Overview
Role: Interim Financial Controller
Location: Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Role ID:
Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world.
Ricardo, member of WSP, is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company. With over 100 years of engineering excellence and employing close to 3,000 employees in more than 20 countries, we provide exceptional levels of expertise in delivering leading-edge and innovative cross-sector sustainable products and solutions. Every day, we enable our customers to solve the most complex and dynamic challenges to help achieve a safe and sustainable world.
The Role
We are seeking an experienced Interim Financial Controller to provide strong financial leadership and operational oversight for Ricardo Performance Products during a period of organisational change. The role is responsible for overseeing the financial operations of the business unit, including day‑to‑day transactional accounting and the preparation of financial reports in accordance with relevant regulations, policies, and procedures. Additionally, the position will play a key role in shaping and executing the company's financial strategy by ensuring strong internal controls, maintaining compliance, and delivering accurate forecasting to support effective business performance and informed decision‑making.
Key Responsibilities
Lead and manage all financial and accounting operations, ensuring accuracy and compliance with financial and tax regulations.
Deliver timely, accurate, and compliant management accounts, continuously improving reporting processes.
Oversee forecasting activities, producing reliable P&L, cash flow, and working capital forecasts.
Provide leadership and guidance to the transactional finance team, driving accountability and continuous improvement.
Maintain strong working relationships with Group Finance, Tax, and Treasury to ensure alignment and compliance.
Monitor cash flow, foreign exchange exposure, and key financial metrics to identify risks and opportunities.
Oversee external reporting obligations, including ONS, Payment Practices, and ESG submissions.
Ensure robust controls over new supplier on-boarding and vendor detail changes in accordance with company policies.
Coordinate budgeting and forecasting for indirect departments in collaboration with budget holders.
Support the development and implementation of financial policies, procedures, and internal controls.
Monitor access permissions for banking, payment systems, and credit cards to maintain segregation of duties and reduce fraud risk.
Lead and coordinate internal and external audit activities to ensure timely, compliant completion.
Role Autonomy
Holds significant autonomy to make critical decisions that impact the wider business.
Exercises strategic judgement to drive operational improvements and develop innovative solutions to complex challenges.
Provides expert guidance to others, supporting their professional growth and decision‑making capability.
Problem‑Solving
Applies advanced technical and management principles to address complex issues, anticipating challenges and identifying innovative solutions.
Oversees and guides the problem‑solving efforts of multiple teams, supporting others in resolving the most difficult business challenges.
Knowledge & Complexity
Possesses advanced training and specialist expertise, acting as a subject matter expert or mentor within the team.
Demonstrates strong business acumen, using in‑depth knowledge to influence team performance and decision‑making.
Accountability
Collaborates with senior leadership and key stakeholders to drive growth and achieve business objectives.
Ensures projects and deliverables meet the highest standards and achieve optimal outcomes.
For people managers: responsible for setting strategic goals and overseeing the financial performance of a business area.
Leadership
Provides clear guidance, support, and constructive feedback to colleagues, effectively communicating complex information at all levels.
For managers: introduces new work practices, resolves conflict, develops people, and leads improvements in both processes and team capability.
Essential
Skills and Experience
Professional accounting qualification (ACCA, ACA, CIMA or equivalent)
Experience ideally in industrial or manufacturing environments.
Strong knowledge of IFRS, financial regulations, and tax requirements.
Advanced Excel skills and experience producing clear management reports.
Proven track record of improving financial processes.
Experience managing internal and external audits.
Strong communication and influencing skills.
Experience working across multiple entities and currencies.
Strong commercial awareness and ability to partner with business teams.
Desirable
Change management experience within a dynamic or transitional environment.
Working here
You will be warmly welcomed into our workplace where every voice matters. We are diverse thinkers and doers, coming together to create a culture of inclusion. We will support you to find your place.
We will encourage you to use your passion and expertise to make a positive impact through the projects you work on.Your knowledge and desire to bring about change will be invaluable in helping deliver innovative solutions that support communities across the globe in becoming safer and more sustainable.
Work life balance
We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that is working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential.
Benefits
We want you to know how much you are valued. Your remuneration and benefits package will reflect that. You will receive a range of benefits which include support for your physical and mental health.
Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion statement
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person's potential, and we'll help you reach yours. We have an ambitious diversity, equality, and inclusion approach as explained here. We value diversity; recognising that a more diverse workforce creates a richer and more varied working environment. Diversity also drives innovation, by allowing us to offer our clients the best consultancy service that we can. As part of our commitment to engage positively and pro-actively with all our employees and to ensure an inclusive culture, we are a recognised as a 'disability confident' employer.
Next steps
Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.
Ricardo is a Disability confident employer please advise the recruitment team you require any adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment process.