Group Financial Reporting Manager

Group Financial Reporting Manager

Location: Remote

Department: Finance

Contract type: Permanent / Full-time

About the role

We're looking for an experienced Group Financial Reporting Manager to join our Group Finance department.

The Group Financial Reporting Manager is responsible for the Group's monthly management accounts and annual statutory accounts, and leads on fraud prevention and financial compliance policies across Activate Group and its subsidiaries. The role works closely with the Director of Finance, the external auditors and the leadership of each business to deliver accurate, timely reporting and a strong control environment.

Activate Group is a growing UK business with 1,000+ team members nationwide. This is an exciting opportunity to build a long-term career with a company that values its people and offers genuine development and progression opportunities.

Key responsibilities

Management Accounts:  

• Prepare the monthly management accounts pack for the Group and review the packs provided for each entity, including the consolidated income statement, balance sheet and cash flow, with clear variance and KPI commentary.
• Own the month end close process and the management accounts timetable, ensuring deadlines are met across all Group companies.
• Review balance sheet reconciliations and manage intercompany reconciliations and eliminations on consolidation.
• Report performance against budget and forecast, prepare the finance content of the monthly board pack and provide financial reports to stakeholders as needed.
• Champion process improvement and efficiency in the finance function, identifying opportunities to use automation and intelligent tools to simplify reporting, reduce manual work and improve accuracy.

Statutory Accounts and Audit:

• Prepare the annual consolidated statutory accounts for the Group and the statutory accounts for each subsidiary under FRS 102, meeting all Companies House filing deadlines.
• Review and refine the stats preparation process (currently in word).
• Lead the year end audit as the main contact for the external auditors, managing the audit timetable and leading on key areas of audit focus and complex accounting matters.
• Investigate and present a conclusion on technical matters, including one off queries, writing papers for the audit process and accounting papers throughout the year.
• Ensure compliance with accounting standards and regulatory requirements, and keep stakeholders up to date on accounting policies and processes.

Tax and Regulatory Filings:  

• Prepare and file VAT returns and other regulatory documents. 
• Stay updated with changes in tax laws and regulations. 
• Assist in tax planning and ensure timely compliance with tax obligations. 
• Work with the Groups tax advisors to prepare the group tax computations

Fraud, Governance and Compliance:  

• Own the Group's anti-fraud, anti-bribery and whistleblowing policies, reviewing them at least annually and maintaining a register of finance and compliance policies.
• Lead the Group's fraud risk assessment and maintain reasonable prevention procedures under the failure to prevent fraud offence in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.
• Design, document and test key financial controls across the Group, reporting findings and agreed actions to the Director of Finance.
• Coordinate fraud awareness training for team members and lead or support investigations into suspected fraud or control failures.
• Monitor regulatory changes, including the Bribery Act 2010 and the Criminal Finances Act 2017, and update Group policies and processes accordingly.

Skills and experience

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with at least 4 years post-qualified experience
• Experience of working in an accountancy practice preferred
• Experience preparing consolidated statutory accounts under FRS 102 and monthly management accounts for a multi-entity group
• Strong understanding of financial regulations and accounting principles
• Proficiency in financial software and Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Confidence to influence and challenge leaders across the Group
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills 
• High level of integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and results-orientation

Desirable (but not essential):

• Experience of internal controls, risk management or fraud prevention frameworks

Benefits

We believe in rewarding our people for the great work they do. When you join Activate Group, you can expect:

• 33 days holiday, including bank holidays
• Personal health cash plan – claim back the cost of everyday healthcare such as dental and optical check-ups
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental pay
• Life assurance at three times your basic salary
• Free breakfasts and fresh fruit
• A birthday surprise for everyone

What you can expect from us

At Activate Group, we want everyone to have the tools and support they need to do their best work. We're an innovative business that continuously reviews and improves our systems, processes and ways of working, making sure they support our teams to do their jobs effectively.

Every role at Activate Group is aligned to our wider business vision and purpose – making someone's bad day better. You'll understand how your role contributes to the bigger picture and how your work helps deliver excellent outcomes for customer and partners.

We believe work should be enjoyable. We make time to celebrate success, recognise achievements and bring people together at team events and company-wide celebrations. We'll also support your ongoing development through regular feedback and career planning.

Whether you're based in one of our contact centres in Halifax, Peterborough or Huddersfield, working at an Activate Accident Repair (AAR) site, or working from home, you'll be part of a supportive culture where people are encouraged to succeed.

A bit about us

Activate Group is a fast-growing business approaching 1,000 team members nationwide.

We work with some of the UK's largest fleets and insurance companies, supporting drivers that have been involved in road incidents through our contact centres in Halifax, Peterborough and Huddersfield.

We manage every step of the repair journey - repairing vehicles at our own Activate Accident Repair (AAR) body shops, as well as through a UK-wide network of trusted independent repair partners.

We also work with the UK's largest vehicle manufacturers, supporting their approved repair programmes, and deliver innovative technology solutions to fleets, vehicle repair centres and dealerships.

Our purpose & values

Our purpose underpins everything we do: Make someone's bad day better

Our values define how we work with our team members, customers and suppliers:

• Make it happen – Be accountable. Take the initiative, work fast, and do a great job.
• Strive for better – Be bold. Challenge the norm - make small improvements often.
• Win together – Be a team player. Win together, learn together, respect each other.