Financial Controller

Fleetwood Town Football Club
Location: Poolfoot Farm and Highbury Stadium
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer

The Financial Controller will oversee the club’s day-to-day financial management and accounting operations, ensuring accurate and timely reporting, effective cashflow management, robust financial controls and compliance with external reporting requirements.

Working closely with senior management, the successful candidate will provide financial insight, improve processes, manage risk and support informed decision-making.

Key responsibilities

Financial reporting and accounting

• Oversee the preparation of monthly management information, ensuring all balance sheet reconciliations are accurate.
• Oversee the preparation of annual financial statements and liaise with the company’s auditors to meet filing requirements.
• Ensure the company’s accounting records are accurately maintained.
• Meet all external reporting deadlines, including SCMP and Regulation 16 submissions to the EFL and VAT returns to HMRC.
• Support senior management with budgeting and forecasting, incorporating meaningful variance analysis into monthly management information.

Cashflow and liquidity

• Oversee the preparation of cashflow projections to support effective management of the company’s liquidity and cash resources.
• Maintain robust credit control procedures, working closely with operational departments to ensure timely collection of outstanding payments.
• Maintain effective connections between financial systems and banking facilities to ensure approved payments are processed efficiently.

Internal controls and compliance

• Develop and maintain effective financial controls and procedures to mitigate financial risks.
• Ensure appropriate segregation of duties and authorisation controls are in place.
• Monitor compliance with financial regulations, tax requirements and obligations to the relevant football authorities.

Team management

• Lead and supervise the finance team, ensuring all responsibilities are covered and carried out effectively.
• Set clear responsibilities, objectives and performance expectations.
• Review the quality and accuracy of work completed by finance team members.

Payroll

• Oversee the accurate processing of payroll data and ensure effective coordination with the external payroll service provider.
• Provide payroll management reports, including analysis of departmental costs.

Qualifications and experience

• A recognised accounting qualification, preferably ACCA or CIMA.
• At least three years’ experience managing a finance team within a football club.
• Strong knowledge and experience of applicable accounting standards and financial controls.
• Strong knowledge and experience of liquidity monitoring, management reporting, budgeting, forecasting, audit and external reporting requirements.

Key skills and competencies

• Strong financial accounting, analysis and reporting skills.
• Leadership and team management.
• Internal controls and risk management.
• Problem-solving and analytical thinking.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• The ability to manage deadlines and competing priorities.
• Experience maintaining and improving financial processes and systems.

Additional responsibilities

The post holder will also be expected to:

• Carry out other reasonable duties of a similar nature according to business needs.
• Undertake training relevant to the role.
• Comply with health and safety procedures and safe working practices.
• Follow data protection procedures and maintain the confidentiality of sensitive business information.