Financial Controller – European Reporting

About the role

Harper May Ltd is seeking a Financial Controller to own the day‑to‑day financial control for its European entities. Reporting to senior Group Finance, the role offers a qualified accountant genuine European exposure while remaining based in the UK.

Key responsibilities

• Lead month‑end close and management reporting for all European entities.
• Prepare consolidated European financial statements for Group finance.
• Manage multi‑currency accounting, intercompany balances and FX exposure.
• Oversee statutory reporting, VAT and local compliance across multiple European jurisdictions.
• Partner with local finance contacts and external advisors throughout Europe.
• Strengthen financial controls, policies and processes across the European entities.
• Support annual audit and liaise with local and Group auditors.
• Contribute to budgeting, forecasting and ad‑hoc commercial analysis.

Required profile

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with strong technical foundation.
• Experience of multi‑entity, multi‑currency reporting, preferably with European exposure.
• Proven ability to own close, consolidation and statutory reporting end‑to‑end.
• Practical, hands‑on and organised, comfortable managing multiple workstreams.
• Based within a reasonable commute of Southend, with hybrid flexibility.

Required skills

• Multi‑currency accounting
• Intercompany accounting
• FX exposure management
• VAT compliance
• Statutory reporting
• Financial consolidation
• Budgeting and forecasting