Every minute of every day, Smiths Detection’s threat detection and security screening technology helps to protect people and infrastructure, making the world a safer place. 

Smiths Detection, part of Smiths Group is a global leader in the development, manufacture and management of security and detection solutions designed to make the world a safer place. Our technology provides threat detection and screening solutions for customers in our key markets: aviation, ports and borders, defence, and urban security.

Our expertise spans 21 global offices, seven manufacturing sites and five R&D centres, with a global network of 3,000 dedicated colleagues contributing towards over 40 years at the frontline of advances in safety and security.  

This results in careers built on variety and the opportunity to work on a range of state-of-the-art solutions, where you can develop your knowledge and experience every day.

Job Purpose:

The Financial Controller NW Europe (UK, Ireland & Israel), is the top finance role in this £100 million region of the Smiths Detection global business and plays a key member part of the Northwest Europe leadership team, reporting to Finance Director, Global Financial Services (Division) along with business partnering with the Northwest Europe Market Head.

The region is trail-blazing with significant contracts for UK MOD, Israeli government and many of the major UK & Ireland airports. The business is both a sales & service hub and also a technology development centre and manufacturer of certain Detection products.

The primary task is to have full financial responsibility by overseeing all financial all financial planning and analysis activities, maintaining strong Internal Controls and is an enabler and advisor to add insight, challenge and help shape the business.  The Financial Controller is the lead finance business partner for the region’s commercial team, with ownership for financial reporting, financial analysis, business insight and strategic planning. This will include driving the strategic plan, rolling forecast and annual budget preparation, as well as supporting the team with on major bids and program & service contracts. The role is also responsible for financial and other assessments of capital expenditure and investment proposals.

The role has complete responsibility for the financial stewardship of the accounting & financial operations for the region. This includes production of the financial reports, maintenance of the accounting records, controls and budgets in order to ensure that the reported results comply with company policies and international financial reporting standards.

The role will be a member of the Hemel Leadership Team (HLT) with accountability for local site- and employee-engagement activities, and should also act as a role model to their finance team by exemplifying high motivation and standards, collaboration, and be an agent for positive change. A key focus will be developing and growing the diverse talent in the finance team.

Duties:

Financial leadership

• Member of the Detection Northwest Europe Senior Leadership Team and responsibility for Detection Northwest Europe financial leadership.
• Communicate and present financial results and plans to Smiths Detection management and other stakeholders, Conduct Commercial / Market Review on monthly basis.
• Provide financial leadership to NW Europe reporting on order intake, revenue, profitability & cash – both the historic & forecast position, ensuring finance is represented appropriately on all key project boards and decision-making panels.

Finance Stewardship and Team Management

• Drive financial priorities on working capital, pricing or margin improvement and cost saving targets, ensuring the senior management team are provided with quality navigation, forecasting and business planning information that focuses decision making to maximise profit and cash.  Ensure focus on targets to drive process changes to optimise outcomes, including inventory.
• Ensure that a robust internal control framework, consistent with Group policies, is in place for financial reporting and to protect company assets and Intellectual Property. Fully support the modernisation & improvement of the controls in accordance with the global framework.
• Run the Detection Northwest Europe finance team and provide finance advisory services to Detection UK, Detection Ireland and Detection Israel, applying Smiths values and setting a tone of continuous improvement.   Supervise, manage, and develop finance team members.  Proactive talent coaching and succession planning, to ensure that the finance team develops the skills, experience and expertise to drive business forward.

Business Partner

• Lead the financial value assessment and review of all commercial activities for the UK, Ireland & Israel region: bids, tenders, program & service contracts, execution and delivery to budget, deep dive management & operations reviews. Ensure close commercial interaction between the finance function and the regional leadership, in order to understand, influence & ultimately approve commercial activities, business decision-making and risk management to secure anticipated margins.  Review cost sheets and review packs and present them to Divisional SLT alongside the Market Head.
• Business Case responsibility for the verification of major capital expenditures requests, benefit assumptions and post completion reviews
• Contribute proactively and creatively to the development of business strategies, consistent with Smiths Detection objectives & strategy, and convert these strategies into executable plans, including tools such as benchmarking. This includes demand and resource allocation processes, market, customer and product pricing assessments, and profitability or channel to market value assessment. Assess on a regular basis whether the region has sufficiently aligned its resources in order to achieve its strategic and commercial objectives.

