About us

We're a truly international company, forth largest in our industry and operating across 120 markets. An inclusive, innovative global FMCG business supported by over 27,500 employees. As we embrace a new era of growth, we are transforming. Our ways of working and culture are driven by a challenger mindset, constantly questioning the status quo. Our agility and entrepreneurial spirit, alongside award winning development programmes, enable innovation and success while creating exciting and rewarding career choices.

As we move forward, our customers will be at the heart of what we do, evolving to needs and expectations and committing to a more meaningful contribution to harm reduction by building a successful NGP business. Integral to our long-term success is our sustainability strategy, behaving responsibly and supporting our ambitions, all underpinned by high governance.

Encouraging inclusion at local levels and supporting a developing and robust diversity agenda globally, we’re fully committed to creating and maintaining an environment that celebrates and respects difference. 

Please note: This role is a 12 Month Fixed Term Contract

The role

 

Imperial Brands is looking for a new Group Financial Reporting Manager, following a change in the structure of the Group Finance function and a medium-term focus on transformation which will include the deployment and development of a new Group wide finance system (CFIN) which will include the replacement of the Group existing consolidation system.  The new finance team will need to be robust, proactive and lean, with a emphasis on continuous improvement to processes and a willingness to embrace and take ownership of change in order to create efficiencies going forward.

 Reporting to the Group Financial Controller, the role will be responsible for all financial reporting at a Group level which includes managing the Group Year-end and Half-year processes and production of the financial statements under IFRS in accordance with UK listing requirements.

In addition, the role will be responsible for filings a number of UK based holding entities under IFRS and UK GAAP. The role will include responsibility for a team of qualified accountants managing financial reporting and some elements of finance systems. Currently the Group uses IBM Controller/PA which in the medium term will be replaced with another system integrating with cFIN. The role will need to fully support the change within the team and processes associated with this implementation.  

This is very much a role for someone who is looking to understand processes, if necessary, at the grass roots to ensure that change can be affected efficiently and without disruption to the business while understanding what the business actually needs and wants going forward. There is currently significant scope for process improvements in the Group Finance area, particularly in the use of spreadsheets, eliminating manual processes and improving the efficiency and accuracy of the overall accounting process so that it becomes a robust and reliable month-end process delivered in a timely manner.

The role will require interpreting and understanding ongoing financial reporting requirements and may involve ad-hoc analysis of what these mean to the Group by writing technical papers or assisting the Group Financial Controller in preparing information for internal dissemination. The role has a requirement to own and manage certain accounting or reporting processes via interaction with both internal and external finance contacts (including the Group statutory auditors and IBM shared service team).

The role is likely to have a involvement in providing team input and support into the CFIN and other process improvements projects and to look to continuously improve aspects of the Group’s monthly and external financial reporting processes. In addition the role will be responsible for providing the right development and support to the wider Group Finance Reporting team

Please note: This role is a 12 Month Fixed Term Contract

 

Key responsibilities

Financial reporting

• Ownership of the process underlying the production of the financial consolidation for the Group (annual and interim statutory reporting and monthly management reporting);
• Preparation of the financial consolidation for the Group for the purposes of the annual statutory accounts and support the consolidation team accountants in the monthly consolidation and close process;
• Support the Group Financial Controller in producing the financial parts of the ARA for the Group;
• Lead the audit of the Group consolidated results

• Work closely with the Legal, Treasury and Tax teams on Group projects such as corporate restructurings and new internal and external reporting requirements;
• Ad-hoc financial reporting as required;

Finance systems                                                                                                                           

• Working with Finance Systems Manager to ensure that the Group consolidation system is kept up-to-date, properly maintained, and supports the consolidation requirements across the Group.
• Help managing the relationship with the 3^rd parties and Group IT supporting the system and ensure the SLA’s meet the requirements of the Group

Accounting policies

• Assist in maintaining and developing the Group accounting policies manual;
• Analyse and review new accounting standards and prepare proposal for revisions to accounting policies, as necessary.

Team management

• Direct line-management responsibility for the Group Consolidation and Systems Accountants
• Managing the provision of development opportunities for the team
• Develop a culture of continuous improvement, embracing change and a proactive mindset to creating and implementing new ideas

Essential skills, experience and qualifications

You will ideally have a top 4 practice or similar industry background and be a fully qualified (ACA/ACCA/ACMA) accountant, either from practice or within a Corporate and with a few years of relevant, global and multi-currency industry experience.

It is particularly important to have worked or had experience working within the Group audit team of FTSE100 companies and have dealt with complex multi-currency consolidations with a very good handle of Group finance from an audit perspective.

In addition, you need to have had experience managing part of a transformation project from a Group finance perspective and have the skillset to identify the process changes needed and what is needed to implement that change and ensure Group Finance deliver on the change objectives.

You will need to be a confident communicator, strong team leader and manager, capable of building solid working relationships and building credibility with senior stakeholders across the business and with the Group’s senior finance leadership team.

Essential requirements:

• Qualified ACA/ACCA/ACMA financial accountant with at least 5 years+ post qualification experience. 
• Experience of working in a similar role within a fast-paced multi-currency and global business ideally within the Consumer/retail sector.
• Confident in dealing with senior individuals in the Group and able to develop credibility from senior management who are very experienced in the business and where the key focus is the Customer.
• A committed, team player with a proven ability to deliver to deadlines with excellent communication skills (written and verbal).
• Highly technically astute, with experience of accounting and reporting in the context of preparing Group and company financial statements according to IFRS and UK GAAP requirements.
• Prior experience of dealing and adopting new accounting standards including modelling potential impact of changes for interpretation by the Group’s Audit Committee.
• A good ability to interpret and present findings to senior management succinctly and without the need to get them immersed in the detail.
• Excellent attention to detail where required with the ability to identify the significance of issues within the context of the overall financial reporting requirements.
• A full understanding and experience of period end and hard close processes in the context of a large UK listed Group to very demanding deadlines.
• Strong organisation and project management skills, including the ability to prioritise, keep key interested parties engaged and knowing when to flag critical issues to the right people as necessary. 
• Excellent report writing skills with an ability to clearly communicate and explain complex technical issues to different audiences, including those without a finance background.
• Advanced MS Excel skills including the ability to work with pivot tables, V-Lookups and multiple linked spreadsheets.
• A strong understanding of the need for financial controls and basic associated requirements within a group financial reporting function.
• Drive and enthusiasm to ensure team succeeds in achieving fixed and demanding deadlines.
• Not afraid to challenge norms and a willingness to focus on continuous improvement to process.
• Commitment and flexibility to work with other team members and senior management to deliver on shared goals.

 

What we offer

Imperial Brands offer a competitive package of salary, bonus scheme, pension and 25 days holiday (with an additional 4 days on top to cover the Christmas period and bank holidays).

Next steps

Interested applicants should apply with their CV highlighting their suitability for the role.