Interim Financial Controller

Are you a qualified accountant with a strong technical accounting background and experience within Social Housing? Have you personally led statutory accounts preparation and year-end audit delivery? Are you comfortable stepping into an environment where processes and working papers need to be rebuilt rather than simply rolled forward?

Robertson Bell is recruiting an Interim Financial Controller to join a large, complex charitable Housing provider for an initial six-to-nine-month assignment. This is a technically focused role, brought in ahead of the organisation’s March year end to strengthen financial accounting capability and improve the quality of audit preparation. With a significant housing operation and substantial leased-property portfolio, the organisation is particularly interested in candidates bringing Housing Finance experience.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading statutory accounts preparation and supporting delivery of the March year end and subsequent audit.
• Rebuilding year-end working papers, lead schedules and supporting processes to create a robust audit trail.
• Taking ownership of fixed asset and component accounting, including the accounting treatment of property components.
• Resolving technical accounting and disclosure requirements relating to the organisation’s housing activities.
• Assessing and implementing the upcoming FRS 102 lease accounting changes across a substantial leased-property portfolio.
• Supporting the implementation of changes relating to contract and income recognition.
• Improving the quality of financial data, reconciliations and information provided to auditors.
• Potentially supervising a Finance Assistant and supporting wider Financial Accounting activity as the assignment develops.

The successful candidate will play an important role in strengthening the year-end environment, with considerable scope to make tangible improvements rather than simply maintain existing processes. The Finance team is based in central Birmingham, with an expectation of approximately two days per week in the office, flexing according to business and colleague requirements.

To be considered, please meet these criteria:

• Fully qualified accountant ideally with strong practice/audit grounding alongside demonstrable technical financial accounting experience.
• Significant Social Housing accounting experience, including statutory reporting, fixed assets and component accounting.
• Proven experience preparing statutory financial statements and leading year-end/audit delivery.
• Advanced Excel skills and confidence working with complex financial data and rebuilding supporting schedules.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, so please apply ASAP if this opportunity is of interest.