Accounting & Financial Operations

• Financial Reporting responsibility (both internal and external) for timely & accurate month, interim and year end close activities for each entity in the UK, Ireland & Israel region including Division/Group reporting and related disclosures in the Oracle consolidation system. Ad hoc reporting such as Treasury (Bonds & Guarantees, Hedging, FX, and Cash Pooling), UK GAAP, IFRS and FRS disclosures & analyses, Tax and Compliance. 
• Understand and explain results, produce management KPI reports and ensure required functions are provided with quality navigation, forecasting and business planning tools and procedures that focus on decision making to maximise revenue, profit and cash.
• Preparation and management of the entity planning and forecasting process and annual budgets (in co-ordination with Sales, Service, Program, HR) and ensuring timely submission into Onyx. Ownership of strategic plan along with Market Head. Understand and explain commercial drivers and financial impacts in the monthly Market Reviews, annual Strategic Plan and Budget processes to senior leadership.

Compliance and Process Improvement

• Drive process and system improvements and create a continuous improvement culture to aid transparency and decision-making.
• Responsibility for establishing, implementing, and maintaining financial reporting systems and processes to comply with local regulations and divisional policies.  Ensure the companies within the region are compliant with accounting, tax (both direct and indirect) regulations (filings, assessments) and act as a leader for compliance activities within the market, alongside the Market Head and working closely with Legal and HR.
• Ensure that there is an effective risk management process in place to mitigate key problems and issues and fulfil all statutory reporting & filing requirements for the legal entities in the region.

Management within Global and Cross-Functional Team

• Audit: Primary responsibility for managing the UK, Ireland and Israel entities' relationship with external and internal auditors, and tax advisors.
• Treasury: manage portfolio of bank guarantees, hedging and basic cash management.
• Tax: Implement recommended tax structures including VAT and lntrastat reporting, for all entities and Israel & Irish Branches within the region, including Irish RCT compliance.
• Policies & Procedures: Ensure the business is compliant with all of Smiths Group and Smiths Detection policies and procedures, such as delegation of authority, expense procedures, capex applications, foreign exchange, etc. Complying with and promoting all relevant legal requirements & Smiths policies and procedures, including business ethics, data protection and health & safety.

Technical Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Chartered Accountant with significant managerial experience and experience in a similar role.
• Experience of working with Big 4 auditing firms advantageous.
• Strong technical financial accounting & reporting skills with specific focus on IFRS/FRS compliance and revenue recognition requirements.
• Significant financial experience with accounting under complex arrangements and for long-term contracts involving deployment of technology solutions, manufacturing and related after-market service.
• Experience working with an ERP (such as SAP) and a consolidation system such as Oracle or Hyperion Financial Management.
• Proficient in use of Excel spreadsheets, Outlook and Word.
• Knowledge & practical experience of financial & tax issues for the region.
• Knowledge or experience of UK MOD contract reporting (DEFCARS) desirable but not essential.

Planning and Decision Making:

• Financial and accounting decision making for UK, Ireland & Israel region is the responsibility of the Financial Controller in line with Detection's DoA.
• Act as #2 to the regional Head of Market. Approve contracts for signing or further internal approval. Assume Head of Market DOA when they are unavailable.
• Agree overall Budget of the £100M region including resource allocation and headcount.
• This is a leadership role and key member the Hemel Leadership Team.

Impact and Scope: 

• This role has key responsibility to manage the financial performance of a £100M region, with 4 of the top 10 largest global contracts.
• The scope of the role is managerial as well as technical, requiring significant revenue recognition and accounting expertise.
• High impact in the areas of finance, commercial and working capital management. 
• Error may lead to incorrect revenue recognition, credit risk, exposing to risky conditions in contract or ineffective control

We offer…

Join us and we’ll help build your career, with excellent training and opportunities for career growth across the business, both locally and globally. You’ll experience an inclusive environment, with strong leadership and a focus on safety and wellbeing. You’ll also have the flexibility to choose from a wide range of benefits to suit your lifestyle, offering you and your family support from a health and wellbeing, financial and lifestyle perspective.

Join us and work for a world-leader, with the benefits and training to reward your dedication and skills. Be part of a team where we are making the world a safer place.

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.

At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Group, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website (Careers - Smiths Group plc)