Financial Controller

Location: Bradford (hybrid)

Salary: £80,000 to £95,000 depending on experience, plus car allowance and bonus

Vertis Retail Group is shaping a new kind of convenience retail, where colleagues feel supported, standards are clear, and customers and local communities sit at the heart of every decision. We are building a business that does the basics brilliantly, operates with discipline, and delivers great in-store experiences every day.

We are acquiring around 200 convenience stores with turnover of approximately £250 million. This is a rare opportunity to be one of the first people into a business of real scale and ambition.

The first year will be demanding, so experience of a carve-out, an estate-wide EPOS replacement, an ERP implementation or reporting to asset-based lenders would be an advantage.

About the role

As Financial Controller you will own financial control, reporting and governance across the business. The role has two overlapping phases.

Getting set up

• Design the finance operating model, the controls framework and the month-end close.
• Lead ERP selection and implementation, and own finance’s requirements through an estate-wide EPOS replacement.
• Own the opening balance sheet, the accounting policies and revenue recognition across all income streams.
• Establish governance, tax compliance, statutory reporting and funder reporting, including weekly stock valuation.

The ongoing role

• Lead and develop the finance team, and deputise for the CFO.
• Own board reporting, management accounts and store-level performance reporting.
• Lead the annual budget and reforecast cycle, and hold the cost base.
• Own daily cash and working capital, the banking relationship and the card acquirer contracts.
• Run the close and safeguard the integrity of the balance sheet.
• Hold covenant compliance and sign off the weekly stock certificate.
• Own governance, risk, VAT, corporation tax and the audit relationship.

Experience and skills

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) who has operated at Financial Controller level, or is ready to step up.
• Multi-site retail experience, ideally convenience, grocery or forecourt.
• Strong stock valuation and retail reporting experience.
• A strong cash management background.
• Experience of operating within an ERP environment, and able to work effectively in a low-system environment initially.
• Ownership of statutory reporting and audit.
• Experience of leading a finance team, and credible with colleagues across the business.

Ideally suited to someone who

• Takes ownership of delivering outcomes and works with genuine autonomy, judging what needs attention and when
• Faces into the decisions that matter early, and keeps the CFO and the Board informed
• Sets a high standard for clarity, in reporting, in process design and in day-to-day interactions
• Takes a genuine interest in the business and how it performs
• Gets to the root of problems and builds solutions that hold
• Builds for the long term: processes, controls and teams that keep working as the business grows and changes

Why join us

• Real influence. Finance will shape decisions at board level and performance across the estate.
• Scale without distance. Around 200 stores and £250 million of turnover, run by a small executive team, so you are close to the decisions that shape it.
• Modern tooling. An ERP and AI-supported finance function, built the way you think it should be.
• Room to grow. Real ambition, and a finance function that develops alongside it.

Ready to apply?

Few finance roles offer an opportunity to shape a business from the outset. This is one of them, so if that appeals, we would love to hear from you.

Pay: £80,000.00-£95,000.00 per year

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Bradford (West Yorkshire, Yorkshire and Humber Region)