At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a high-performing finance team and ensure accurate financial reporting.
- Company: Join GSF Car Parts, a leading automotive parts distributor in the UK.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career development, and a dynamic work environment.
- Why this job: Be part of a fast-growing company with real impact on financial operations.
- Qualifications: Fully qualified accountant with strong leadership and technical skills.
- Other info: Opportunity to drive process improvements in a rapidly expanding business.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
This is a great opportunity to join a market-leading, fast-paced, and rapidly expanding business. With multi-channel growth, major investment in a new distribution centre, and a pipeline of new branches, this is a rare chance to join a business, led by a highly experienced senior management team, that’s scaling with real momentum.
You will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy, integrity and timeliness of monthly management accounts and statutory reporting. You will manage and develop a high-performing team, own the month-end close process, and act as the primary contact for external auditors. This is a hands-on, fast-paced position suited to a technically strong, detail-oriented and commercially curious accounting leader.
Key Responsibilities- Team Leadership & Development: Lead, coach and mentor a team of six (mix of qualified and part qualified accountants). Support personal development plans, drive capability uplift and foster a high-performance culture. Promote curiosity, continuous improvement and best-practice financial control.
- Month-End Close (Working Day 4): Coordinate the end-to-end month-end close process, collaborating closely with FP&A, AP, AR, and Treasury teams. Oversee preparation and review of P&L, Balance Sheet and supporting reconciliations and schedules. Ensure all journal entries are fully supported, accurate and complete.
- Financial Accounting & Statutory Reporting: Prepare annual statutory financial statements (consolidated and single entity) in compliance with appropriate GAAP. Act as the primary audit contact, managing all audit queries and deliverables. Lead implementation of changes to accounting standards and financial reporting requirements.
- Balance Sheet Control: Full ownership of the Balance Sheet, ensuring complete, timely and accurate reconciliation of all accounts. Identify and manage risks, opportunities and required remediation actions. Maintain robust accounting controls and documentation.
- Tax & Compliance: Own VAT return preparation and submission. Working with our external tax advisors, prepare supporting accounting information for corporation tax returns. Engage effectively with audit teams, external tax advisors and HMRC.
- Projects & Continuous Improvement: Drive end-to-end process improvements across financial accounting and controls taking a risk-based approach aligned to a multi-site distribution and retail business. Challenge the status quo and introduce scalable processes suitable for a high-growth, multi-site environment. Contribute to ad-hoc projects and business initiatives, including systems enhancements, integrations, and PE-related reporting needs.
Qualifications & Experience
- Essential: Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA). Big 4 / Top 10 practice background preferred. Minimum 3 years PQE, with demonstrable experience in industry. Strong technical accounting knowledge. Experience managing, coaching and developing teams. Proven ability to deliver under tight deadlines and manage conflicting priorities. Resilient, adaptable and comfortable working in a changing environment. Exceptional attention to detail and strong analytical skills. Solution-focused with a "can-do" attitude and continuous improvement mindset, confident in challenging existing processes. Effective communicator who can build strong relationships across the business.
- Desirable: Experience in distribution, logistics, or multi-site retail businesses. Exposure to PE-backed environments and fast-growth operational models.
GSF Car Parts is one of the UK's leading automotive parts distributors, supplying thousands of independent garages throughout the UK and Ireland with parts, tools, garage equipment and specialist training. The group has over 211 branches nationwide and a turnover exceeding £475 million. Built on the heritage and success of a dozen local brand identities acquired over several years, we have traded as one brand since November 2021. Our branch network is bolstered by centralised support and expertise from specialist departments in key areas such as procurement and supply chain, marketing and national accounts. The business also benefits from integrated IT systems, which include our industry leading catalogue system, Allicat, and access to the Group's national garage programme, Servicesure.
Head of Financial Accounting in Wolverhampton employer: GSF Car Parts
Contact Detail:
GSF Car Parts Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Financial Accounting in Wolverhampton
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the finance world, especially those who might know about opportunities at GSF Car Parts. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to a foot in the door.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on your technical accounting knowledge and leadership skills. Be ready to discuss how you’ve led teams and improved processes in past roles – they’ll want to see that you can hit the ground running!
✨Tip Number 3
Show your curiosity! During interviews, ask insightful questions about the company’s growth plans and how the finance team contributes to that. This shows you’re not just looking for any job, but you’re genuinely interested in being part of their journey.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining the GSF Car Parts family right from the start.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Financial Accounting in Wolverhampton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Head of Financial Accounting role. Highlight your relevant experience, especially in managing teams and handling month-end processes. We want to see how your skills align with our fast-paced environment!
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; showcase your achievements! Use specific examples that demonstrate your impact in previous roles, particularly in financial accounting and team leadership. This helps us see the value you can bring to our team.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to express your enthusiasm for the role and the company. Share why you’re excited about joining us at GSF Car Parts and how you can contribute to our growth and success.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss any important updates from our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at GSF Car Parts
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Head of Financial Accounting, you’ll need to demonstrate your technical accounting knowledge. Brush up on key financial metrics and be ready to discuss how you've managed month-end close processes in the past. Be specific about your experience with P&L statements and reconciliations.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role involves leading a team, so be prepared to share examples of how you've coached and developed others. Talk about your approach to fostering a high-performance culture and how you’ve handled team challenges. Highlight any successful projects that improved team performance.
✨Be Ready for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills and ability to manage conflicting priorities. Prepare scenarios where you had to make tough decisions under tight deadlines. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers.
✨Understand the Business Context
Research GSF Car Parts and understand its market position and growth strategy. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals, especially in a fast-paced, multi-site environment. Show your curiosity about their operations and how you can contribute to their success.