Interim Financial Controller - Banking & Treasury in Nuneaton

Interim Financial Controller - Banking & Treasury

Location & working arrangement

Nuneaton | Hybrid | Fixed-term contract – approximately 6 months

We offer hybrid working, with the role based at our Holland & Barrett office in Nuneaton.

Purpose of the role

We need an experienced, hands-on financial controller with deep treasury and operational banking experience to build a strong banking resilience framework across the Group, starting with Ireland and continental Europe.

This is a delivery role with a fixed window. You will run several bank and payment-provider onboardings in parallel, get accounts live and integrated, keep cash and payments controlled while the business moves between providers, and leave the Group with a durable banking structure and a clear treasury policy.

You will work with senior bankers, compliance teams, external lawyers and our shareholder's treasury team. You will also be in the detail: KYC packs, payment files, bank mandates and reconciliations.

Key accountabilities

Banking resilience framework and new relationships (about 45%)

• Design and implement a Group banking resilience framework: target banking structure per market, primary and secondary providers, and clear contingency triggers. Ireland and continental Europe first, then the UK.
• Run parallel onboarding with banks, EMIs and payment providers across several jurisdictions, from first contact to live account.
• Own every KYC, AML, UBO and enhanced due diligence submission. Turn round bank questions within 24 hours.
• Build and keep current one reusable onboarding pack: structure chart, UBO position, legal opinions, financials, expected flows and volumes.
• Work with external counsel, Legal and Tax so every submission is accurate and consistent.
• Keep a single tracker of every provider, its stage, blockers and next action.

Treasury operations and integration (about 30%)

• Get new accounts working end to end: online banking, mandates and signatories, payment file formats from the ERP, SEPA and bulk payroll payments, card and cash settlement redirection.
• Run daily cash positioning across all providers and manage concentration and counterparty limits.
• Review FX hedging counterparties and keep hedges in line with policy.
• Make sure every flow through a new provider is reconciled, controlled and audit-ready.
• Refresh the Group treasury policy, including counterparty, concentration and banking contingency rules.

Group banking resilience (about 15%)

• Review every banking, payment and card-acquiring relationship in the UK, Ireland and Benelux for continuity risk, including renewal and KYC review dates.
• Put a tested contingency in place for each critical relationship.
• Support any wider supplier or counterparty work where banking or payments are affected.

Payroll (about 10%)

• Make sure payroll in every country can be funded and paid on time through the new arrangements.
• Review payroll controls, reconciliations and statutory compliance across the UK, Ireland and Benelux.

How you will work

• Report weekly to the CFO and Director of Financial Control, and same day on anything material.
• Prepare the written updates that banking partners and our shareholder ask for.
• Hand everything over documented: relationships, procedures, tracker and policy.

Deliverables

Each deliverable has a pass/fail test, counted from the start date.

1. Week 2: Single banking tracker live and one reusable onboarding pack complete. A new bank can be sent a full pack the same day it asks.
2. Week 4: Framework and target banking structure agreed for Ireland and continental Europe. A secondary provider is live in each, with payroll, supplier payments and card and cash receipts able to flow, and daily reconciliation in place.
3. Month 3: Target structure live and integrated in Ireland and continental Europe, with primary and secondary providers in each.
4. Month 4: Framework extended to the UK, with a tested contingency for every critical banking, payment and card-acquiring relationship. Treasury policy refresh approved.
5. Month 5: Payroll operating model review and recommendation delivered, covering Benelux and the UK.
6. Month 6: Handover complete: procedures, relationship owners, tracker and policy. No banking process depends on the CFO or Director of Financial Control personally.

Skills and experience

Essential

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with a financial control background and significant time in treasury and operational banking.
• Has personally led corporate bank account openings through enhanced due diligence, in more than one jurisdiction.
• Hands-on treasury operations: bank portals, mandates, payment file formats, SEPA and bulk payments, cash positioning, FX hedging.
• Knows the difference between credit institutions, EMIs and agency banking models, and what each means for safeguarding, IBANs and continuity.
• Working knowledge of UK, EU, US and Canadian sanctions regimes, and of working alongside sanctions counsel.
• Experience in private equity or privately owned groups with multi-entity structures.
• Available to start within two weeks and to travel at short notice.

Desirable

• Banking relationships in Ireland and continental Europe.
• Experience of migrating banking providers at pace.
• Experience in payroll operations or transformation, including outsourcing or in-housing of payroll, ideally with Netherlands or Belgium exposure.
• ERP payment integration (Unit4 or similar).
• Multi-site retail with card-acquiring and cash-collection flows.

What we need you to be like

• Moves fast without cutting corners on compliance.
• Calm with senior bankers and comfortable chasing them daily.
• Writes clearly: a bank or a board can read your update once and act.

Benefits

Holidays

• 33 days, including bank holidays
• Holiday purchase scheme

Health & Wellbeing

• 24/7 Virtual GP access
• Private medical insurance – Self & partner cover
• Annual free at-home health testing kit (after 6 months' service)
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme and a network of Mental Health First Aiders whenever you need support

Financial Wellbeing

• Enhanced workplace pension via salary sacrifice, with employer contribution
• Life assurance (3x salary, after 6 months' service)

Reward

• Annual Bonus (subject to company and individual performance) up to 33%
• Car Allowance
• £50 Colleague product allowance on Holland & Barrett products (after 6 months' service)

Lifestyle & Everyday Benefits

• Access to cashback and discounts from a wide range of retailers
• 25% colleague discount, available in store and online, with free delivery on online orders
• Free Wellhub membership, with discounted access to gyms, studios and premium wellbeing apps
• Cycle to Work scheme

For this fixed-term position, the bonus is only applicable if the individual starts before the 1st July and is employed at the time payment is made. Eligibility criteria must be met.

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