Financial Controller

As the Financial Controller at The Gen Plus Group, you will lead the migration of our accounting system from Xero to Paprika, ensuring the transition is seamless. You will also oversee cash flow and liquidity management, streamline accounts payable, and ensure compliance with accounting principles. Providing strategic leadership to the accounting team and identifying opportunities for process optimization is also a key focus.

To qualify for the Financial Controller position at The Gen Plus Group, you should have a minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in finance and accounting, including at least 3 years in a management role. You need to be a fully qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) with in-depth knowledge of accounting principles and financial regulations. Experience in technology transformation projects within finance teams is highly preferred.

The Financial Controller plays a crucial role in driving finance transformation at The Gen Plus Group by leading the migration to new systems like Paprika, improving current processes, and enhancing automation within the finance function. You will analyze existing operations and build business cases for implementing best practices aimed at achieving greater efficiency.

Essential skills for the Financial Controller role at The Gen Plus Group include strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities, excellent communication skills for interacting with diverse stakeholders, problem-solving capabilities, and a thorough understanding of financial regulations and tax laws. Experience with Paprika is a desirable advantage.

At The Gen Plus Group, the work environment is vibrant and collaborative, uniting a diverse team of over 3,000 professionals worldwide. You will be encouraged to foster creativity and innovation while driving meaningful change. The culture emphasizes a commitment to exceeding expectations and promotes a positive atmosphere for professional development.

In answering this question, provide a concise overview of your past roles related to finance transformation, highlighting specific projects you've led, especially system migrations. Focus on the challenges faced, strategies employed, and outcomes achieved to demonstrate your leadership capabilities.

When responding, emphasize your familiarity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and your systematic approach to ensuring compliance, such as routine reconciliations, audits, and training staff on compliance standards to maintain integrity within the financial operations.

Discuss your process for managing change by describing how you communicate with stakeholders, assess impacts, and provide necessary training. Highlight your ability to address resistance and ensure team members feel supported throughout the transition.

Outline your approach to cash flow optimization, emphasizing techniques like managing accounts receivable and payable efficiently, forecasting cash needs, and implementing treasury strategies that keep liquidity stable while minimizing financial risks.

Share your methods for effective prioritization, such as analyzing project scope and impact on the overall business objectives. Mention any tools or frameworks you use to assess and communicate priorities to your team and stakeholders.

Provide a specific example that details the problem you faced, the steps you took to implement the improvement, and the positive results it yielded. Metrics or feedback received can help illustrate the impact of your efforts.

Highlight your commitment to mentorship and training during technological changes, including how you provide resources, allocate time for learning, and encourage an open dialogue where team members feel comfortable asking questions and sharing concerns.

Discuss the importance of tailoring your communication style to different audiences, using clear, jargon-free language to demystify financial concepts. Share examples of how you've successfully collaborated with other departments to achieve mutual understanding and goals.

Explain your methods for continuous learning, including attending industry seminars, joining professional networks, and following regulatory updates to ensure your knowledge remains current and applicable in your work.

Describe your perspective on automation, discussing the benefits it brings in terms of efficiency, accuracy, and enhanced reporting. Share specific tools or technologies you've utilized to automate tasks within the finance function.