Job Description

Financial Controller - Multi-Site Dental Practice Group

Location:

Head Office - Watford

Reports to:

CEO / Directors

Direct reports:

Finance Manager/Bookkeepers (incl. offshore team)

Systems:

Xero, Excel

Monday - Friday 40 hours/week

Role purpose

Own the group's finance function end-to-end: produce accurate, timely MI; lead cash flow forecasting and scenario planning; analyse trends and operational drivers (e.g., UDAs, payor mix); strengthen controls; and partner with Operations to improve profitability and cash.

Key responsibilities

Management information (MI) & reporting

Produce the monthly

board MI pack

within 7 working days: P&L by site, balance sheet, cash flow, KPI dashboard (UDAs vs target, hygiene revenues, payor mix, clinician productivity, wage %, lab %, consumables %, debtor days, cash conversion, EBITDA). Variance analysis vs budget/forecast; insight comments and

clear actions

for site managers. Weekly

flash

: revenue by site, UDAs delivered, cash received, payroll run rate, AP/AR headlines.

Cash flow & working capital

Maintain a

rolling 13-week cash flow

(base & downside cases); scenario planning, interest rates, new-starter ramp-up. Drive cash conversion: collections strategy for various income streams; reduce debtor days; optimise payment terms and stock. Monitor covenants and support funding/CapEx cases.

Trend & performance analysis

Analyse group performance and link to revenue and staffing. Track

payor mix

(NHS/private/plan/IMOS) and gross margin by service line Chair-time utilisation, no-shows/cancellations, average fee per hour, marketing ROI.

Financial control & compliance

Close month-end on a tight timetable: complete

balance sheet recs

(banks, control accounts, accruals, prepayments, deposits, deferred income/plan income). Ensure robust

revenue recognition

(NHS UDAs, private, Denplan/DPAS), treatment WIP, refunds/chargebacks. Oversee

AP

(P2D) and

expense policy

, approvals matrix, supplier onboarding and contract register. VAT (incl. partial exemption considerations), PAYE, HMRC filings; support external audit and insurers. Maintain

financial policies/SOPs

and internal controls across sites.

Leadership & business partnering

Lead and coach the

bookkeeping team

(including offshore). Set SLAs, QA checks, and training. Partner with Operations on rota planning, recruitment economics, pricing, and cost control. Build simple, automated

dashboards

(Power BI/Excel/Caragon) and standardise site scorecards.

Projects & systems

Own finance systems roadmap (Xero, payment gateways). Support acquisitions/onboarding (opening balances, TUPE/payroll setup, supplier migration). Continuous improvement: shorten close, automate reconciliations, reduce manual touchpoints.

Success metrics (KPIs)

MI pack delivered

? Day +7

with zero material errors.

Cash forecast accuracy

within 5% weekly; debtor days ? and AP days optimised. Month-end close

? Day +5

(core ledgers reconciled). Audit points closed on time; 100% statutory/tax compliance.

Experience & qualifications

Qualified accountant

ACA/ACCA/CIMA

(or finalist with strong FC experience). 5+ years in multi-site SME or healthcare/clinics preferred; private + NHS revenue mix advantageous. Strong month-end ownership, cash management, and KPI storytelling. Advanced Excel/Power Query; experience with

Xero

, and comfort with Carestack/WorkDigital data.

Personal attributes

Commercial, hands-on, calm under pressure. Clear communicator; can challenge constructively and drive actions. Process-minded with high attention to detail and data integrity.

Working pattern

Full-time
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 40,000.00-50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Work from home
Work Location: In person

Reference ID: SCG Financial Controller
Expected start date: 01/09/2025