The Role Objective
The Financial Controllers within GroupM are responsible for managing and leading the month end/quarter and year end processes ensuring deadlines are met and work is accurate; maintaining efficient control processes; promoting process improvement. Supporting one aligned, efficient and effective team reporting function that provides the required monthly reporting to WPP (P&L and Balance Sheet) and internal Management Info
Responsibilities
Month-end process/ year-end & variance analysis
- Managing and training members of the team
- Managing the month end, quarter end, half year and year end processes to ensure accurate and timely reporting of P&Ls and Balance sheets
- Preparation of Flash and actuals for review
- Preparation of the internal P&L commentary with variance analysis within the threshold prior to BFC submission (CTB21) for review
- Preparation of Balance Sheet Commentary with variance analysis within the threshold prior to BFC submission (CTB20) for review
- Sign off WD9 SOX and 20th of the month SOX Controls for those controls allocated including MRC/threshold tools and IUC checks
- Assist in improvement of SOX controls and balance sheet reconciliations, ensuring unreconciled items are reviewed monthly/resolved (CTB09.1 and CTB09.2)
- Updating RCM matrix for new WPP RCM when required
- Review and approval of monthly payroll
- Part ownership of the Deloitte external audit and EY internal SOX audit.
- Checking requests regularly for those assigned to you and ensuring your direct reports have completed their requests.
- Ensuring SOX controls are remediated and updated in DM360
- Preparation/ Review of quarterly VAT with sample tests and upload in SOFY with commentary for variances to prior quarter
- Manage, support, train and develop your direct reports and improve their knowledge and experience, be on hand to support during month end, quarter-ends and key reporting dates
- Provide any ad-hoc reporting requested by the GroupM/WPP
Group / WPP reporting
- Liaise with EMEA to resolve reporting queries
- Submit commentaries to EMEA on a monthly basis
- Submit SOX controls on monthly basis
- Deal with EMEA’s new reporting requirements
- Prepare and submit quarterly packages
- Prepare and submit the year-end packages
Business Partnering
- Business partnering through engagement with business on a regular basis including face-to-face meetings
- Adding value to operational teams through analysis, reporting etc.
Other and periodic
- Ensuring compliance with company policies and SOX requirements
- Continuously reviewing current processes and making improvements to allow better control or improved efficiencies
- Ad hoc projects as directed by SFC/Head of Accounting
- Dealing with Finance Plus on ad hoc queries
Skills and Behaviours:
Desirable
- Experience working with DDS / Media Ocean
- Experience working with Cartesis / BFC
- Media industry experience
- Experience working with SOX controls
- Audit trained
Essential
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA and CIMA)
- Intermediate / advance level of Excel (knowledge of sumIFs, sumIF, Pivot tables, VLOOKUP is essential)
- Organized with good attention to detail
- Quick to learn and adaptable to changing work allocation and able to prioritise workload to meet challenging deadlines
- Team management experience
- Strong analytical and reconciliation skills
- Strong communication & relationship building skills
- Enthusiastic with a can do attitude
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Experience in setting up and improving processes
PLEASE NOTE: This role is inside IR35
