Lead Control Accountant in Haywards Heath

We’re 1st Central, a market-leading insurance company utilising smart data and technology at pace. Rapid growth has been based on giving our 1.4 million customers exactly what they want: great value insurance with an excellent service. And that’s the same for our colleagues too; we won Insurance Employer of the Year at the British Insurance Awards 2024 and our Glassdoor score is pretty mega too!

We’re looking for a Lead Control Accountant to play a key role in shaping and maintaining the Group’s financial controls framework, working closely with the finance senior leadership team. Supporting a business with ambitious growth plans, this role is all about strengthening and sustaining a robust, well‑designed control environment. You’ll bring specialist financial controls expertise to Group Finance, while maintaining independence from the wider operating model, allowing you to provide impartial, risk‑based challenge and insight. Your work will help ensure our controls remain proportionate, effective, and aligned to the Group’s overall risk appetite and commercial strategy. The role is based in Haywards Heath, West Sussex or Salford Quays, Manchester, and we love hybrid working. You’ll spend most of your time working from home, with around one day a week in the office. But, if you prefer being office‑based more often, that works for us too.

• Financial controls & risk judgement – strong understanding of control frameworks with the ability to assess risk and drive proportionate improvements.
• Analytical thinking – confident reviewing complex processes, identifying issues, and recommending practical solutions.
• Influencing & collaboration – able to provide independent challenge and work effectively with senior stakeholders across the business.

• Support the design and continual monitoring of the Group’s financial control framework across Finance and the wider business.
• Ensure appropriate monitoring and escalation are in place for key operating financial metrics.
• Support the administration of training and maintain key policy and procedure documentation across the Group, providing assurance reviews and evidence across teams.
• Support the identification of control issues and ensure these are assessed, prioritised, and addressed in line with agreed governance and risk appetite.
• Work with Compliance, Risk, and Internal Audit to ensure finance KRIs, the risk and control framework, and key controls are resilient, proportionate, and effective.
• Support the ongoing review and continuous improvement of controls across Finance, including those relating to the preparation of all financial statements (internal and external reporting).
• Provide cover during absence for the Head of Tax, Investments and Control.
• Support the administration of horizon monitoring for financial services regulatory change that could impact the Group, providing assessments and recommendations across the Finance function and Senior Finance Leadership Team.
• Lead and deliver targeted reviews across key finance processes, providing clear, constructive feedback and recommendations to process owners.
• Support the development of junior team members through day‑to‑day guidance, coaching, and quality oversight.
• Deliver coaching and feedback to direct reports to achieve KPIs and SLAs, and conduct regular performance reviews, including probationary reviews and annual appraisals as necessary.
• Provide supportive people leadership, helping to create a high‑performing, inclusive team and addressing issues fairly and promptly.
• Support hiring activity where required, helping to attract and retain the right capability for the team.
• Help ensure ongoing compliance with company standards and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to risk and control reporting and oversight, ensuring documentation and evidence are appropriate, up to date, and fit for purpose.
• Promote a strong risk culture, ensuring the team understand their responsibility to identify, escalate and report risks.

• Experience: Internal or external audit experience, Newly qualified or significant relevant accounting experience.
• Desirable: Previous exposure in a group accounting function across multiple tax and regulatory jurisdictions, previous exposure in SOX, COSO frameworks across a multi‑divisional group.

• Ability to influence and coach colleagues in other teams and departments.
• Proficient in Microsoft applications.
• Strong analytical, communication, influencing, and organisation skills.
• A high level of oral and written communication skills, communicating effectively with senior managers, colleagues, internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to drive process improvement, based upon analysis of data.
• Work effectively under pressure and think clearly and logically in challenging situations.

• Passionate about the value and security of controls and how these lead to efficient and effective control functions across the business.
• Results driven with a constant eye on the detail but understand the audience.
• Empathetic approach to leadership with an ability to get the best out of a wide range of stakeholders.
• Driven attitude to deliver controlled change and rapidly overcome obstacles.
• Agile approach to project management and able to rapidly react to changes in business priorities to take advantage of emerging business and customer opportunities.

People first. Always. We’re passionate about our colleagues and know the best people deserve an extraordinary working environment. Our workplaces are energetic, inspirational, supportive. To get a taste of the advantages you’ll enjoy, take a look at all our perks in full here.

Intrigued? Our Talent team can tell you everything you need to know about what we want and what we’re offering, so feel free to get in touch.

If you’re excited by this opportunity and believe you have the skills to make a real impact, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today!