Job Summary

Finance team:

The TopHat finance team consists of 8 members primarily based at the Derby operations. This team plays a critical role within the TopHat Group, ensuring financial integrity, supporting strategic decision-making, and driving sustainable growth and profitability across the organization's diverse portfolio of businesses.

The finance team's scope extends to the entire TopHat Group, including the Corporate Headquarters, Derby operations, forthcoming Corby operations, and all construction project/site activities associated with installing homes on-site. They are responsible for managing all financial matters across the group, indicating a broad and comprehensive role in overseeing the financial health and performance of the organization at various levels and locations.

Main Purpose of Role

The Group Accountant oversees financial reporting, budgeting, compliance, and strategic decision-making for a group of companies or business units within an organisation. Responsibilities include consolidating financial statements, analysing performance, managing risk, and supporting strategic initiatives. The role involves collaboration with various departments, ensuring compliance with regulations, optimising cash flow, and communicating with stakeholders. Overall, the Group Accountant plays a crucial role in maintaining financial integrity and driving growth within the organization.

The Group Accountant serves as a pivotal link between the Group Financial Controller and the FP&A Director, reporting directly to the Group Financial Controller while having a key deliverable to the FP&A Director. This dual reporting structure underscores the importance of the Group Accountant's role in both financial control and planning functions within the organisation.

Working closely with the Group Financial Controller, the Group Accountant ensures the accuracy and integrity of financial reporting across the group of companies or business units. This includes overseeing the consolidation of financial statements, managing compliance with accounting standards and regulatory requirements, and coordinating audits.

Simultaneously, the Group Accountant collaborates with the FP&A Director to support financial planning and analysis activities. This involves assisting with the development of budgets, forecasts, and financial models, as well as providing insights and analysis to inform strategic decision-making.

The finance team includes a pool of four core ledger roles, each of which liaises & supports the Group Accountant on a daily basis.

As a central figure within the finance team, the Group Accountant fosters effective communication and collaboration between the financial control, planning, and operational functions of the organization. They play a critical role in ensuring alignment between financial objectives and overall business goals, driving sustainable growth and profitability across the group.

Key Responsibilities and Authority

1. Monthly Management Accounts: Ensuring the production of accurate monthly accounts for both the Consolidated Group and individual TopHat entities, maintaining consistency and compliance with accounting standards.
2. Statutory Accounts: Producing the production of statutory accounts for the group and its entities, ensuring adherence to legal and regulatory requirements.
3. Audit Co-ordination: Acting as a key contact for external audit processes, facilitating audit inquiries, and considering opportunities for internal audit to enhance financial controls and processes.
4. Management Reporting: Collaborating with the business to enhance management reporting and board packs, providing relevant financial insights to support decision-making at all levels.
5. Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A): Working closely with FP&A and Business Partnering teams to develop forecasts and budgets, providing input into the group's forecast, and taking ownership of specific areas of responsibility.
6. Liquidity Forecasting: Assisting FP&A in the preparation of monthly liquidity forecasts, offering insights and support, and scrutinizing forecast outputs before review by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
7. Cash Management: Taking responsibility for cash management within a growing business, including detailed forward forecasts, optimizing cash flow, and managing relationships with banking institutions.
8. To follow TopHat values and behaviour framework at all times.
9. To follow, contribute and promote TopHat Health, Safety, Environmental Quality.

Overall the Group Accountant plays a critical role in ensuring the accuracy, compliance, and strategic relevance of financial reporting and planning processes within the organization, while also contributing to effective cash management and fostering strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications - Essential

Qualifications - Desirable

Skills and Experience - Essential

• Sound knowledge of all aspects of accounting, including experience of working in a similar role.
• SAP experience essential
• Treasury experience including liquidation and cashflow forecasting.
• Ability to build relationships and be seen as a valued member of the team, not just a reporter of numbers.
• Budgeting and cash flow planning knowledge
• Strong attention to detail
• Sound team leadership skills.
• Excellent organisational and planning skills
• High level of excel skills.

Skills and Experience - Desirable

None