Financial Controller

Full time, 37.5 hours per week

At Border to Coast our purpose is to make a difference and we are looking for an experienced Financial Controller to join us.

As a customer-owned and customer-focused organisation, integrity is one of our values, as is our collaborative and sustainable approach. Our focus is to secure the pensions of over a million people who have provided valuable service to their communities and society. We are a £60bn asset manager, the largest UK asset manager outside London or Edinburgh, and we provide innovative investments that deliver sustainable returns over the long term.

The Finance team has a number of key operational functions including financial reporting, strategic planning, budgetary control, customer and fund billing, project cost control and business case evaluation, corporate treasury and liquidity management, capital management, payroll, corporate taxes, external audit and cost benchmarking and value for money assessments. It is also responsible for supporting first line risk management and control assurance activities.

The role – what you will be doing

As Financial Controller, you’ll play a crucial role in

Key responsibilities include:

• Producing accurate and timely monthly management accounts
• Overseeing daily accounting operations – including treasury, purchase, sales and general ledger
• Oversight of the outsourced payroll, ensuring colleagues and HMRC are paid correctly and on time
• Managing VAT returns and corporation tax
• Regulatory capital and liquidity oversight, monitoring and reporting
• Playing a key role in budget management, from preparation to ongoing monitoring and challenging budget managers on financial performance
• Maintaining the integrity of the core financial systems, processes and controls
• Management of key financial risks, including identification, mitigation and notification of issues
• Supporting the Head of Finance in the delivery of statutory and regulatory reporting, including year-end audit
• Identify improvements within finance systems and implement new processes and procedures for best practice, driving business intelligence and efficiencies.
• Supporting the management and development of the Assistant Accountant and Apprentice

About you - and the value you will bring to our team

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
• Proven experience as a Financial Controller or senior finance role (ideally in a regulated business)
• Excellent level of accuracy and attention to detail with a strong methodical approach to creating and reporting data
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Ability to maintain and promote the highest standards of rigour and integrity.
• Knowledge of (and the ability to learn) relevant legislation, compliance, corporate governance, quality assurance and risk management
• Up to date working knowledge of VAT and payroll related taxes
• Experience of using MS Dynamics Business Central (desirable)

Once you are settled into the role, you will be able to take on more responsibility within the team and have the opportunity to develop your skills and experience further through CPD and other development opportunities.

Why join Border to Coast?

At Border to Coast, you will receive competitive remuneration and have access to excellent benefits:

• Vitality Health Insurance for all employees
• Employee Assistance Programme
• A generous holiday allowance of 30 days a year, plus bank holidays
• Professional Development
• Critical Illness Cover
• Pension scheme
• Stunning Leeds city centre location only a short walk to the train station
• Cycle to work scheme
• Life Assurance of six times of salary
• Sustainable travel plans and public transport discounts
• Range of discounts for Leeds gyms, shops and restaurants
• Hybrid working
• Onsite gym

There’s also more information about pay and reward, careers at Border to Coast and how we work on our website

We welcome applications from people of all experience levels and backgrounds and value diversity of thought. We are committed to creating an inclusive and engaging workplace, ensuring that colleagues maintain a work life balance. We encourage colleagues to progress, be themselves and be their best through both personal and professional development.

If you have a disability, or if you have a condition that you believe may affect your performance during our selection process, we would be happy to discuss making reasonable adjustments to our processes for you. Please contact our recruitment team at recruitment@bordertocoast.org.uk

We are looking for people with the right values, behaviours, skills and experiences and if you meet some of the role’s criteria and are interested in finding out more about Border to Coast and the team, we would love to hear from you.

About Us

Border to Coast Pensions Partnership is a collaboration of 11 Local Government Pension Funds with a total asset value of c.£60 billion (as of the 31st of March 2023). Border to Coast is a FCA regulated investment company created to pool the investments of like-minded Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds – our ‘Partner Funds’. Established in 2018, we are the largest LGPS pools in the UK.

Our purpose is to make a difference for the Local Government Pension Scheme. We seek to do this by providing cost-effective and innovative investment opportunities delivering returns over the long term for our Partner Funds, their employers and over 1.1 million LGPS members.

Since launch, Border to Coast has been awarded many accolades: ‘Best Pool of the Year’ at the LAPF Investment Awards three years out of four, most recently winning ‘Pool Innovation of the Year’, named at the Professional Pensions UK Pensions Awards as ‘Equity’ and ‘Alternatives Manager of the Year’, and our Climate Change report has won Pensions for Purpose awards two years in a row.