Finance Manager (Financial Control)

Job Introduction

Sodexo currently have a requirement for a Financial Control Manager (Financial Controller) to join the Finance team working out of offices in Salford. Our culture is resilient, energetic and exceptionally fast-paced. If you think you’ve got the skills and personality to succeed in this environment, consider joining us in this key Finance role.

You will manage a Regional Financial Accountant, and you will oversee the monthly close and control of ledgers, ensuring consistency between the local ERP system (SAP) and the Group consolidation tool (HFM), as well as ensuring the accurate and timely delivery of compliant and controlled monthly actuals P&L, balance sheet and cash-flow statements for UK and Ireland. You will oversee the preparation of yearly statutory accounts for all of our entities (23 trading + 34 dormant), the management accounts of central HQ and PFI investment entities and Government and ONS returns.

With your experience in a Financial Controller capacity you will be the external audit liaison, and will be the point of expertise for technical accounting issues, implementing robust processes such as impairment review, implementation of new IFRS standards, long-term project accounting, costs capitalisation and performance shares accounting. You will combine technical accounting with coaching, communication, influencing, leadership and prioritisation skills to ensure that we maintain a strong control environment. In this role, you’ll be pivotal to ensuring that our corporate and business strategies are supported by the very best financial accounting and control processes – and that these processes continually maximise our profitability and efficiency.

This is a high profile role providing exposure to senior management and Group Finance teams in Paris, providing a unique opportunity to learn the company’s varied and diverse activities. We are looking for a qualified accountant with experience in practice and industry, articulate stakeholder skills and expertise in consolidation, reporting, accounting standards, financing, dividends, pension and acquisition accounting. In return the role offers a very competitive salary, annual bonus and excellent benefits package.

Role Responsibility

• Manage and develop one direct report.
• Oversee reporting of monthly actuals (P&L, balance sheet, cash-flow) from SAP in the financial reporting system ensuring accuracy and consistency of data, as well as respect of deadlines.
• Oversee preparation of statutory accounts for 23 trading entities + 45 dormant entities.
• Manage all technical accounting questions: acquisitions, pension, free shares, dividends, etc.
• External audit liaison.
• Oversee management accounting of Sodexo Holdings Ltd, Sodexo HQ entities and PFIs.
• Oversee ONS / Cabinet office reporting.Drive continuous improvement of processes to find efficiencies in the production of information.

The Ideal Candidate

About the Company

Sodexo UK & Ireland employs around 36,000 people and delivers On-site Service Solutions to clients at over 2,300 locations including offices, hospitals, schools, defense sites, prisons, sporting events and visitor attractions.  With an annual turnover of over £1bn, Sodexo delivers a diverse range of services from catering, cleaning, reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling clients to focus on their core business.

Sodexo and our clients are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults within a regulated activity. Certain roles will require applicants to undergo screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and/ or Disclosure Scotland