Our client is an international growth capital investment firm, with a track record of delivering high returns from investments in innovative, high-growth healthcare businesses. The partners in the business are passionate about building world-leading businesses that improve patients’ lives and are seeking a candidate who will fit well in this collegiate and stretching working environment. The firm has been growing AUM rapidly (>$1bn total) and recently raised a new $500m fund to continue deploying their successful strategy. As a result of this growth, the firm is seeking a finance professional to join the team. The role will be based in the firm’s central London office.

Reporting to both the COO and the Financial Controller, the main responsibilities of the role will include:

• Preparation of quarterly investor reports
• Interfacing with third party administrators and reviewing their reporting
• Co-ordinating fund cash flow processes (capital calls, distributions, debt utilisations, investments)
• Assisting with preparation of fund annual financial statements
• Assisting with the annual audit
• Assisting with ad hoc financial requests from within the team and from external investors
• Preparation of UK and US partnership tax information for use by the firm’s external tax advisers (prior knowledge of UK and US partnership tax rules is not essential)
• Assisting with preparation of diligence materials for potential investors
• Supporting FCA compliance activities

 

Other duties will include:

• Maintenance of GLs for certain funds and special purpose investment vehicles
• Review and approval of online banking payments
• Review of team expense claims

 

The opportunity requires an individual who is a qualified accountant and who enjoys working in a varied, stimulating and demanding professional environment. They should be a highly motivated self-starter, with strong organisational and time-management skills, pride in their work product and a desire to learn. Working in a small finance team, the successful candidate will play a meaningful part in the continuing expansion of the firm, while working for a business that is investing in exciting, innovative companies within the healthcare sector.

Our client services clients of all sizes, in a diverse range of sectors, delivering high quality External Audits and Audit related services and is growing rapidly. This senior manager role will ensure you have exposure to an unparalleled breadth of client exposure, the very best technology and fantastic opportunities for career development.

The city of Aberdeen sustains over 1000 energy businesses and boasts the busiest heliport in Europe. Aberdeen also boasts a rich and vibrant food and drink industry, innovative tourism organisations, and burgeoning private business and life science sectors that are investing and growing.

 

The role:

As a Senior Manager, you’ll lead a team of forward-thinking individuals to deliver high quality audits. You’ll be responsible, alongside  the audit engagement leader, to develop and nurture relationships with our client’s senior leaders and work with them to plan the audit process from beginning to end. A rewarding career path awaits – join our team to develop yourself as a strategic leader, benefit from the wide range of development opportunities alongside contributing to the success of the audit business.

 

The responsibilities:

• Leading large multi-location, often international, teams using your people and relationship management skills to deliver high quality audit work from project planning to completion;
• Developing trusted senior client relationships and demonstrating curiosity that allows you to have insightful conversations and provide appropriate challenge during the Audit;
• Building connections across teams and specialist areas to bring insight to the organisations we audit. This includes managing specialist teams supporting the audit, building consensus around conflicting views and making recommendations where appropriate;
• Leading the delivery of the areas of complex or judgemental audit work, including identifying issues, analysing multiple data points to draw informed conclusions and clearly articulate these conclusions in written and verbal form to senior stakeholders;
• Ensuring the team’s audit documentation meets the highest standards, reviewing financial statements to ensure they comply with relevant requirements;
• Managing the financial and resource aspects of Audit engagements, demonstrating a commercial approach throughout;
• Mentoring and coaching junior staff members in your business unit;
• Putting the team first by coaching with purpose, being present with the team and openly communicating expectations; and
• Encouraging an inclusive team environment that promotes innovative thinking, collaboration and constructive challenge – helping people realise their potential and support their long-term aspirations.

 

Requirements:

• Be a Chartered Accountant / ACA / ACCA / ICAS qualified accountant (or international equivalent) or have equivalent work experience in Audit (including international candidates who technically qualify in their home country by experience);
• A high level of experience of IFRS and/or UK GAAP and be highly skilled in using international standards on auditing;
• Highly developed project management skills and a strong track record of managing larger or more complex audits to the highest standard from planning to completion;
• Has the ability to communicate complex or contentious audit matters clearly and concisely in both verbal and written form to colleagues and senior client stakeholders;
• Has the ability to offer considered points of view in client conversations around broader industry topics and provide knowledgeable challenge to senior clients in the context of an audit; and
• Takes pride in their work and in the Audit profession. Shows resilience and demonstrates dedication to self development including being agile and innovative in the digital world.

