Financial Controller

“Control your own destiny or someone else will.”  Jack Welch.

Sheridan Maine are representing an established architecture practice based in South West London. Our client is seeking an experienced Financial Controller to oversee the day-to-day financial operations across the EMEA region. This role will lead the Finance team, ensuring robust financial reporting, compliance, budgeting, and process improvement. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting strategic decisions and guiding financial best practices across the business.

Your responsibilities as the Financial Controller will include:

• Oversee the preparation and review of monthly management accounts.
• Ensure compliance with statutory reporting requirements across all regional jurisdictions.
• Lead the coordination of external audits, ensuring timely and efficient audit processes.
• Support departmental reporting and performance reviews.
• Work closely with department heads and project managers to support budgeting and reforecasting cycles.
• Assist with cash flow forecasting and cross-regional cash management strategies.
• Supervise the preparation of project profitability reports and analysis.
• Collaborate with project and business leads to support commercial decisions from a financial perspective.
• Apply a sound understanding of IFRS accounting standards (US GAAP experience is a plus).
• Lead initiatives to enhance efficiency and accuracy of financial processes and systems.
• Ensure compliance with tax obligations and manage the timely filing of all relevant returns.
• Support the introduction and correct accounting of new and ad-hoc processes.
• Lead and mentor a growing finance team, ensuring performance objectives are met.
• Foster professional development, engagement, and growth within the team.
• Act as a key point of contact for departmental leads on finance-related matters.
• Work with the CFO to define and support reporting lines and responsibilities.
• Liaise with external banks and internal legal teams to manage project bond and guarantee requirements.
• Provide strategic insights and financial advice to the leadership team to support long-term planning and decision-making.
• Support and deputise for the CFO as needed, including managing ad-hoc business-wide requests.

 
To be considered for the role of Financial Controller:

• Professional accounting qualification (ACCA, CIMA, ACA, or equivalent).
• Strong understanding of UK tax and accounting regulations; international experience (EMEA, US, or APAC) is advantageous.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and financial systems.
• Knowledge of group accounting and multi-currency environments.
• Commercially astute with high professional integrity.
• Proven experience as a Financial Controller, preferably within the architecture, engineering, construction (AEC), or professional services sectors.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in managing finance teams.
• Exposure to payroll processes and international tax matters, including withholding tax, is beneficial.
• Proactive: Self-starter with a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Leadership: Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to inspire and lead a team.
• Adaptability: Comfortable managing evolving priorities and taking on new challenges in a fast-paced environment.
• Communication: Skilled at working across departments and engaging both financial and non-financial stakeholders.
• Problem Solving: Able to identify and resolve issues related to accounting, systems, or processes early and effectively.

 
If you’re passionate about this position or are keen to hear more, please click on “apply” as soon as possible.
 
You are required to be eligible to work in the UK full time without restriction.
 
Due to the high volume of applications, it is not always possible to respond to unsuccessful applicants. Therefore, if we have not responded to your application within five days, please assume that on this occasion your application has not been successful.