OVERVIEW

A superb opportunity to join the growing Group Controls Team at Halfords Group plc, a listed retail and services business, with over £1billion turnover.

The Group Controls Accountant is a role within the Group Controls Team which provides the second line of defence for financial, reporting, operational and compliance controls.

The right person for this role will be proactive and engaging, able to blend accounting rigour with a commercial mindset, have a pragmatic approach to problems and a willingness to challenge as appropriate.

JOB PURPOSE

The team of Group Controls Accountants role is to ensure the overall effectiveness of the internal control framework and delivery of the annual controls workplan.

This is an exciting role where you will have the opportunity to help build and grow the internal controls environment at Halfords, support projects with risk assessment and mitigation, and advise the business on risk and control matters.

JOB CONTEXT

Halfords is the UK’s leading retailer of motoring, cycling and leisure products, and through Halfords Autocentres, is also one of the UK’s leading independent operators in vehicle servicing, maintenance, and repairs.

The role will work as part of the Group Controls Team based out of the Support Centre, reporting directly to the Group Financial Control Manager, who in turn reports to the Head of Financial Reporting and Control. The Financial Reporting and Control team sits within a wider finance team of over 75.

Halfords Support Centre in Redditch, Worcestershire, supports all store and autocentre operations nationally. It’s Halfords engine room, and it’s where your expertise and ambition can fuel real career growth within teams that are supportive, inclusive, and confident.

Key internal stakeholders to this role will be the CFO, the Group Financial Controller, internal audit. financial reporting, shared services, and business process owners across the group.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Monitor and maintain the risk and controls matrix in collaboration with the wider Controls Team.
• Responsible for a subset of business processes in the risk and controls matrix.
• Lead quarterly risk discussions within respective business process areas.
• Support business leaders with the periodic completion and update of risk scoring.
• Stay informed with business transformation projects.
• Produce end to end process maps for new processes using Microsoft Visio.
• Review current processes to identify risks and recommend controls.
• Support business process owners with control implementation.
• Identify control weaknesses, non-standard processes, and manual workarounds.
• Suggest improvements whilst balancing the commercial needs of the business.
• Ensure there is appropriate debate, discussion and challenge of risks and mitigations.
• Partake in projects where a Financial Control representative is required.
• Review control self-assessment and process validations.
• Process and respond to risk and control change requests.
• Ensure timely closure of recommendations.
• Support the rollout of the internal control framework.
• Determining clear ownership and accountabilities across all areas.

WHAT WE SEEK

• Qualified accountant or Internal Auditor ((ACA, ACCA, CIMA, MCIIA, CIA or equivalent).
• Exposure to and an effective understanding of internal controls over financial reporting and controls testing.
• Highly motivated and organized self-starter with excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to interface with all levels of management, quickly build effective working relationships and internal networks both within and outside of the finance team.
• Ability to critically appraise processes or data to make recommendations.
• Provide relevant, timely, simple, and user-friendly updates and insight.
• Strong analytical skills, pragmatic approach, and attention to detail.
• Enthusiastic, keen to learn, proactive and willing to challenge the status quo.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.
• Preferable to have knowledge of using Microsoft Visio.
• Preferable to have a retail background.