To apply please email your CV to rebecca.moore@williamscottassociates.com

Reporting to:      Chief Operating Officer

Overview

We have an exciting Executive Director of Finance position, for an exceptionally talented, dynamic, and experienced accountant who will lead the financial and commercial developments across an exceptional schools group.

You need to be agile and resourceful with an ability to work within a complex stakeholder environment, a track record in delivering financial sustainability across a multi-million-pound business and driving commercial growth.  In our context, this will mean ensuring that we have a sustainable infrastructure, finances and resources needed to unlock the academic and personal potential of the school community.

You will need to be forward thinking and extremely comfortable working collaboratively with other senior leaders to drive the high performance of the schools.  We would expect that you have a real and genuine pride in excellence and an unwavering commitment to achieving success.  You will inherit a strong and high performing finance team and will be expected to drive effectiveness and efficiency across the service in the pursuit of excellence, maintain high professional standards and a positive customer experience.  We are several years into our exciting ten-year strategic journey, you’ll be joining an executive team that has a governing body mandate to build upon our existing success and achievements whilst delivering transformative programmes of change.  You will need to be comfortable about moving between ‘business as usual’ as the Director of Finance and transformative strategic space as an Executive Programme Sponsor.

We are therefore searching for someone that provides both the safe pair of hands that are required from a financial accounting and statutory compliance perspective, but someone that has a strategic, and commercial outlook, a curious and innovative thinker that is comfortable working in a co-operative and collaborative environment.  It will be a wide and varied role; guaranteed that no day will be the same and you’ll need to be comfortable with a fast paced and fully immersive campus environment.

The individual should have a proven track record of success and must have can-do and motivated attitude.

 

Key priorities of the role:

• An active member of the Executive Committee with financial oversight, management, and monitoring of the short-, medium- and long-term strategic plan for the schools, and reporting to the governing body through the Finance and Resources Committee and Board.
• Lead, manage and develop the finance strategy and financial function in partnership with the Executive, ensuring full compliance with the requirements for effective financial governance and prudent management of funds.
• Lead, manage and monitor Financial KPIs in line with sector-specific benchmarks and report variances to the Executive and Governing Body.
• Build and lead a highly effective and cohesive finance service that builds upon the best practice, collaborative approaches, ‘team ethos’ and can-do approach that exists.
• Lead on the design, development and delivery of financial and budgetary policies, protocols and process to enable leaders to make informed and effective decisions based on real time financial information.
• Oversee and lead the effective use and implementation of the financial system(s) and the efficient application of automated processes and procedures.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement, embed best practice, promote shared learning and ensure robust quality assurance arrangements in place across the finance function.
• Financially lead and manage the capital investment, special projects and commercial finances of the group that; drive growth, development and innovation; secure best value for money, aggregated benefits and efficiencies; and positions them as a beacon of excellence in the sector.
• Lead the design, development and delivery of a clear and coherent commercial procurement strategy, focused on sourcing, category management and supplier management frameworks. working collaboratively with colleagues and external providers to ensure best value for money.
• Establish an effective and accurate database of contracts, leading the review and potential rationalisation of suppliers through centralisation of contracts to ensure best value for money, sustainability and suitability.
• Lead, manage and deliver the commercial strategy, undertaking financial modelling and analysis of demand and need for products and services within the organisation, contributing to the development of a deliverable business model.

 

Key responsibilities:

• To manage the timely and accurate preparation of consolidated management accounts and other appropriate financial management information.
• To manage the year end process, ensuring that year end timetable deadlines are met, and year end statutory accounts are free from material errors.
• To provide lead liaison with external Auditors and the Haberdashers’ Company to ensure an efficient audit process.
• To oversee the production of the annual statutory financial statements and consolidated accounts ensuring that all charity, legal and financial obligations are met.
• To oversee fixed assets recording and reporting including approving treatment of expenditure such as capital and calculating depreciation.
• Overall responsibility for working capital management (cashflow forecasting, debtor management).
• Overall responsibility for managing the long-term investments.
• Understanding the key income and cost drivers to allow budgets, forecasts and sensitivity analysis to be undertaken to inform decision making by the COO, Heads and the Governing Body.
• Reporting on key capital and infrastructure projects.
• To support charitable objectives by overseeing the extensive bursary programme to provide financial assistance to students whose parents would ordinarily not be able to afford to send their children to the schools.
• To be responsible for managing and supervising the operations of the finance, procurement and commercial functions to ensure the effectiveness of the service.
• Manage centralised finance team providing real value added to governors and senior leadership.
• Ensure that an appropriate professional development programme is provided, and appropriate job specific training is provided for all members of the team.
• Ensure annual staff development reviews are undertaken.
• Oversee established data protection and data management regimes (GDPR compliance etc).
• To oversee the management of financial and non-financial risk, driving through planned upgrades to proven risk management regime.
• Provide the Director of the Schools‘ Foundation and Director of Partnerships to ensure that financial guidance, advise and support is provided in helping to fulfil these charitable aims and objectives.

