Financial Controller

Financial Controller | Global Advertising Group | Central London (Hybrid Working) | £85,000–£100,000 | 1-Year Fixed-Term Contract

Robert Half are partnering with a major global marketing and communications group to recruit a Financial Controller for their UK finance function, based in Central London.

This is a 1-year fixed-term contract, so we are ideally looking for someone who is happy with a 12-month contract and comfortable committing to the full duration of the role.

With operations across multiple international markets and a portfolio of well-known advertising, media, and communications agencies, this organisation offers the scale, complexity, and reporting requirements of a truly global business.

This is an excellent opportunity for a technically strong finance professional with a strong financial accounting or Financial Controller background to step into a key role within a large, complex, multi-entity group environment. The position offers significant exposure to group reporting, consolidations, IFRS, financial controls and senior stakeholder management.

📊 About the Position

In this role you will:

• Take ownership of financial reporting across multiple UK entities, ensuring accurate and timely reporting to UK management and international stakeholders.

• Lead the monthly management reporting and reforecasting process, including detailed variance analysis and ensuring submissions are delivered within stringent group deadlines.

• Oversee multiple P&Ls and balance sheet areas, ensuring strong financial control and accuracy across the entities.

• Review balance sheet reconciliations, analyse movements and ensure any issues are identified and resolved promptly.

• Oversee WIP, house costs, accruals, journals and other key areas of financial accounting, ensuring your team are managing these effectively.

• Manage cash forecasting, FX reporting and cost management across the business.

• Lead and manage a team of Finance Managers, providing guidance, oversight and support across their respective P&Ls. The role will be focused on managing and reviewing the team rather than being a hands-on preparer.

• Manage relationships with the UK and overseas Shared Service Centre team, providing clear direction and ensuring agreed deliverables, journals and reporting requirements are completed accurately and on time.

• Oversee the statutory and group audit processes, working closely with external auditors, the Shared Service Centre and wider agency teams to ensure all requirements are delivered within strict deadlines.

• Review financial statements and support the delivery of statutory and group reporting requirements across the UK entities.

• Oversee tax and regulatory submissions, including VAT, corporation tax-related reporting, PSA, ONS submissions and other HMRC and UK Government requirements.

• Review and approve relevant submissions prepared by the Shared Service Centre, ensuring accuracy and compliance.

📋 What we’re looking for

• ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified accountant.

• Previous Financial Controller, Financial Accounting Manager, Group Accountant or similar experience within a large, complex organisation.

• Strong financial accounting background with excellent technical accounting knowledge and a strong understanding of IFRS.

• Experience working across multiple entities, ideally within a group environment with exposure to consolidations and group reporting.

• Experience working within a large organisation where there are stringent reporting deadlines, complex structures and multiple stakeholders.

• Previous team management or leadership experience.

• We are open to candidates who have trained in practice and subsequently moved into industry, as well as those who have trained directly within industry. For candidates coming from audit, you must have subsequently gained relevant industry experience.

• Advertising, media or agency experience would be hugely advantageous but is not essential.

• US GAAP and SOX experience would be advantageous but is not essential.

🤝 Here’s what’s waiting for you

• £85,000–£100,000 salary plus benefits.

• 1-year fixed-term contract.

• Hybrid working – 3 days per week in the Central London office.

• The opportunity to join a major global advertising and communications group.

• Significant exposure to complex, multi-entity financial reporting and group processes.

• Responsibility for a large and established finance team.

• Exposure to senior stakeholders across both the UK and international finance functions.

• The opportunity to work across US GAAP and UK GAAP reporting environments.

💼 Why this role could be your next move

This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified accountant who wants to step into a genuinely complex Financial Controller position within a large international organisation. You’ll be working across multiple entities, dealing with demanding reporting deadlines, group reporting, consolidations, IFRS, financial controls and a wide range of senior stakeholders.

The business is particularly interested in candidates who understand the complexity that comes with working for a large organisation. This is not a straightforward single-entity Financial Controller position; you will be operating within a sizeable international group with multiple entities, significant reporting requirements, shared service centres and tight monthly and quarterly deadlines.

Advertising or agency experience would be a major advantage, but the priority is someone who has already worked within a large, complex organisation and is comfortable operating in a highly controlled and deadline-driven environment.