Group Financial Controller

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation, and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1200+ colleagues in 75+ countries and very few office-based roles. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.

The company is founder-led, profitable, and growing.

We are hiring a Group Financial Controller.

The ideal candidate has a deep passion for systems accounting, a track record of preparing finance functions for public markets and an innovative mindset that leverages technology and AI to build efficient and robust accounting workflows.

The Accounting team ensures the integrity of our financial information and serves as the primary stewards of the business’ financial health. They design and operate a governance framework underpinned by robust policies, controls and systems to provide oversight and challenge to the business. The team is responsible for timely and accurate reporting and exercises judgment when necessary based on a commitment to conservative and accurate reporting, a deep understanding of accounting principles and insights into our business.

We are looking for a professionally qualified accounting leader who has a deep sense of right and wrong, high integrity, and a strong sense of responsibility, understanding that the accuracy of their work is critical to the entire Company. 

You are a methodical, detail-oriented, and process-driven problem-solver who enjoys investigating discrepancies to find their root cause. You are resilient under pressure, particularly during month-end and year-end closes, and motivated by the goal of achieving a perfect, timely, and reliable result.

Perhaps unusually we prefer a leader with deep personal interest in the software and technology industry, and some data analytics, AI and ideally software engineering experience.

Location: This role is home-based in EMEA time zones, with the option to be based in our London office. It will report to our Chief Financial Officer.

The role entails

• Ensuring strong understanding of the risks associated with our processes and systems and leading the development and implementation of controls to mitigate those risks
• Leading the development and identification of areas of improvement of Canonical’s policies and procedures that will enable the business to scale efficiently
• Driving the implementation of the Canonical’s policies and procedures and the monitoring of compliance 
• Supporting multi-functional change projects designed to enhance systems, processes, and data accuracy
• Managing reviews of weekly, month-end, year-end processes from balance sheet reconciliations to management accounts and statutory accounts preparation to ensure timely and accurate reporting of financial information
• Ensuring accuracy and completeness of the recording and reporting of financial data and transactions to ensure that the Company maintains robust accounting records
• Upholding the Company’s accounting and approval processes and controls across the organization
• Managing external audits 
• Developing a strong understanding of the evolving regulatory frameworks and jurisdictions in which Canonical operates and lead the assurance of Canonical’s compliance with such regulatory requirements
• Driving projects associated with upgrading or implementing new finance systems and sensible AI adoption in the team
• Developing professional relationships and manage communications with both internal and external stakeholders - customers, vendors, tax authorities and external advisers -  including resolving questions and issues confidentially and  in a timely manner
• Managing or mentoring junior accounting staff, sharing knowledge and promoting best practices

What we are looking for in you

• Exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
• A strong academic background and professional qualification in Accounting or Finance (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CPA, or equivalent)
• Extensive practical IFRS knowledge and experience
• Advanced Excel skills and strong data analysis capabilities
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced setting
• Confident communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to engage effectively with colleagues, management, customers, and external stakeholders
• A proactive, analytical mindset with a genuine passion for finance and a drive for continuous improvement, process efficiency and professional development
• Proven experience using enterprise-level accounting or ERP systems
• Result-oriented, with a personal drive to meet and exceed commitments
• Ability to travel internationally twice a year for company events up to two weeks long

Nice-to-have skills

• Experience with NetSuite
• Experience with Salesforce
• Experience with a Big 4 Accounting Firm, or a Public company

What we offer colleagues

We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We revisit compensation annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to ensure we recognize outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. We provide all team members with additional benefits which reflect our values and ideals. We balance our programs to meet local needs and ensure fairness globally.

• Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person
• Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
• Annual compensation review
• Recognition rewards
• Annual holiday leave
• Maternity and paternity leave
• Team Member Assistance Program & Wellness Platform
• Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues
• Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long-haul company events

About Canonical

Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open-source projects and the platform for AI, IoT, and the cloud, we are changing the world of software. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence; in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since our inception in 2004. Working here is a step into the future and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.

Canonical is an equal opportunity employer

We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.