 

Key Projects:

Capital Investment Programme 

To work closely with the governing body and executive leadership in the development of a clear and coherent capital investment plan, working collaboratively on the following areas:

• To work with the Director of Estates and Operations and cost consultants on the financial modelling and design of a long-term (5-25 year) estates masterplan and in the delivery of its medium-term (3-5 year) capital strategy and short-term (0-3 year) delivery plans across the estate.
• To work with the governors and executive to develop a fully costed capital strategy and plan (i.e. capacity, condition, suitability, sufficiency, education and cost) fully aligned with strategic priorities and goals, and to successfully implement it across the campus.
• To undertake a detailed financial review of all areas of capital investment and revenue expenditure linked to the estate, proposing commercial arrangements and business solutions that remove waste and duplication, deliver aggregated procurement benefits, secure better (and best) value for money and improved financial and operational efficiencies.
• To work with the Director of Estates and Operations to assess, analyse and identify affordable and deliverable capital investment opportunities that will reduce operational expenditure and environmental impacts.  Prioritising ‘Return on investment’ and ‘Invest to Save’ opportunities, for example installing solar panels on replacement/new roofs to reduce ongoing energy usage and costs.
• To use business analytical tools to undertake financial modelling and analysis of capital investments and revenue buildings costs to manage and monitor the reduction of the estates running costs, energy efficiency, lifecycle savings and operational efficiencies.

 

Procurement and Contract Management 

To work closely with the governing body and executive leadership in the development of a clear and coherent procurement strategy, working collaboratively on the following areas:

• To review and manage supplier pricing, purchasing routes and best value for money.
• To provide financial information for situational analysis, option appraisal, benchmarking assessment and business case proposals for essential services and goods across the group, seeking to deliver improved effectiveness and efficiencies.
• To develop and lead on the financial and commercial requirements of the tender management process; including, frameworks/tenders, collaborative buying arrangements, joint partnership agreements, tender specification and evaluation criteria, and contract award arrangements.
• To proactively establish partnerships and working agreements that help the schools to achieve their objectives.
• Developing and sustaining effective relationships with external partners.
• To review and coordinate the financial requirements for capital grants and bid opportunities in line with strategic priorities.
• To identify opportunities for central consolidation of complex, medium and high value contracts evaluating cost benefit opportunities in relation to performance, efficiency and value for money, and managing risks.
• To lead on the financial negotiations for complex, medium and large value contracts in order to secure best value for money.
• To ensure all medium and high value contracts are financially sustainable, reporting opportunities for short-term gains and long-term benefits to the Executive.

 

Commercial Strategy:

• To work with the executive leadership on the financial development of a commercial strategy that fully aligns with the ten-year vision.
• Developing a business and operating model in partnership with executive and senior leaders that balances the use of the campus buildings and facilities to generate revenues and provides wider civic and community benefits.

 

Sustainability:

• To take the financial lead on the sustainability strategy to reduce emissions with the target being net zero carbon and modelling a long-term (5-25 year) plan to achieve this across the campus.
• To identify with other colleagues opportunities that can reduce carbon footprint or offset carbon emissions, then working with academies and stakeholders to deliver best value solutions.
• To ensure the group fully complies with all government regulations in relation to sustainability, energy efficiency and consumption.

