Financial Controller - Public Sector Projects 

£55,000 – £75,000

Permanent

Farnham

Job Description

• managing audits: as a finance controller, you finalise internal audits in a company. You oversee the roles of internal audit teams and review their findings to check for potential errors or fraud. When the audit reports are complete, you present them to senior management.
• controlling financial accounts: as a finance controller, you manage the preparation of financial accounts from monthly to quarterly and annual accounts. You also oversee accounts receivable and payable. Sometimes, the role involves monitoring cash flows to ensure the company meets its short-term obligations and optimises investments.
• accounting oversight: as a finance controller, you ensure the accounting distributions are accurate, and all monies are accounted for properly. You oversee the disbursement of cash and manage payroll activities and bank settlements. You can also supervise the accounting team to maintain accurate checks and balances.
• financial planning and reporting: finance controllers are in charge of banking and finance functions, including studying and reviewing financial contracts and negotiating credit agreements. You also ensure the executive has accurate financial planning data and assist various departments in creating budgets and preparing their projected cash flow reports to support the finance allocation.
• financial analysis: apart from financial reporting, you need to conduct financial analysis on various plans and advise management. For instance, if a company wants to invest in a particular investment, you assess the risk using statistical data. You can also find efficient ways of executing a business plan to improve financial management.
• ensuring compliance: as a finance controller, you need to ensure the company complies with local laws and regulations. You ensure the company remits all the necessary taxes and adheres to statutory requirements and relevant industry regulations to avoid fines and penalties.

Qualifications ad Requirements

• degree: to become a finance controller, you need an undergraduate degree in finance, accounting or a related business course. The degree introduces you to the financial concepts that you will use to control and manage finances for a company. While most companies hire finance controllers with just an undergraduate degree, having a master's degree increases your chances of landing a job.
• work experience: you need extensive work experience to become a finance controller. For instance, you can start as an accountant or financial analyst and improve your skills to become a finance controller.
• skills and competencies
• Some of the personal qualities of a financial controller include:

• computing skills: as a finance controller, you need to be familiar with office technology to succeed. For instance, you should master the Microsoft Office suite, especially Excel and Databases. Your computing skills are useful in bringing together the information you have gathered and analysing it to make decisions.
• communication skills: as a finance controller, you must be a great communicator to relay information to the accounting team. Communication skills also help you explain the risks of an investment to the executive team in simple terms.
• analytical skills: finance controllers analyse various financial information and accounting data. For instance, you analyse financial accounts during internal audits and assess the risks of an investment. Analytical skills help you improve your decision-making.
• leadership and management skills: as a finance controller, you have to be a good leader to manage and motivate people to optimise their performance. Leadership skills also help you become more strategic in your approach.