Financial Controller

Topps Group is home to premier UK tile brands including Topps Tiles, Pro Tiler Tools, Parkside and Tile Warehouse. Our foremost retail brand Topps Tiles stands as the nation’s largest specialist distributor of tiles and associated products with over 300 stores nationwide. Our plans for growth across both domestic and commercial markets, across physical stores and online, mean we continuously seek new and fresh talent to complement our current team, as well as developing our people to reach their full potential.

We are currently looking for a Financial Controller to join our team. This is a highly visible and critical role within the Finance function and this opportunity is ideal for an ambitious individual looking for a challenge in an exciting and fast paced environment.

Reporting into the Director of Finance, you will take responsibility for the running of the company’s financial accounting function including statutory reporting, tax and treasury (including corporation tax, VAT and cash reporting & forecasting) and property accounting . A key part of your role will be to manage the financial accounting team, transactional accounting team and credit control team, ensuring that day to day responsibilities are performed to a high standard whilst acting as a role model for professionalism and accuracy across the business. In addition, you will lead and manage the external audit process, take responsibility for the implementation of new accounting regulations and standards, and ensure that appropriate internal controls are in place to ensure the integrity of our financial reporting.

Key Accountabilities  

Customer / Strategy / Plan

• To work with the Director of Finance and rest of the senior finance team to ensure that key aspects of the Group’s financial accounting processes are appropriately administered and information is available in a timely fashion
• Ensure that company ledgers are closed within agreed timescales and ensure that all key balance sheet control accounts have been reconciled and approved in line with the Group’s policy
• Ensure there is an open communication with the Financial Planning and Analysis team around the period end accounts preparation – including any areas of judgement involved in the balance sheet and providing expert advice on the application of relevant accounting standards
• Ensure robust financial processes exist to support the integrity of reporting and ultimately safeguard the company against loss (e.g. balance sheet recs, bank recs, etc) and that regulatory processes are complied with (HMRC, Companies Act, etc)
• Be the primary point of liaison with company auditors, with responsibility for new accounting developments (regulatory or audit best practice).

People/Leadership

• Leadership of the financial accounting, transactional and credit control teams and ensure that appropriate discussions are taking place across the team in terms of individual performance (“the what”), developments needs/opportunities, and appropriate behaviours (“the how”). 
• Wherever possible, strive to develop colleagues and (in conjunction with the Director of Finance) offer opportunities for career progression, subject to their wants/needs
• Work with the whole Finance team to ensure that we are meeting their wants and needs as individuals (the “get”) and that we are getting the most from them (the “give”) – have a daily focus on colleague engagement across the team and support the Head of Finance (FP&A) with the department engagement agenda.

Financial / Commercials

• The Financial Accounting team is responsible for the accounting in the following areas; Fixed Assets (including capital expenditure), cash reporting and forecasting, banking facility management, point of contact for the bank’s relationship managers, foreign exchange requirements, tax (with support of external partners as required) and property accounting (including IFRS16 lease accounting).
• Work with auditors to ensure subsidiary statutory accounts are produced within the required timescales
• Ensure that the Director of Finance, CFO and Exec team are well appraised of the Group’s financial position, particularly in relation to working capital and cash forecasting

Risk and process

• Ensure appropriate processes exist within the finance team to identify key areas of risk and agree with the Director of Finance appropriate plans to manage those risks.  Key areas will include (but are not limited to) – segregation of duties within the function, key colleague dependencies are regularly reviewed and identified, bi-annual review of core department controls (supplier setup, bank signatories, expense approvals, capitalisation policy, expenditure by supplier etc)
• Work with auditors and external parties to ensure that core accounting controls are appropriate and consistently implemented
• Ensure appropriate Group policies are in appropriate and operational in order to support a strong environment of financial control and oversight. Key policies cover expenses, credit control, tax and treasury

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required:

Essential                                                

• Qualified accountant, 5+ years PQE
• Strong technical accounting knowledge
• Strong communication skills – both on a 1:1 basis and in a group environment
• Experience of operating at a senior functional level – managing the team day to day
• Good working knowledge of accounting systems – general ledger, purchase ledger, sales ledger, bank recs, EDI, etc
• Good working knowledge of core finance processes – balance sheet reconciliations, tax, VAT, FX planning, working capital management and understanding of PLC reporting requirements
• Good working knowledge of external audit
• Good working knowledge of broader regulatory environment – corporation tax, PAYE, VAT, statutory accounts, LSE requirements
• Experience of reporting year-end report and accounts (“Glossy” version)

Desirable

• Previous accounting practice experience, in particular within audit
• Knowledge and experience of Microsoft Dynamics
• Experience of liaising with external providers – banks (including covenant certificates and other areas of compliance), auditors, etc

What we will do for you