London, UK
Financial controller
at Heatherwick Studio
Heatherwick Studio is seeking a financial controller to join its team in London.
Job purpose
To lead effective financial control across the organisation by the management of financial policies, processes and systems within the Finance department and across the organisation, including for staff relocated overseas. To lead statutory and regulatory financial compliance, including statutory accounts preparation and audit, tax and insurance matters across the various legal entities of the studio. To manage foreign exchange risk of the studio. To be an ambassador for financial control across the studio.
Key responsibilities:
Finance team management, policies and systems:
- team: Managing the finance manager to efficiently process accounts payable, staff expenses, credit cards and sales ledger, including debt collection; continually motivate and develop the team via effective leadership, coaching and review
- policies: Overseeing the organisation’s financial policies and procedures ensuring policies are updated for balance between studio working and home working. Being an ambassador of financial control across the studio via providing staff training and studio presentations
- finance systems: Leading finance system improvement projects to ensure we are making the most of automation and efficiency of systems. Lead review of SAGE 200 and other potential finance systems, continual review of Procurify and Rapport 3 for updates in order to streamline financial processing and maintain effective financial controls; participate in other studio wide systems improvements projects
Cash and balance sheet management:
- cash: Ensuring proactive cash flow management by regularly reviewing the studio’s various cash balances, providing analysis and highlighting any issues to the head of finance. Liaison with bankers to ensure effective banking processes
- balance sheet: Reviewing monthly balance sheet reconciliations to ensure financial accounting is accurate
- FX management: Review of receipts forecast by currency and awareness of actual and predicted fx rate fluctuations due to economic and political factors, to inform foreign exchange management strategy. Carry out fx spot trades and fx hedging where appropriate
Statutory financial reporting and tax:
- audit and annual statutory accounts: Leading in the production of the year end statutory accounts of the Group, UK parent, Singapore and Chinese entity, supporting schedules and liaison with the auditors
- corporation tax: Liaison with external corporation tax advisers, review of annual corporation tax computations and input into corporation tax planning across several legal entities; review of annual R&D reclaims; review withholding tax positions on new contracts; manage certificate of residence requests with HMRC
- China entity: Maintain oversight and regular communication with financial staff in China to ensure accurate and up-to-date financial records are kept and ensure Chinese regulations are adhered to
- VAT: Review of VAT returns completed by the finance manager and highlight and key findings/changes to head of finance
- payroll taxes: Liaison with People team to understand salaries and benefits for staff based in the UK and overseas; review of overseas payroll tax calculations; preparation of annual PSA
- insurance: lead the annual insurance renewal process via liaison with the insurance brokers and studio members
- company secretarial compliance: ensuring adherence with company statutory reporting requirements for all legal entities. Ensuring company minute books are updated.
- other: Provision of financial information required by Companies House, HMRC, IRAS, IRS, Office for National Statistics or any other regulatory bodies
Key relationships
This role needs to develop and maintain positive and professional relationship across the whole studio, as well as with external clients and stakeholders.
The key relationships in this role are:
- finance team
- commercial team
- people team
- budget holders across the studio
- tax advisors
- finance systems providers
- auditors, external accountants, bankers, insurance brokers and other financial advisors
Qualifications, experience and skills:
Qualifications:
- professional accountancy qualification, preferably ACA
- degree qualified
Experience:
- experience in leading a finance team
- experience in developing and communicating finance policies across an organisation
- extensive experience in financial controls and systems, preferably in an audit firm
- experience of producing a consolidated set of group accounts with overseas entities
- experience in leading systems and process improvement projects
- experience of project accounting
- experience in corporation tax, VAT and payroll taxes in the UK, USA, China and Singapore
- experience of foreign exchange risk management
- experience of cash flow management
Skills:
- ability to deliver accurate, high quality work to deadlines
- knowledge of accounting software, preferably SAGE
- excellent excel and database skills
- strong attention to detail
- excellent organisational and information management skills
- excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills, in particular with non-financial staff
- strong problem solving skills
- excellent team management skills
Training and continuing professional development
The studio aims to attract and develop the best talent and create a supportive environment in which studio members can learn and develop. Training is provided to increase technical skills and to address identified professional development needs.