Job Title: Finance Operations Controller
Location: Office-based
Department: Finance
Reports to: Head of Finance
Job Type: Permanent, Full-time

Job Purpose

We are recruiting for a Finance Operations Controller to oversee the day-to-day transactional finance operations within a busy finance department.

This role will be responsible for ensuring the smooth running of accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll administration, cash management and month-end processes. The successful candidate will help maintain strong financial controls, accurate reporting, and efficient finance processes across the business.

This position would suit someone with a strong background in transactional finance who is confident working across ledgers, reconciliations, payroll, month-end support and process improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Accounts Receivable

• Oversee the sales ledger, ensuring customer invoices are processed accurately and on time.
• Monitor payment terms and support the collection of outstanding debts.
• Produce debtor reports and aged receivables analysis for management review.
• Resolve customer invoice queries and disputes, liaising with internal teams where required.
• Maintain accurate customer account records.

Accounts Payable & Supplier Management

• Manage the purchase ledger, ensuring supplier invoices are processed accurately and efficiently.
• Prepare supplier payment runs for approval.
• Reconcile supplier statements and investigate any discrepancies.
• Handle supplier queries in a professional and timely manner.
• Maintain accurate supplier master data.
• Ensure correct VAT treatment and support compliance with CIS requirements where applicable.

Payroll Administration

• Support the end-to-end monthly payroll process, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time.
• Maintain payroll data including starters, leavers, salary changes, overtime, expenses, bonuses and deductions.
• Ensure payroll information is accurately recorded and processed in line with HMRC requirements.
• Support PAYE, NIC, pension auto-enrolment and statutory payment processes.
• Reconcile payroll control accounts and ensure accurate posting to the general ledger.
• Respond to payroll queries and resolve discrepancies efficiently.
• Assist with year-end payroll processes including P60s and P11Ds.

Month-End & Financial Control

• Support month-end close procedures including accruals, prepayments, journals and ledger maintenance.
• Complete reconciliations across sales ledger, purchase ledger, payroll and bank accounts.
• Provide accurate transactional data to support monthly management accounts.
• Maintain clear audit trails and supporting documentation.
• Help ensure all month-end tasks are completed within agreed deadlines.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Act as a confident user of accounting systems, including Sage 200 or similar.
• Identify opportunities to improve finance processes and reduce manual administration.
• Support system improvements, automation projects and process changes.
• Carry out regular checks to maintain data accuracy across finance systems.
• Create and update procedure notes for key finance processes.

Compliance & Internal Controls

• Ensure finance processes are completed in line with company policies, accounting standards and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain strong internal controls and segregation of duties.
• Support internal and external audit activity by providing accurate records and evidence.
• Assist with VAT return preparation and ensure correct VAT treatment across transactions.
• Identify and escalate any control weaknesses or process issues.

Stakeholder Management

• Liaise with internal departments to resolve finance queries and support smooth business operations.
• Build professional relationships with suppliers, customers and internal stakeholders.
• Communicate clearly with senior finance colleagues regarding operational issues and escalations.
• Respond to ad-hoc requests for information, reporting and analysis.

Team Support

• Work collaboratively with the wider finance team to ensure workloads are managed effectively.
• Support accurate, timely and efficient completion of finance tasks.
• Act as a point of escalation for operational finance queries.
• Contribute to a culture of accuracy, accountability and continuous improvement.

Person Specification

Essential Experience & Qualifications

• AAT Level 3 qualified, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in a transactional finance, accounts assistant, finance officer or similar role.
• Strong knowledge of accounts payable and accounts receivable processes.
• Experience with Sage 200 or a similar accounting system.
• Confident completing reconciliations and supporting month-end processes.
• Good understanding of VAT and basic UK tax principles.
• Strong Excel skills, including lookups, pivot tables and data manipulation.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Experience

• AAT Level 4 or part-qualified ACCA/CIMA.
• Experience using paperless invoice processing systems.
• Knowledge of Construction Industry Scheme requirements.
• Experience with payroll administration and payroll control reconciliations.
• Experience supporting audits or financial control processes.
• Knowledge of project costing or job costing systems.
• Experience using Power Query or other data transformation tools.

Key Skills & Attributes

• Methodical and organised approach to work.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Able to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Confident working independently and as part of a team.
• Proactive problem solver.
• Professional and customer-focused communication style.
• Comfortable working with internal teams, suppliers and customers.
• Willing to take ownership of tasks and follow through to completion.
• Interested in improving systems, processes and ways of working.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role will be measured by the accuracy, efficiency and reliability of finance operations, including:

• Accurate and timely ledger reconciliations.
• Month-end tasks completed within agreed deadlines.
• Reduced debtor queries and improved query resolution times.
• Supplier payments processed accurately and on time.
• Clear audit trails and strong supporting documentation.
• Accurate VAT, payroll and CIS treatment where applicable.
• Effective communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Continuous improvement of finance processes and reduction in manual administration.
• Successful audit outcomes with minimal findings.

Career Development

The role offers scope to develop further within finance, with opportunities to broaden experience across management accounting, financial reporting, systems improvement and wider finance operations. Study support may be available for relevant finance qualifications such as AAT, CIMA or ACCA.