Senior Group Financial Reporting Manager

About VIRTUS

VIRTUS Data Centres is the UK’s fastest growing data centre provider which owns, designs, builds and operates the country’s most efficient and flexible data centres.

Our mission - consistently exceed the expectations of customers through innovative, high quality solutions and services. We employ intelligent thinkers – people with positive attitudes, who add to the quality of our customer proposition and business.

We value individual endeavour and initiative, encourage teamwork and togetherness because collective experience and expertise is VIRTUS’ greatest strength.

Job Summary

The Senior Group Financial Reporting Manager is responsible for leading a high-performing team of qualified financial accountants to deliver all aspects of consolidated and standalone entity reporting for both internal stakeholders (such as monthly and quarterly reporting to our parent company) and the public domain (preparation of statutory financial statements for a group of approx. 30 entities). The role also has primary responsibility for managing the day-to-day engagement with our external auditors and delivery of robust and fit-for-purpose IFRS accounting technical advice regarding the transactions of the business.

As Senior Group Financial Reporting Manager, you will manage and perform in-depth value additive review of the output of a team of five qualified accountants in a deadline driven environment. You will proactively drive the year-end close process (for both group and statutory reporting) and adherence to timelines for both interim and year-end phases of the audit process.

During 2023 VIRTUS transitioned to a SAP S/4 HANA ERP system, as part of a Group-wide implementation by our parent company STT Global Data Centres, and this role will also be a key stakeholder in the delivery of the final phase of this major finance transformation project as we put in place a SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) consolidated reporting and planning module.

Main Duties

The role includes but is not limited to the following:

Financial Reporting

• Ownership of all group and statutory reporting requirements. Critically this will include ensuring the consolidated and entity level statutory financial statements are completed and signed by the agreed Group deadline.

• Working closely with the external audit team throughout the year ensuring transparency of approach to technical accounting considerations as they arise, planning deliverables and timetable for the year-end process, and acting as a primary point of contact during reporting periods.

• Full responsibility in coordinating and managing the preparation and review of the quarterly consolidated Group reporting pack and monthly consolidated returns, and act as the main point of contact for any Group queries.

• Responsible for creating, communicating and managing the quarterly and annual reporting timetable for the Financial Reporting team, including workplan and ensuring each month-end and quarter-end is sufficiently resourced.

• Proactively improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the company and Group financial reporting processes, initially contributing specifically to ensuring we achieve an optimised solution for consolidated reporting from the SAC implementation project currently in progress.

• Providing in-house technical accounting expertise and advice to the Group on all aspects of both IFRS and UK GAAP, including specific transactions/projects and the impact to the Group of any changes to accounting standards on an ongoing basis.

• Ensuring accounting systems incorporate proper accounting principles, standards and classifications to ensure prompt, accurate, complete and consistent recording and reporting of data as required for control and decision-making purposes.

• Maintain quality control over all external releases of financial information requests, including statutory accounts, bank covenant compliance certificates and reporting to external stakeholders.

Financial Policies, Processes and Procedures

• Assist the Group Financial Controller with delivery of the annual internal audit process, including discussion and assessment of potential internal control weaknesses and ensuring structured and timely implementation of identified recommendations in line with a SOX-compliant environment.

• Drive continuous improvement and innovation in automation of processes to enhance and maintain robustness of the internal control framework.

• Implement and strengthen internal financial control frameworks including ensuring compliance to accounting standards as per statutory requirements.

• Project-related work including proactively maintaining the suite of Group-wide accounting policies.

Staff Responsibilities

• Manage and develop the Group Financial Reporting team including work planning, recruitment, appraisals, and training.

• Ongoing development of team capabilities, managing and empowering the team to deliver best in class financial reporting.

Any other reasonable requests made by your line manager, including ad hoc assistance with all finance related projects as required.

Person Specification

Qualifications:

• Qualified Accountant – ACA or ACCA.

Experience:

• Coming from an audit-trained background, with a minimum of 5 years post qualified experience ideally mostly spent in a group financial reporting role in industry, or an experienced Senior Manager from an audit/assurance practice looking to make their first move into industry.
• Day-to-day management of teams and external stakeholders, and periodic exposure to audit committees including preparation of appropriate committee papers.
• Practical knowledge of using ERP systems (ideally SAP and specifically SAP S/4 HANA). Familiarity with the SAP GR consolidation module and SAP Analytics Cloud would be a significant advantage.
• Comfortable working with complex consolidations for large groups of entities.
• Awareness of practical implications of SOX reporting on consolidation accounting processes, leases and fixed assets and key controls over these areas.
• Familiarity with the data centre sector or other technology driven and capital-intensive industries.

Skills:

• Self-motivated, goal orientated, tenacious, resilient, and willing to take full ownership of tasks and responsibilities.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills with a demonstrable ability to prioritise workload demands effectively to deliver on deadlines.
• Attention to detail on all aspects of the role and deliverables.
• Possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, comfortable with regular exposure to senior management.
• Project management and prioritisation skills: well-organised and able to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines, multi-task and work independently.
• Proficiency in the use of MS Office – at a minimum Excel, PowerPoint and Word.

In line with the VIRTUS’ Vetting Policy, the successful applicant must be willing to undergo a BS7858 screening process.

VIRTUS is an equal opportunity employer. As part of our commitment to equality, we ensure a fair and consistent interview process. We celebrate diversity and are committed to an inclusive work environment.

We reserve the right to close this post for applications should sufficient applications be received.

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