Financial controller - FMCG, Beauty Wellness

Type and Location: Full-time - Hybrid (London - Oxford Street)
Reporting to: Head of Finance

Role Overview

The Financial Controller will be responsible for supporting and overseeing the Group's accounting and financial operations, ensuring robust processes, strong financial control, accurate accounting records, and full regulatory compliance across international entities.

The role requires a highly hands-on professional able to personally execute a broad range of accounting and finance activities on a day-to-day basis. The successful candidate will be comfortable working directly within SAP, preparing reconciliations, posting journals, analysing financial data, and managing detailed accounting processes without reliance on large support teams.

A significant portion of the role currently involves the use of advanced Excel models and workbooks to support reconciliations, accounting analyses, month-end activities, and financial controls. The successful candidate will be expected not only to maintain and enhance these processes, but also to help drive the gradual migration of manual and Excel-based activities into SAP, improving efficiency, automation, and scalability over time.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Reporting & Control

• Manage monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes
• Prepare and maintain accurate accounting records across multiple entities
• Personally prepare and post accounting journals and adjustments as part of the month-end and year-end close process
• Prepare detailed month-end and year-end supporting schedules using Excel
• Develop and maintain accounting workpapers, accrual calculations, prepayment schedules, fixed asset registers, and supporting documentation
• Lead the preparation of year-end financial statements and support statutory audits
• Ensure compliance with UK GAAP and/or IFRS
• Maintain strong financial controls and ensure accuracy of financial data
• Investigate and resolve accounting discrepancies, balance sheet issues, and reconciliation differences through detailed analysis of financial information
• Prepare supporting schedules, audit files, and documentation required for statutory and external audit purposes

2. Intercompany & Accounting Operations

• Manage intercompany accounting across multiple international entities, including recharges, reconciliations, and cross-border transactions
• Ensure accurate and timely recording of transactions across entities, including hands-on journal postings and transaction management within SAP
• Perform and maintain balance sheet reconciliations, ensuring timely investigation and resolution of outstanding items

3. Payroll, Tax & Compliance

• Manage payroll processes and related accounting entries
• Ensure compliance with UK tax requirements (VAT, PAYE, corporate tax as applicable)
• Support statutory reporting and audit processes

4. Systems & Process Improvement

• Maintain and optimise financial systems (including SAP or similar ERP)
• Identify and implement process improvements and automation initiatives
• Ensure data integrity across finance systems
• Support the ongoing enhancement of SAP processes and controls across the finance function

5. Team & Stakeholder Interaction

• Support and coordinate junior finance team members where required
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders across departments
• Act as a reliable finance point of contact within the business

Candidate Profile

• 5–10 years of Accounting & Finance experience
• Strong knowledge of UK accounting standards and compliance
• Proven experience managing month-end, quarter-end and year-end financial close processes
• Experience with intercompany accounting
• Experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred), including hands-on journal postings and transaction management
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP, SUMIFS, INDEX/MATCH, data manipulation, reconciliation of large datasets, and financial analysis
• Proven ability to build and maintain complex Excel workbooks and accounting schedules
• ACA / ACCA / CIMA qualification (or equivalent) preferred 

Highly valued:

• Background in Audit (Big4 or similar) combined with industry experience
• Exposure to both technical accounting and operational finance
• Experience managing and analysing large financial datasets using advanced Excel tools

Full-time – Hybrid (London - Oxford Street)

Pay: From £40,000.00 per year

Job Type: Fixed term contract