Financial Controller

Financial ControllerLocation: Derby (East Midlands)Salary: Circa £90,000 + pension + benefitsReporting to: Chief Financial Officer A large, private-equity-backed multi-site UK group is seeking a senior Financial Controller to play a pivotal role in the next phase of its growth. This is a high-impact leadership role, sitting alongside a Head of Finance, with both positions reporting directly to the CFO. Together, these roles form the senior leadership of the finance function, with a clear separation between technical/statutory finance and commercial/management finance.The OpportunityThe group operates at significant scale, with circa £150m turnover, a large UK footprint and a growing number of legal entities resulting from an active acquisition strategy. The business combines:

• High-volume, recurring revenues
• Labour-intensive operations
• Multiple regulatory and funding frameworks
• Ongoing acquisition and integration activity

This creates genuine complexity across statutory reporting, tax, VAT and group consolidation, making the technical finance agenda mission-critical. The successful candidate will take full ownership of the technical, statutory and governance agenda, with a genuine mandate to raise standards, strengthen controls and bring confidence to external reporting in a fast-growing, PE-backed environment.This is not a back-office role. You will work closely with the CFO, investors, auditors and senior stakeholders, helping to underpin continued growth and long-term strategic options.Key Responsibilities

• Full ownership of statutory accounting across a complex, multi-entity group
• Group consolidations and complex technical accounting judgements
• Oversight of VAT, corporation tax and wider tax compliance
• End-to-end management of external audit and year-end processes
• Ensuring balance sheet integrity, cashflow control and robust governance
• Supporting M&A activity from a technical accounting and post-acquisition integration perspective
• Oversight of the Accounts Payable function, with senior responsibility for team leadership, incliding a qualifed financial accountant

Anything falling within technical accounting, statutory reporting, compliance or financial control sits within this remit.Finance Leadership StructureThe finance function is led by a CFO who has recently joined the business and is building a best-in-class, PE-grade finance team. Two equally senior roles report directly to the CFO:

• Financial Controller - Technical Accounting (this role)
• Head of Finance - Management Accounting, FP&A and Commercial Finance

This structure provides clarity of accountability and leadership depth across the full finance agenda.Candidate ProfileThis role will suit a technically strong finance leader who enjoys operating in complex environments and raising standards. The ideal candidate will have:

• ACA qualification, ideally trained in a recognised audit firm (preferred), or ACCA trained with the relevant skill set and experience
• Significant post-qualified experience in industry
• Deep experience in statutory reporting, tax, VAT and group consolidations
• Exposure to PE-backed, acquisitive or multi-entity organisations (preferred, not essential)
• A proven track record of leading and strengthening finance teams

You will be comfortable stepping into an environment where improvement is needed and motivated by the opportunity to build a more resilient, scalable finance function.Working EnvironmentThe group operates from a modern head office environment in Derby, with a finance-led setup and close-knit senior team. The culture is built around:

• No surprises
• Continuous improvement
• Direct and honest communication
• Strong ownership and delivery focus
• Calm, low-ego leadership under pressure

Flexible working is supported, with core hours between 10:00 and 16:00. The role is expected to be largely on-site, with hybrid working considered where appropriate.Reward

• Base salary circa £90,000
• Pension contribution (employee and employer)
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Why This RoleThis is a rare opportunity to take ownership of the technical heart of a large, PE-backed, acquisitive group, with real influence over governance, reporting quality and how the business scales. You will work closely with a capable CFO, have exposure to senior stakeholders, and be trusted to leave a lasting imprint on the finance function.Cherry Professional are recruiting for this opportunity on behalf of our client. Please view our Privacy Policy on our website to understand how your data will be used if you apply for this role.