Job Description

Senior Finance Manager - Accounting and Controls
COMPANY
easyJet is a successful FTSE 100 company. When it comes to innovation and achievement there are few organisations with a better track record. Join us and you'll be able to play a big part in the success of our highly successful, fast-paced business that opens up Europe so people can exercise their get-up-and-go. With over 340aircraft flying over 800 routes to more than 30 countries, we're the UK's largest airline, the fourth largest in Europe and the tenth largest in the world. Flying over 94 million passengers a year, we employ over 20,000 people. Its big-scale stuff and we're still growing.
JOB PURPOSE
Reporting to the Head of Financial Transactions, this is a key management role within the team and provides complete oversight of all accounting and controls within Operational costs. This role will also be responsible for 3 direct reports and a wider team of 20, to support and deliver the activities under the leadership of this role

• The Senior Finance Manager for Accounting and Controls has full accountability for overseeing the accounting across all areas within operations finance and responsible for all balance sheet reconciliations
• Consolidating financial results across all areas within operations and summarising monthly performance
• Providing a business partnership between the group financial control and the business partners within the operations finance team
• Responsible for understanding and explaining all month end and accounting activities
• Accountability for consistent accounting and evidence of key controls across all teams within Transactions team and providing a true first line of defence
• Delivering understanding and analysis on actuals and ensuring a true understanding of accounting & relevant accounting principles and guidance across all business partners

JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES
Business Partnering
Provides a true Business Partner framework for both Operations Finance and Group Financial Control, ensuring that the business partners are supported with the right insight and information at all times. This role is accountable for all accounting and control related matters and will be the key contact during internal and external audits.
Provides financial leadership covering:

• Reporting against all planning cycles including Budget, Prior year and PBT
• Development of holistic deep dives to provide oversight into cost creep areas
• Month end reporting and analysis.
• Ad-hoc projects.

Strategy & Performance

• Develops and delivers presentations to senior management regarding business performance and metrics that impact business outcomes.
• Helps identifies cost areas for review that serve as a catalyst for change by helping leaders and managers deliver successful change programmes that impact on the business.
• Prompts emergent risks and issues to drive strategic interventions and business action
• Supports reporting required for half year and full year guidance
• Drives supplier, operational and finance process improvements for Operations finance

Accounting and Control

• Has responsibility for all control, accounting and reporting activities.
• Ensuring the financial accuracy and consistency of the Group and entity Balance sheet for all areas of operations finance; including the timely production and review of all balance sheet reconciliations and journals in accordance with easyJet accounting policies.
• Ownership of the financial accuracy of the P&L and Balance Sheet including balance sheet reconciliations and accounting judgements in areas of responsibility
• Creates timetable for Operations finance, in line with that issued by Group financial control, to ensure that all activities are produced in a timely manner and there are no surprises
• Producing quality monthly reporting on variances; variance analysis to budget, forecast and prior year; identifying key cost differences and drivers to provide to the business partners.
• Drive confidence in the numbers recorded and communicate risks and opportunities to the business.
• Drive continuous improvement; actively engage in development of underlying reports, processes & systems.
• Supervise the input of new airports and ground handling rates and ensure any change in fuel suppliers and commodities are immediately captured to be able to account for these correctly.
• Ensure accuracy of billing from suppliers & where necessary, that errors are quickly identified & recovered
• Supporting the annual audit process for areas of accountability including delivering key audit papers on areas of judgement to support all key accounting decisions.
• Ensures a robust control environment for the A&C team

People Leadership, Relationships and Influence
As a member of the Core Finance team, the role has responsibility for:

• Providing strong leadership of the team as part of the Transactions Finance team.
• Leading and motivating the wider Finance department through effective cross functional relationships.
• Ability to build and lead a high-performing team who are focussed on providing accurate and robust accounting and controls, whilst providing insight to business partners
• Deep understanding of knowing when to escalate issues and when to inform senior management of decisions being taken.
• Serves as a subject matter expert to the business regarding the use of financial insight and analysis to drive business performance and delivery

Qualifications
COMPETENCIES
Ownership and Delivery. Has a clear focus to drive delivery of results, working to targets, reviewing progress and adapting their plans accordingly, motivating themselves and the team to achieve.
Business Performance. Understands business and external environment, is cost conscious and understands the longer term perspective and implications of decisions.
Innovation and Change. Is open to new ways of doing things and questions existing approaches, views change as an opportunity, comfortable working in a dynamic and ambiguous environment.
Building Relationships. Expresses ideas confidently and clearly, builds positive and constructive relationships with others, gets to know colleagues within their own team and supports them to ensure team goals are achieved.
KEY SKILLS REQUIRED
Professional Qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) and 10yrs post qualification experience.
A high level of IT literacy is essential eg excel, VBA, SQL
Extensive experience of leading a transactional team.
Proven ability to digest and interpret processing complexity.
Proven track record of sound and practical accounting judgement.
Proven record of having a strong attention to detail in ensuring the accuracy of the financial accounts and supporting ledgers.
Proven ability-based experience in talent management, organisational design, learning and development and resourcing.
Proven leadership and communication ability.
Able to confidently explain financial matters to both finance and non-finance contacts at various levels of seniority.
Experience of operating at senior manager level and engaging with Directors.
A track record of delivery and hitting deadlines.
A proactive team player.
An ability to work on own initiative, taking minimal direction and offer solutions to problems.
BENEFITS
Competitive base salary
Up to 30% bonus
25 days holiday
BAYE, SAYE & Performance share schemes
7% pension
Life Assurance
Flexible benefits package
Excellent staff travel benefits
LOCATION & HOURS OF WORK
LOCATION & HOURS OF WORK
This full-time role will be based in Luton and will be 40 hours per week.
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Skills Required