Regional Financial Controller

Job Description

Reporting to the Regional Finance Director, responsibilities will include external and internal financial reporting, maintaining accurate accounting ledgers, internal controls and audits, and managing the shared accounting services for the region.

Job Responsibilities

BUSINESS GROWTH AND REPUTATION
    Be the primary interface with external auditors for management of interim and year end testing procedures and deliverables for both US and Latin American schools. 
    Primary interface with the Group finance teams. 
    Driving best practice and supporting with finance and accounting expertise for the region.
    Responsible for clustered, shared services, SLA targets performing general accounting, purchasing and receivable processes.
    Knowledgeable and responsive to the business needs and wants, with the ability to adapt accounting policies, procedures and financial reporting systems as required.

STRATEGIC AND ORGANISATIONAL LEADERSHIP
    Lead the reporting deliverables for the region
    Continuously improve the financial close process and reduce reliance on manual and inefficient processes across the schools
    Work on internal controls to make improvements and reduce risks
    Work cross-functionally with other teams (i.e. Regional HR / Regional IT) to understand requirements for finance and vice versa. 
    Business strategy and planning on the accounting considerations of potential contracts/ transactions.    

OPERATIONAL EXPERTISE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Reporting
    Responsibility to review the month end, quarter end and year end accounts of the schools, ensuring monthly accounts are prepared on a timely basis in compliance of accounting policies and procedures of Nord Anglia Education.
    Interpret, review and approve monthly journals. 
    Manage the external audit, ensuring our schools are audit ready and come through the annual audit cycle successfully with a clean bill of health.
    Review of month end balance sheet identifying reasons for movements and month on month variances ensuring significant balance sheet movements are well explained and documented. 
    Ensure all reporting deliverables are sent on time, reviewed, accurate and in the correct format for month end, quarterly and year end reporting packs 
    Leading compliance of new schools accounting with group accounting policies. 
    Responsibility for the accounting and filing of any regional holding or dormant companies. 
    Leading on Opening Balance sheet work with new acquisitions.      

Financial Control & Accounting 
    Work with Group FC to align, enhance and standardize financial reports and to develop and implement financial and commercial processes and systems that are consistent, robust, auditable and secure. 
    Encourage Best Practice processes across the region and work with schools and Group FC to improve efficiency of month end closing with a target reporting deadlines.
    Manage the region’s Design Reference Group (DRG) of Finance System experts to share best practices, draw out effective and efficient process improvements, recommend and drive system improvements.
    Interpret financial; transactions, contracts or events along with Group FC providing appropriate analysis for accounting treatment in accordance with IFRS requirements. 
    Regularly review the effectiveness of internal controls covering financial and compliance controls. 
    Work with the Group Controls Officer to help implement internal controls with respect to the Region’s financial reporting while managing continuous improvements of our internal control environment in the schools using the controls platform
    Manage clustering and shared services with clear SLA targets that drives effective, efficient processes 
    Provision of financial control support to the school finance teams
    Support the Regional Financial Director.

DEVELOPING TALENT
    Responsible for the daily management of the financial accounting team
    Lead financial reporting and shared services recruitment, development, and performance of the team to ensure high levels of employee engagement and loyalty
    Work to maximize effectiveness of the finance function while building for the future and aiming for the best people, in the right roles, in the right structure
    Actively developing the teams’ skillsets through performance management and personal development plans
    Be prepared to act as coach and mentor to colleagues both inside as well as outside the finance function.

Required Skills/Abilities

Qualifications/Training
    Degree in finance/accounting or related discipline from a recognized tertiary institution
    Professional accounting qualifications (Qualified Chartered / Certified Accountant) 
    Five or more years post-qualified experience in Industry
Experience / Knowledge
    IFRS or US GAAP 
    Risk identification, process improvement and internal controls development
    Knowledge of financial systems, including Navision, Hyperion and HFM / OneStream
    Previous working experience in asset-light serviced based industries, high-growth industries and/or start-up firms (at-least 2 years) 
    Experience working in a regional organization, across multiple time-zones, and with cross-border transactions
    Solid understanding of cultural and market differences
Skills
    Excellent written and oral English communication skills
    Ability to challenge and influence management
    Highly analytical
    Good Excel skills
    Ability to “think out of the box” and create from scratch
    Outstanding inter-personal skills and an ability to connect with people at all levels across all functions to drive successful relationships