Group Financial Controller
Employer: Jisc
Location: Specific patterns for working in the office are not mandated, and the frequency of time worked in the office is agreed with your manager. Meeting in person is something we value so you may need to travel on occasion to any of our hub offices.
Working hours: 35 hours per week
Salary: c £65,000 to £75,000 per annum depending on experience
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About Jisc:
For 30 years Jisc has pioneered digital solutions for UK education and research, transforming how knowledge is created, shared and used.
We are uniquely positioned to protect, promote and lead the sector in digital and data transformation, making a difference to students, communities and society. Together, we are
working to build a better digital future for education and research.
Raise your potential at Jisc through our culture of lifelong learning. At Jisc, we're all about growth, so embrace new challenges, sharpen your skills and shape a career that excites you.
The team:
Our Finance team enables Jisc to achieve its strategic objectives by providing prudent and effective financial management, compliance and advice. We are responsible for maintaining Jisc's solvency and liquidity, overseeing all financial and tax matters, reporting, controls, budgeting and forecasting across the group, directorates and services.
We also manage procurement activity across Jisc and work collaboratively with colleagues throughout the organisation to deliver value and support informed business decisions.
The role:
Reporting to the Head of Finance, the Group Financial Controller (GFC) leads a small, high-performing team and is responsible for ensuring a robust financial control environment across Jisc Group.
This is a highly visible role with responsibility for external group financial reporting, statutory compliance and the continuous development of financial controls, systems and processes. You'll work closely with colleagues across Finance and the wider organisation, building strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external auditors to ensure the smooth and effective running of Jisc's financial operations.
As a trusted finance leader, you'll combine technical expertise with practical business insight, ensuring that financial reporting is accurate, timely and aligned with organisational objectives.
What you’ll be doing:
Financial Reporting and Controls
Lead and deliver a robust year-end process, including audit file preparation and management of external auditor relationships.
Oversee and coordinate the preparation of consolidated statutory accounts for Jisc Group and its subsidiaries.
Support group budgeting and forecasting processes.
Work closely with the Systems Accountant to ensure the effective use and governance of the chart of accounts.
Lead month-end accounting processes, including timetabling, ledger reviews, accruals and prepayments, balance sheet reconciliations and timely reporting.
Ensure all intercompany transactions are accurately recorded and reconciled each month.
Maintain and control the General Ledger, ensuring all control accounts are reconciled and unusual transactions are investigated promptly.
Design, document and maintain accounting policies, financial procedures and a robust financial control framework.
Review existing and proposed financial processes, undertaking risk and control assessments and identifying control ownership.
Work collaboratively across Finance to ensure effective and proportionate financial controls are embedded throughout the organisation.
Provide financial control expertise, guidance and training to colleagues across Financial Services teams.
Support the continued development of Dynamics 365 general ledger modules and reporting functionality.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen governance, controls, reporting and management information.
Promote a culture of accountability, process ownership and operational excellence.
Leadership
Lead, coach and develop direct reports to achieve individual and team objectives.
Conduct performance reviews, development planning and objective setting.
Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders across Jisc.
Deputise for the Deputy Chief Financial Officer when required.
What we are looking for:
About You
You are a qualified finance professional with significant experience in financial control, statutory reporting and governance within a complex organisation. You combine strong technical expertise with the ability to communicate financial matters clearly and confidently to a wide range of stakeholders.
Experience
Need to have
Previous experience as a Financial Controller or in a similar senior financial accounting role.
Experience preparing consolidated statutory accounts within a large organisation with high transaction volumes (c£100m)
Strong technical accounting knowledge and statutory reporting expertise.
Experience managing year-end audits and working with external auditors.
Demonstrable experience developing and maintaining robust financial controls and governance frameworks.
Nice to have
Experience within the higher education, technology, membership or not-for-profit sectors.
Strong understanding of revenue recognition requirements under UK GAAP.
Essential Skills and Personal Qualities
Ability to explain complex financial information to non-finance audiences.
Advanced Excel skills.
Strong written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear reports and recommendations for senior management.
Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
Self-motivated and proactive, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
Comfortable operating in a fast-paced and commercially focused environment.
Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgement.
Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to engage and influence at all levels, including directors and senior leaders.
A continuous improvement mindset with a passion for improving processes and controls.
Qualifications
Need to have
CCAB Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIPFA or CIMA).
Don’t meet every single requirement?
We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they think they can’t tick every box, so we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet 100% of the requirements, but if you feel this role is perfect for you. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!
Hybrid working:
Specific patterns for working in the office are not mandated, and the frequency of time worked in the office is agreed with your manager. Meeting in person is something we value, so you may need to travel on occasion to any of our hub offices.
We welcome Part time, job share and flexible working arrangements for this role.
Why work for us?
At Jisc, every role is meaningful, and every individual is valued. We foster a culture of continuous learning and personal growth, offering opportunities to develop new skills and make a real impact in education and research. With a strong focus on work-life balance, we embrace flexible working that prioritises outcomes over hours, empowering you to create a rhythm that energises both your professional and personal life.
Our Guiding Principles:
Jisc’s culture is powered by our four guiding principles: putting customers first, driving innovation, creating impact, and championing inclusive collaboration to deliver sustainable outcomes and shape a better future.
Discover the amazing benefits we provide! Here’s what you can look forward to:
Flexible work pattern, which can adapt to suit your schedules and personal commitments
31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) that includes three closure days over Christmas
Buy up to an additional 5 days leave during the flexible benefits window
Generous flexible pension schemes
A range of wellbeing lifestyle benefits including company paid health care cash plan, mental health first aiders and support
A company culture of continuous learning with access to thousands of LinkedIn Learning courses, and lots of resources and opportunities to support your development
Allocated allowance of up to £250 to equip your home office
Financial well-being support including access to preferential loan and savings plans, mortgage advice, will writing tools and support and resources to help you make the most of your money
A wide range of discounts and cashback from retailers and big-name high-street stores
Family friendly policies including enhanced parental, maternity and paternity and co-parental leave as well as opportunity for career breaks
Support your volunteering with up to 3 days volunteer leave
Equity, diversity and inclusion:
Jisc believe our people make all the difference in cultivating an inclusive culture that welcomes ideas, encourages innovation, and values belonging.
We work hard to create an equitable experience for our candidates and workforce which embraces all aspects of their identity including race and ethnicity, religion and belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, trans identities, age, class, disability, neurodivergence, or veteran status.
Application process:
Please let us know how we can best accommodate you throughout the recruitment process. We’re committed to making our process accessible and comfortable for everyone - just tell us what works best for you.
Just so you know, we review CVs as soon as we can and aim to provide an update on your application within 4 weeks of receiving it. However, you may hear from us a lot sooner, so please keep an eye out for our emails or calls!
We’re really looking forward to getting to know the real you. While we encourage the use of AI tools to help you get started on your CV or cover letter, we encourage you to review your application before submitting. Make sure it truly reflects your own voice, experiences, and personality.
If you are currently a Jisc employee, please apply through your Dayforce Employee profile.
We have a thorough background screening process that verifies the details you share with us in your CV and your application. Any inaccurate information supplied during the application stages can lead to a job offer being withdrawn.
Sponsorship:
Jisc has an active sponsor licence to recruit on a Skilled worker visa basis. Candidates wishing to apply who require sponsorship should determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the role by assessing their circumstances against the relevant Home Office criteria. Jisc does not offer any financial re-imbursement towards the applicant costs, such as re-location, skilled worker visa and dependant costs or the immigration health charge.
No agencies please.
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