Full-time, permanent position. Hybrid working (1 day office per week).
The Opportunity:
A high-growth, acquisitive, and truly international Marketing Agency group—backed significant Private Equity and a collaborative leadership team—is looking to appoint a Group Financial Controller.
With an annualised turnover of £300m and EBITDA of £30m, this dynamic business has completed several large acquisitions in the last 12 months and shows no signs of slowing down. Future-facing, tech-enabled, and operating across multiple territories, this is a rare opportunity to join a business that pairs scale with agility.
The Role:
Working closely with the Group Director of Accounting & Tax, and with one direct report (a Group Management Accountant), this newly defined role will take full ownership of group-level finance operations, consolidation, reporting, and head office oversight.
The outgoing Group Reporting Manager (who is relocating overseas) will provide a detailed handover—including remote support beyond their official end date—offering a seamless transition into this key leadership role.
The Group Financial Controller will act as a critical link between the group and its global agencies, taking ownership of financial control and reporting while actively contributing to high-level projects. The business has implemented Workday as its ERP and is well-positioned for continued international expansion and structural evolution.
Key Responsibilities:
- Oversight of group and head office month-end close, consolidations, reporting (via Cognos), and complex journals
- Direct management of one Group Management Accountant
- Review and support of balance sheet reconciliations, payroll, expenses, and accruals
- Preparation of the consolidation model, monthly management accounts, and group P&L forecasts
- Budget ownership for head office departments and recharge models
- Cash flow forecasting (13-week model), banking user management, and FX exposure oversight
- Lead liaison for external auditors (Grant Thornton), managing the year-end process, audit files, and statutory accounts
- Responsible for IFRS compliance, including IFRS 16 lease accounting and consolidation adjustments
- Corporate tax and VAT oversight, working alongside KPMG and in-house tax specialists
- Ownership of payroll journals, benefits admin (including AVIVA pensions and cycle scheme), and PAYE processes
- Involvement in acquisition planning (4x expected in next cycle), working alongside the Group Director on accounting treatment
- Business partnering with agency and head office functions to ensure accountability and accuracy in financial reporting
The Requirements:
- ACA qualified (preferably Big 4) with 1–2 roles post-practice, though this is not essential
- Strong technical accounting and consolidation skills, with comfort in fast-paced and complex environments
- Hands-on mindset: equally comfortable reviewing day-to-day finance operations and contributing to high-level strategic initiatives
- Experience in an acquisitive and/or international group structure highly desirable
- A calm operator, able to influence, support, and challenge across a globally distributed stakeholder base
Flexibility: Highly agile working model; open to the right structure for the right individual