Role summary

The Financial Operations Manager reports directly to the Group Financial Controller and is responsible for all elements of finance operations (accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing and expenses management) within Pinewood Group. The role will provide the necessary focus required to ensure that that the business and the team operate a sound system of internal controls around the timely recording of invoices, expenses and cash, the management of payments and receipts for the Group, the appropriateness of spend within the Group’s policies and interfaces into the general ledger. The role will run a programme of improvement and implement automated systems improvements to enhance the speed and accuracy of data capture.

The role will also support finance colleagues in the delivery of data for tax and corporate returns, external audit, and cash forecasting. The role also has primary accountability for the preparation of the UK business’s VAT return.

Reporting into the role are the Group Credit Controller, Accounts Payable Specialist and the Billing & Expenses Assistant.  The role interfaces with all areas of Finance and the business, together with external audit and our banking partners. The Financial Operations Manager requires a clear and logical approach, with the skill to influence finance and non-finance colleagues to adhere with Finance processes.

Principle accountabilities

• Responsible for delivering finance operations against a rapid-close month end timetable
• Work with the Group’s specialist systems team to implement automation improvements for financial operations
• Review balance sheet reconciliations, including those for cash, AP and AR
• Define KPIs and targets within which the financial operations team should achieve, and monitor and report compliance with these on a monthly basis
• Define a monthly calendar for the financial operations team to adhere to, ensuring that there is sufficient staffing within the team and that touchpoints with stakeholders are scheduled on a timely basis
• Review manual invoices raised to the Group’s key customers
• Ensure receivables collected through direct debits are processed in an accurate and timely manner
• Review the Group’s periodic payment run, to ensure that payments are made appropriately, that cash is available in the appropriate legal entity and the payment is in line with the short-term cash forecast
• Review the AP and AR ledgers each week, to ensure both ledgers are appropriately cleared down
• Approve changes to supplier bank details
• Prepare the UK VAT return for review
• Track the team’s compliance with the Group’s financial controls
• Work with business colleagues to clear obstacles and ensure controls are being adhered to throughout the business
• Run a programme of continuous process improvement, which encourages best-practice, swift processes, appropriate controls and automation
• Support the finance department as needed on an ad hoc basis

Skills and experience

• Part-qualified CIMA/ ACCA/ ACA or equivalent
• Experience of working as an accountant, with good knowledge of the P&L and Balance sheet, and financial controls
• Experience of working within Accounts Payable or Accounts Receivable
• Experience of working within a multi-company organisation
• Programme of continuous improvement
• Strong across all MS Office applications, with at least intermediate Excel skills
• Experience of financial systems
• Logical approach with strong attention to detail
• Strong team and matrix-management capability
• Good influencing and communication skills
• Positive, can-do attitude to all tasks
• Ability and willingness to problem solve
• Experience with MS Dynamics for financial operations and experience with development of systems desirable but not essential
• Experience of preparing UK VAT returns is desirable

Other information

• Role location: Pinewood Studios
• Competitive starting salary and discretionary annual bonus of up to 10% of salary.
• 25 days’ holiday as standard with the option to buy 3 additional days, plus English public holidays.
• Pension scheme 5% employer contribution and 3% minimum employee contribution.
• Comprehensive private medical healthcare from Bupa, including cover for pre-existing conditions, dental and optical cover.
• Income Protection for yourself, up to 75% of salary.
• Life assurance of 4 x annual salary.
• £3.20 per day Pinewood canteen subsidy.
• Two days per year volunteering allowance for our local communities.
• Invest@Work Saving Account with Fidelity.
• Various other staff perks including but not limited to, gym and retail discounts, free film screenings and staff events.

Closing date for applications is 20 January 2025

Pinewood Group is an equal opportunities employer. We are highly committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture for our people and actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

As such we would invite you to please complete our Diversity Monitoring Survey. We collect this information for equality monitoring purposes, as permitted by law, but you do not have to complete this form. If you choose to provide this information, you will help us to develop our equal opportunities policies and to monitor each stage of recruitment. All the information you provide will be anonymous and is not considered with your application.

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments to be made to any stage of the recruitment process in your cover letter.