Deputy Financial Controller in Bristol

This is a FTC 12 Month position. The Deputy Financial Controller will support the Financial Controller in overseeing financial reporting and control across the Specialty Financial Control team in Bristol with a particular focus on newly acquired entities and internal transfers of book of business. This includes supporting all aspects of the preparation of management accounts, board reports, and regulatory filings, while ensuring the integrity of accounting records. The position will also play a key role in assisting the Financial Controller with integrating acquisitions, embedding robust processes, and ensuring consistency of accounting treatment across entities. The role requires leadership of the Specialty Financial Control team in Bristol, ensuring compliance with group standards, and driving continuous improvement in processes and controls. This individual will act as a key liaison with internal finance teams and external auditors, ensuring accurate reporting and the timely submission of financial data.

What You’ll Do

• Support financial control activities by assisting the Financial Controller with the day-to-day operations of the Bristol Specialty Financial control team, including providing basic guidance to junior accountants where needed.
• Assist with monthly and quarterly reporting by helping prepare monthly management accounts, quarterly board-pack inputs, and annual financial schedules.
• Maintain accurate accounting records by supporting the team in ensuring data integrity and compliance with group and statutory requirements.
• Support stakeholder liaison by coordinating routine communication with key finance functions and business stakeholders across the Specialty divisions.
• Assist with reconciliations and reviews by preparing accounting entries, performing reconciliations, and escalating issues to senior team members as required.
• Contribute to process improvements by helping implement group-driven process changes and supporting the enhancement of internal controls.
• Support the audit process by working alongside the Financial Controller to provide auditors with requested information and ensure timely completion of audit tasks.
• Assist with tax data preparation by coordinating and submitting required financial information to Group Tax for the preparation of tax returns.
• Prepare FCA regulatory returns by assisting in the preparation and submission of regulatory returns in accordance with FCA reporting requirements.
• Help manage reporting timelines by supporting the team in meeting internal and external deadlines and ensuring clear communication of key dates.

Who we’re looking for

• Proven experience in leading and developing a team of accountants, fostering a culture of teamwork and accountability.
• Strong analytical skills with a keen attention to detail and the ability to review and interpret sophisticated financial data.
• Excellent social skills with the ability to communicate effectively across all levels of the organization, including senior management and external auditors.
• A proactive approach to identifying process inefficiencies and implementing improvements for more streamlined financial control.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, growing business environment.
• Professional accountancy qualification (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with 2 - 5 years of post-qualification experience, preferably from an audit background.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge with experience in managing statutory and group reporting requirements.
• Prior experience in managing external audits and liaising with tax authorities.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. Our business succeeds by allowing our people to make a mark in the areas they care about most: personal development, volunteering, and fundraising for charity, or creating new insurance products that address society’s greatest challenges. And we know that separate home and work lives don't really exist. If you're happy and healthy at home, you're more likely to be happy and fulfilled at work – and vice versa. That's why we do our best to support our people in every aspect of their lives.

Diversity and Inclusion

Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new. We support each other, in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges. We are determined to make a positive difference, at work and beyond. We consider our people our chief competitive advantage and as such we treat colleagues, candidates, clients, and business partners with equality, fairness, and respect – regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or family circumstances.

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours or hybrid working.