Financial Controller

Job Posting Title: Financial Controller

Grade and Salary:Grade 10 (Competitive)

FTE and working pattern:Heriot-Watt University is a campus-based organisation that also supports connected hybrid working. Flexible working options will also be considered.

Organisation Name:Finance Directorate

Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and leading-edge relevant research which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation business and industry.

Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh Scottish Borders and Orkney) one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science engineering design business and languages.

Heriot-Watt is also Scotlands most international university boasting the largest international student cohort.

We have an established set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership and show our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities.

For full details on our University please view our Careers at Heriot-Watt

About our Team

The Finance team is one of the Professional Services supporting the Universitys mission and its strategic priorities. On a day-to-day basis it does this by delivering a range of financial operations:

• routine financial transactional processing in payroll accounts payable and accounts receivable
• sound management accounting including ensuring the availability of accurate and timely financial management reporting; and effective budgeting and planning
• effective operation of financial systems
• effective and timely delivery of statutory financial reporting

In addition the Finance department supports the delivery of the Universitys strategic plan through effective financial planning including capital investment planning project appraisal and identification of sustainable funding streams.

Purpose of Role

This role reports to the Global Financial Director and is responsible for providing strategic leadership to all aspects of the Edinburgh Finance Directorate. The role holder will have direct management responsibility for 5 direct reports and overall responsibility for circa 20 FTE. The role-holder will have significant influence on and provide thought leadership on the Universitys financial control framework and processing activity. The role-holder will also provide financial leadership across the Global University and to the University Executive.

Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Providing a leading edge financial reporting and controlling processes to ensure University reporting meets all internal and external deadlines
• Ownership of overall control framework within the University and financial policies across the University instil a rigorous balance sheet review process across the group to minimise risk and ensure credibility of the numbers within the financial ledgers
• Provide leadership on cash management cash forecasting and across the general treasury function in particular management of existing and new covenant lending arrangements
• Provide leadership for Treasury Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable and Financial reporting teams developing team members
• Provide leadership on overall fraud management ensuring fraud controls are appropriate for University both now and in the future
• Lead manage and develop the teams responsible for the above processes ensuring colleagues are trained and supported in their day to day work and longer term career development. Lead by example demonstrating the university values and promoting a culture of customer service and efficiency.
• Drive forward a continuous improvement culture in respect of the control environment and spread best practice and across the Finance Team and University
• Completion and submission of Corporation tax VAT and other relevant taxation forms
• Lead finance representation on key projects where appropriate
• Lead relationship with external auditors
• Deputise for Global Finance Director where appropriate and as a member of the Finance Leadership team contribute to the wider strategic development of the function and its services in support of University Strategy.
• Financial & Statutory Accounting

The role holder will provide strategic finance leadership and tactical direction in relation to all of the core operational and transaction processing activities within Finance leading the following teams:

• Accounts Receivable
• Accounts Payable
• Treasury
• Risk & Control

As a senior manager within Finance they will be expected to contribute significantly to the development and delivery of departmental and University strategy policy and operational plans the continuous improvement of the service and the embedding of the new ERP system. As a global university they will work closely with the finance leads in Dubai and Malaysia to ensure our processes and controls are standardised wherever possible and financial accounting takes different jurisdictional and business requirements into consideration.

Education Qualifications & Experience

Essential

1. Holds industry recognised accountancy qualifications or equivalent practical experience in the workplace
2. Experience of developing and implementing strategy
3. Demonstrable experience of leading a team that includes multiple layers of management
4. Demonstrable experience of managing resources workloads and changing priorities for self and others
5. Demonstrable experience of managing change
6. Demonstrable ability to work within a fast-changing environment
7. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
8. Excellent influencing skills
9. Good track record of developing and maintaining positive working relationships with internal and external customers peers stakeholders and others
10. Technical expert in a relevant discipline/in at least one of the services provided by the Finance Directorate
11. Flexible and resilient
12. Collaborative and proactive

Desirable

1. ACCA membership
2. Experience of leading complex change
3. Project management skills
4. Experience of operating in a complex global environment

Please send CV and Covering Letter by Friday 24th April. Interviews are expected to take place in early May

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected trained promoted appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information please see our website and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers .

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.

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