP&A Lead and the technology team.
Project, Asset & Operational Accounting
Own the accounting for the Group’s operational assets and development activities, including revenue recognition for capacity market, PPA and balancing income.
In coordination with the FP&A Lead and the operational, development and technical teams, ensure accounting records and project cost capture reflect the underlying project development.
Review project, operational and asset invoicing from an accounting and cut-off perspective.
Own capex and fixed asset accounting, including the capitalisation policy, the fixed asset register and depreciation.
Systems, Processes & Data Quality
Own finance systems and data quality; identify opportunities to improve accounting tools, standardise processes and increase automation.
People & Partnering
Line-manage the Accountant and outsourced providers, and lead the move from several transactional roles to a single, automated model across two sites.
Work with the CFO on finance transformation, and partner with Operations, Development and technology colleagues on policies, approvals and project cost capture.
Key Requirements
Skills & Experience
Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent), with significant post-qualification experience in senior Group accounting, Group reporting or financial control within a complex, multi-entity environment.
Demonstrable experience operating at senior Financial Controller, Group Financial Controller, Head of Group Reporting or equivalent level.
Strong knowledge of IFRS, including experience preparing or reviewing technical accounting papers, and experience of an IFRS conversion or first-time adoption.
Hands-on experience of Group consolidation, multi-entity/SPV reporting, intercompany reconciliations and elimination entries.
Strong experience reviewing general ledger accounts, balance sheet reconciliations and month-end reporting.
Experience in a PE-backed or similarly governed environment (for example infrastructure or lender-financed).
Experience of acquisition or integration accounting, and of leading a small team and outsourced providers.
Experience in a project-based or multi-SPV environment; exposure to energy, infrastructure, utilities, project finance or another asset-intensive sector would be an advantage, including capacity market, PPA and BESS or gas peaking accounting. Transferable asset-heavy experience will be considered.
Experience of ERP or consolidation-system selection or implementation.
Due to current workloads, Simpson Booth regrets to inform that in the instance you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of your application, you are to consider your application unsuccessful at this time.