Head of Finance - #2180994

About the Company

H. W. Anderson

H. W. Anderson is an international executive search firm serving buy-side investment and trading markets. Serving the EMEA and North American markets it has offices in Edinburgh, Dublin, Dubai and New York.

About the Role

Head of Finance

Reports to: Founders

Location: Edinburgh

Lead the finance function and deliver accurate, timely and compliant financial information across the group. The Head of Finance is a new, hands-on role which is responsible for all aspects of financial control, planning and reporting for the business. The role will provide clear financial insight to support business decisions, maintain robust financial controls and work closely with senior colleagues and external advisers across all territories.

Role purpose

• Lead the finance function and deliver accurate, timely and compliant financial information across the group.
• The Head of Finance is a new, hands-on role which is responsible for all aspects of financial control, planning and reporting for the business.
• The role will provide clear financial insight to support business decisions, maintain robust financial controls and work closely with senior colleagues and external advisers across all territories.

Key responsibilities

Management accounting and monthly reporting

• Prepare and review monthly management accounts, ensuring accurate and timely reporting across the group.
• Manage the month-end close, ensuring accurate cut off with clear revenue recognition policies.
• Deliver monthly financial reporting with clear commentary on performance, variances and key risks.
• Add business and sector specific KPI’s.
• Provide financial analysis and practical insight to support management decisions.

Forecasting and budgeting

• Lead the annual budgeting process, working with stakeholders to agree assumptions and financial plans.
• Create an integrated 5-year forecasting model with auditable assumptions.
• Prepare and maintain rolling forecasts.
• Develop sensitivity analysis to assess financial risks and opportunities.

Cash management and forecasting

• Oversee cash management, banking arrangements and the invoice discounting facility.
• Prepare and maintain cash-flow forecasts across the group, identifying funding needs.
• Maximise the companies cash flows through working capital management, including receivables, payables and effective credit control.
• Oversee payment approvals and treasury controls, including foreign-currency exposures.

Balance sheet control

• Maintain ownership of the group balance sheet securing the company’s assets.
• Review bank, intercompany and other balance sheet accounts, investigating and resolving discrepancies promptly.
• Maintain robust accounting policies, approval processes and supporting records.
• Coordinate year-end accounts and external audit, reviewing requirements with advisers.

Tax compliance

• Oversee tax compliance across all territories, coordinating with external advisers to ensure accurate filings and timely payments.
• Work with advisers to develop, document and maintain transfer pricing policies for intercompany transactions.

Finance leadership

• Lead and support the Finance Manager, ensuring clear priorities, appropriate oversight and delivery of consistent service levels to the business.
• Oversee invoicing, payments, payroll and credit control, maintaining appropriate segregation of duties.
• Improve financial systems, reporting and processes as the business develops.
• Act as the principal finance contact for colleagues, banks, stakeholders and external accounting and tax advisers.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent), with experience gained in practice or a commercial firm.

Required Skills

• Strong technical accounting knowledge and experience preparing or reviewing management accounts and monthly financial reporting.
• Ability to create accurate and auditable forecasting models across P&L, balance sheet and cash flow.
• Working knowledge of tax compliance and transfer pricing, with the ability to coordinate specialist advice where required.
• Confidence using accounting software, AI and Microsoft Excel to analyse financial information and build forecasts.
• Strong attention to detail, organisation and ability to deliver to deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to create confidence in the new function.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in recruitment or another similar professional services business.
• Experience supporting multi-entity, multi-currency and international operations.
• Practical experience of international tax compliance and transfer pricing documentation.
• Experience building reporting and forecasting systems.
• Exposure to Xero accounting software, Sage payroll system and invoice discounting facilities.