Group Financial Reporting Manager

VIRTUS Data Centres is the UKs fastestgrowing data centre provider which owns designs builds and operates the countrys most efficient and flexible data centres.

In May 2023 we announced our plans to expand into continental Europe with our first data centre due to open in Berlin in 2026 to be quickly followed by two full campuses and expansion into other countries in the pipeline.

Our purpose is to serve humanity by being an active positive participant in the 4th industrial revolution. When we talk about our purpose we refer to our customers customers; the child playing a computer game the person watching their favourite movie booking a medical appointment a plane ticket a hotel or doing their online banking; those things cant be done if we dont do our job.

Our mission is to consistently exceed the expectations of customers through innovative highquality solutions and services. We employ intelligent thinkers people with positive attitudes who add to the quality of our customer proposition and business.

We value individual endeavour and initiative and encourage teamwork and togetherness because collective experience and expertise are VIRTUS greatest strengths.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Group Financial Reporting Manager to lead a section of our Financial Reporting Team in delivering a range of monthly quarterly and annual reporting requirements.

In this role you will manage two of the more junior members of the team. The role will give you significant ownership of aspects of the group reporting process including maintenance and enhancement of VIRTUS accounting policies. You will report to the Senior Group Reporting Manager and be part of the team who will act as the main point of contact for our auditors in relation to the yearend close (group and statutory reporting) the interim audit and input where required to internal audit cycles being responsible for their quality and timely delivery.

This role will also have overall responsibility for leading and delivering our consolidation process in the SAP/S4 HANA Group Reporting Module which includes the review of monthly consolidations and quarterly group reporting packs for submission to our Group Team. As part of this work stream the role is also responsible for maintaining and acting as local administrator for the consolidation process within SAP and the review of consolidation schedules to ensure timely reporting.

Main Duties

The role includes but is not limited to the following:

Financial Reporting Processes Policies and Systems

• Assist the Senior Group Reporting Manager in daytoday management of all group and statutory reporting requirements. Critically this will include ensuring the consolidated and entity level statutory financial statements are completed and signed by the agreed Group deadline.
• Liaison with external auditors throughout the year on accounting issues deliverables and timetable and in particular acting as a primary point of contact when audit work is ongoing.
• Responsible for managing the preparation and review of the quarterly consolidated Group reporting pack and monthly consolidated returns and act as the main point of contact for any Group queries.
• Responsible for creating communicating and managing the quarterly and annual reporting timetable for the Financial Reporting and Control team including development of work plans and ensuring each monthend and quarterend is appropriately resourced.
• Providing inhouse technical accounting expertise and advice to the Group on all aspects of both IFRS and UK GAAP including specific transactions/projects and the impact to the Group of any changes to the accounting standards on an ongoing basis.
• Proactively improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the company and Group financial reporting processes including providing support to any upgrades to our accounting systems.
• Drive continuous improvement in automation of processes including identifying best use of functionality available within the SAP and SAC systems in areas such as consolidation to enhance and maintain robustness of the internal control framework and practical capability to report consolidated financial information.
• Manage delivery of projectrelated work including proactively maintaining the suite of Groupwide accounting policies.

Staff Responsibilities

• Manage and develop the Group Financial Reporting subteam including work planning recruitment objective setting appraisals and training.
• Support ongoing development of team capabilities managing and empowering the team to deliver high quality and timely financial reporting.

Any other reasonable requests made by your line manager including ad hoc assistance with all finance related projects as required.

What success looks like in 12 months:

• Demonstrating welldeveloped management skills in guiding the team in achieving the timely delivery of our monthly quarterly and annual reporting requirements within the agreed timelines.
• Demonstrating strong technical knowledge on key accounting standards in order to coach and mentor the team in responding to technical accounting issues as they arise.
• Development of strong working relationships within the wider Finance team (Management Accounting Cost Management FP&A Tax and Treasury) as well as operational teams within the business.
• Demonstrating mastery of the SAP S4 HANA and Group Reporting (GR) Consolidation module and in due course the SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) reporting application.

Person Specification

Qualifications:

Essential:

• Qualified Accountant preferably ACA or ACCA.

Experience:

Essential:

• You will have sufficient post qualified experience working in a group financial reporting role in industry.
• Experience of managing teams and external and internal stakeholders.
• Strong level of awareness of practical application of accounting standards.
• Familiarity with capitalintensive businesses.
• Similar practical experience in applying consolidation principles for medium to large international groups of companies within a complex multisystem ERP setting.
• Familiarity with daytoday handson usage of SAP ideally including a recent deployment of S/4 HANA and consolidation systems.

Desirable:

• Previous experience in Finance teams within the data centre industry or other services industries within the telecommunications technology or infrastructure sectors.
• Awareness of practical implications of SOX reporting on consolidation accounting processes leases and fixed assets within the control environment.
• SAP experience using the Group Reporting (GR) Consolidation module.
• Knowledge of potential US GAAP to IFRS differences in key duties and responsibilities outlined above.

Skills:

Essential:

• Excellent planning and organisational skills with a demonstrable ability to prioritise workload demands effectively to deliver on deadlines.
• Possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Be able to present and make suitable recommendations to the direct line Manager and wider stakeholders including the Head of Financial Reporting & Controls CFO and other senior members of the Finance team.
• Selfmotivated with great attention to detail and willing to take full ownership of tasks and responsibilities.
• Project management and prioritisation skills: wellorganised and able to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines multitask and work independently.
• Proficiency in the use of MS Office at a minimum Excel PowerPoint and Word.

In line with VIRTUS Vetting Policy the successful applicant must be willing to undergo a BS7858 screening process.

Remuneration package and benefits:

• Private healthcare
• Pension contribution scheme

• Eye and dental care benefit

• Discretionary bonus
• Income Protection
• Life Assurance

• Cycle to work scheme
• Annual travel card loan
• Tech Scheme
• Electric car scheme

• Workplace extras Byond card and Extras discount

VIRTUS is an equalopportunity employer. As part of our commitment to fight for equality we work to ensure a fair and consistent interview process. We celebrate diversity and we are committed to an inclusive work environment.