  

Person Specification

•  You will be a degree holder and a qualified accountant.
• You will have at least 5 years’ experience of managing a finance function in a complex environment.
• You will be a highly talented and exceptionally capable individual who has the drive, enthusiasm and motivation to support the ongoing development of the finance function within the dynamic and innovative environment focused on the pursuit of excellence in education.
• You will have a strong background in building a robust financial modelling framework.
• Considerable experience of developing third party procurement and contract relationships.
• Be able to lead and manage a finance team to deliver the production management and statutory information.
• Have had experience operating at board or executive level, with excellent influencing and coaching skills, together with a track record of building relationships with all levels of an organisation.
• You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• A dynamic and talented individual who has the charisma and gravitas to advise and support the Executive team.
• The individual should have a proven track record of success and must have can-do and motivated attitude.

 

GDPR and Safeguarding notice

• According to GDPR guidelines, we are only able to process your personal data with your express consent.
• The group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
• The post-holder will be responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children with whom he/she comes into contact. They must ensure compliance with the Safeguarding and Child Protection Statement at all times.
• This appointment will be subject to checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service and with past employers.

 

How To Apply

If you are interested in applying, please send your details to leo.ketchin@williamscottassociates.com

 

This is an exciting international Financial Controller opportunity working for a fast growing and award winning technology business, based in Oxford.  To support the ongoing growth, there is a need for a talented and motivated Financial Controller. This individual will work with the CFO and global senior management team. The company supports a flexible, hybrid work environment.

As Financial Controller you will be responsible for managing the finance function, reporting directly to the CFO. Other responsibilities will include:

• Budgeting and planning. Prepare meaningful analysis for strategic business decisions and model financial forecasts
• Cash management. Calculate and accurately present current and future cash position in real-time
• Financial process planning & implementation. Develop and follow through processes to streamline operations
• Coordinating across company secretarial activities including with Human Resources and Legal
• Partner with key external stakeholders to achieve financial reporting requirements and goals
• Take ownership of various financial projects and ensure that all projects meet established deadlines
• You will have a strong financial reporting background having dealt with challenging technical financial reporting and accounting issues
• You must hold a relevant financial qualification
• High degree of proficiency in working with various financial applications and reporting tools
• Exceptional analytical and interpersonal skills with a keen eye for detail
• Proactive with a positive ‘can-do’ approach
• Team player; able to actively contribute and participate as a member of the wider team
• A sound business understanding as well as being commercially and risk aware
• Excellent written and oral communication
• Strong project management skills

A dynamic, self-starter who seeks to innovate and can work effectively as part of a virtual team. This role offers you a great chance to work with an impressive interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial team. We require a talented and technical individual who has the drive, enthusiasm and motivation to support the ongoing development of this dynamic and growing business. As Financial Controller, you must have the ability to develop financial reporting to highlight the challenges and future needs of the business. This role requires an individual who can add considerable value to this thriving international business.

Senior Associate

Bristol

A leading international law firm which provides clients with commercially aware legal advice, whenever and wherever they need it is seeking a senior associate to join their insurance and construction team. They have over 1,600 people situated in key business and financial centres across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

The Insurance and Construction team advises insurers and professional firms on a range of professional risk and construction issues globally. With expertise across an international network, we achieve efficient results that achieve our client’s business objectives.

Their reputation is built on defending professionals in claims, receiving instructions from both insurers and the insured firms themselves, who are recognised leaders in their profession. They also act in relation to pure construction disputes, in particular international arbitrations.

The Role:

They are seeking to recruit a Senior Associate to join the Bristol Insurance & Construction team to focus predominantly on defending claims against construction professionals (including architects, engineers, project managers and quantity surveyors) and coverage disputes.  There will be opportunities to work on other broader non-construction insurance related claims.

Your caseload will routinely involve mediations and litigation (generally in the Technology and Construction Court) and you will gain arbitration and adjudication experience.

Day to day, you will have the opportunity to work closely with a partner who is a specialist in this area. You will also work with other partners and associates in London, and across other offices, as part of a collegiate and supportive international group.

Person specification:

• Applicants should ideally have between 3-6+ years’ post qualified experience in professional indemnity work in relation to the construction industry.
• We would expect applicants to have worked for a leading law firm for insurance and/or construction work.
• Excellent academics and commercially driven.
• Strong client focus with an ability and willingness to get actively involved in marketing and business development in Bristol and London.
• Able to work effectively as part of a diverse and inclusive team.
• Flexibility and a willingness to work additional hours on occasion as required.
• An enthusiastic and team-oriented approach is essential.

Please message Leo Ketchin on leo@williamscottassociates.com or call him on 07789556586 for more details.

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