Finance Manager

Salary: £50k - £55k negotiable 

Central Finance is part of Corporate Services, a key central support function for the Cox Automotive Group’s UK & Europe locations.

This team owns responsibility for maintaining the financial records of the business, ensuring appropriate controls and governance measures are in place to minimise risk as well as providing in-depth managing reporting and analytics to drive business decisions.

Further to the above, the Central Finance team is core to the delivery of strategic change, providing appropriate support and business partnering as required.

In addition, the Central Finance team are the key point of contact with Cox Automotive US through the reporting of regular financial/management information.

This role reports into the Head of Finance Shared Services and is responsible for ensuring that all aspects of reporting and internal controls are accounted for accurately and effective in mitigating risks. This Central Finance team includes Purchase Ledger, Credit Control, Treasury, Finance systems and controls and Central accounting as well as owning the audit relationship, production of financial statements, and providing technical accounting support to the rest of the Group. Central Finance are also responsible for directing the tax arrangements and procedures for the Group. The Group General Employment Operation also sits centrally.

 

This role involves supporting our shared services functions (Treasury, Purchase Ledger, Credit Control, Central Accounting & Tax) that cover all of the Cox European & UK operations. Requires supporting and completing business critical tasks and central projects to help improve operating efficiency.

The role must support designing and executing appropriate and robust financial controls that minimise risk and provide in-depth and insightful management reporting to assist decision making for the wider Group. The role also includes supporting and developing direct and further reports to aide career development and give clear pathways to progression within the business.

Responsibilities include:

• Support the Head of Accounting & Group Financial Controller with general duties including those mentioned above and develop understanding of reporting requirements and controls activities;
• Provide mentorship, support and development to direct reports and wider team;
• Support enhancing the controls environment and modernising approaches to reconciliations and balance sheet controlling;
• Support in our reporting and controlling as required by our US parent company;
• Conduct risk analysis around the business and actively implement control improvements;
• Support in identifying areas of our procedures and processes that can be streamlined and made more efficient;
• Assist in regular monitoring activities in connection to our quarterly balance sheet reconciliations, supporting the internal review process over our annual statutory financial statements.
• Manage and own treasury function, communicating with internal and external stakeholders to arrive at a more streamlined and better controlled function;
• Manage the audit and be a main point of contact for the auditors with the wider business;
• Manage the statutory accounts production process, providing training to staff to assist with career development and exam qualification;
• To support ESG efforts, such as the carbon emissions and carbon reporting in the annual accounts;
• Assist with HMRC reporting requirements such as UK digital platform reporting and DAC7;
• Lead development of R&D claims (RDEC) calculations for the business;
• Support continuous improvement around the business including improved system changes for PO system, FP&A, expenses;
• Assist the business with compliance with new implementation of technical accounting standards such as IFRS 9 & IFRS 15;
• Manage the financials i.e. internal and external reporting, of the central General Employment Organisation (GEO) subsidiary, with processes and controls for reporting and oversee financial reporting.
• Accounting and audit support.

• Financial reporting and controlling.
• Planning and forecasting support where required, albeit this is not a FP&A centric role.
• Business partnering on a variety of central and share services-based issues.

Objectives for Role:
 

• GEO responsibilities: Managing the GEO central finance function end-to-end processes with the support of direct report;
• Managing invoicing and balance sheet positions of the GEO;
• Partner with the Operating business units ensuring alignment on process;
• Identify and support new opportunities for expansion of the GEO;
• Manage local tax submissions for the GEO;
• Balance sheet controlling: Ensuring timely and accurate submission of monthly financial results with assistance and guidance provided to direct report;
• Preparation of monthly balance sheet reconciliations;
• Review of quarterly balance sheets audit files prepared around the Group (a key control);
• Treasury responsibilities including: Leading on banking migration project, moving current banks in Europe to Barclays, updating banking mandates to ensure access maintained, support opening and closing of accounts, support corporate credit card activities;
• Ensure uniform expenses policy applied across the Group, and streamline corporate accounts with Barclaycard for improved controls and processes;
• Shared services responsibilities: Support and lead on business change projects such as PO system implementation, expenses implementation & FP&A software implementation;
• Ensure R&D submissions are submitted on time and information is provided to tax advisors Deloitte in a timely manner managing internal parties to ensure information is provided in allotted time;
• Supporting improving capitalised labour controls and processes to comply with accounting standards and help reduce issues in a significant audit risk area;
• Ensure finance risk register is complete and accurate and key risks are communicated with the ELT;
• Financial statements responsibilities: Support production centrally of multiple sets of financial statements on dedicated software, including production of consolidation Group accounts in line with deadlines;
• Document controls and processes around the business, specifically for O2C cycle to ensure compliance with IFRS 15 & 16 standards under FRS 102.
• Support and manage aspects of the annual external audit process for the Group;
• Finance control responsibilities: Supporting the Head of Accounting and Group FC on ad-hoc projects and initiatives to enhance the overall financial controls environment;
• Identifying opportunities to modernise and streamline our processes and controls;
• Support future changes and projects from a technical accounting perspective.
• Wider business partnering: Provide analytical, forecasting, reporting, and project support to senior management;
• Contribute to monthly forecasting and annual budget processes;
• Develop models that help with decision-making;
• Partner with other members of the finance team, Senior GEO Manager and other teams as required within the global Cox matrix organisational structure;

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise:

• ACA/ACCA exam qualified necessary;
• Knowledge and experience in applying technical accounting standards;
• Approachable and confident in building and maintain strong working relationships;
• Value high levels of accuracy and attention to detail;
• Well organised and methodical in managing tasks;
• Able to prioritise workload and work to strict deadlines;
• Proficiency in MS Excel, Powerpoint, ideally experienced with MS Teams;
• Understanding of budgets and forecasting;
• Understanding of prepayments and accruals;
• Familiarity with monthly balance sheet reconciliation controls;
• Experience of preparation of annual financial statements;
• Good understanding of financial reporting risks and controls;
• Knowledge of VAT, Payroll and Corporate Tax, although not essential will be beneficial;
• Knowledge of finance systems and posting journals, albeit non-essential;
• Drive and motivation to learn and develop self;
• Willingness to manage own workload but be proactive in a busy environment;

STRICTLY NO AGENCIES PLEASE:

We work with a carefully selected set of recruitment agencies and we're not looking to add to our PSL.

We do not accept unsolicited agency CV's sent to the recruitment team or directly to the hiring manager. We will not be responsible for any fees related to unsolicited CV's