Financial Controller

Introduction

Saab UK is part of Scandinavia’s largest defence company, bringing together the best of Swedish and British innovation. Saab offers world-leading solutions and services in defence, aviation, space, and civil security to keep people and society safe. Our UK presence has been growing at pace, meaning we can offer a wide range of opportunities for personal fulfilment and career growth. We currently employ over 600 people across eight sites in the UK, and our specialisations include software engineering, underwater robotics, radars, AI, and armed forces training.

What you will be part of

Saab is a leading defence and security company with an enduring purpose, to help nations keep their people and society safe.

Empowered by its 28,000 talented people, Saab constantly pushes the boundaries of technology to create a safer and more sustainable world.

Saab designs, manufactures and maintains advanced systems in aeronautics, weapons, command and control, sensors and underwater systems.

Saab is headquartered in Sweden. It has major operations all over the world and is part of the domestic defence capability of several nations.

The Role:

We are looking for an experienced management accountant looking to step into a controller role. Reporting into our Head of Finance, you will provide experienced operational ownership of accounting, financial control and assigned compliance delivery within Saab UK Finance. Deliver a reliable month-end work routine, maintain balance sheet quality, coordinate audit activity and ensure processes operate with appropriate controls.

Provide documented assurance to the Head of Finance on compliance, reporting accuracy, controls and audit readiness, enabling the Head of Finance to focus on governance, transformation and Finance effectiveness.

Work closely with Accounting Services in Sweden to ensure effective collaboration, continuous improvement, operational efficiency and high-quality service delivery across accounting and reporting processes.

The Financial Controller acts as the operational owner of financial control and compliance processes and is responsible for delivering assurance to the Head of Finance.

The Head of Finance remains accountable for governance, compliance oversight, tax oversight and finance effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities:

Month-End and Accounting Delivery:

• Own and coordinate the operational close work routines.

• Prepare or coordinate assigned journals, accruals, allocations and other accounting activities.

• Review accounting outputs and resolve or escalate exceptions.

• Maintain close procedures, audit trails and cover arrangements.

Reconciliations and Balance Sheet Quality:

• Own operational reconciliation completion, review and evidence retention.

• Ensure balances are supported and reconciling items have clear owners and resolution dates.

• Review aged, unsupported or unusual balances and coordinate corrective action.

• Maintain accounting integrity through investigation and documented resolution of issues.

• Review accounting treatment, presentation and classification of material transactions and balances.

• Identify accounting matters requiring judgement and provide recommendations to the Head of Finance.

• Escalate significant judgements and presentation matters to the Head of Finance.

Reporting:

• Own monthly validation of assigned corporate function reporting.

• Ensure reporting reconciles to accounting records and all key review controls are evidenced.

• Support reporting governance established by the Head of Finance.

• Analyse reporting outputs to identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement.

• Escalate significant reporting concerns and emerging risks promptly.

Monthly Assurance Reporting:

• Financial close completion.

• Reconciliation status.

• VAT and PAYE compliance.

• Internal control completion.

• Audit readiness.

• Significant accounting matters.

• Balance sheet risks.

• Emerging compliance risks.

Compliance Execution:

• Own preparation, coordination and submission of assigned VAT returns, reconciliations, supporting evidence and internal controls and checks.

• Coordinate PAYE payment preparation, reconciliations and compliance checks within the agreed remit.

• Own and post payroll journal preparation or coordination and discrepancy investigation.

• Coordinate P11D preparation and supporting information where applicable.

• Support the ICM calendar, deadlines, evidence and escalation arrangements.

• Escalate uncertain tax treatments and significant compliance risks and support specialist advice where required.

• Support and operate assigned controls under the approved framework.

• Support maintenance of tax control frameworks and provision of evidence required for tax governance and Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) compliance activities where applicable.

Audit Coordination:

• Coordinate assigned audit activities, manage the audit request tracker.

• Coordinate audit schedules, supporting documents and evidence collection.

• Coordinate preparation of statutory account support schedules and disclosures.

• Ensure evidence is accurate, complete and accessible.

• Track audit actions and coordinate agreed remediation.

• Report progress, overdue requests and emerging issues to the Head of Finance.

Contribution and Continuous Improvement:

• Work closely with Accounting Services in Sweden, ensuring effective communication, alignment of priorities and timely resolution of accounting matters.

• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise and improve financial processes, controls, reporting and overall operational effectiveness.

• Share best practices, challenge existing ways of working and support Finance transformation initiatives that enhance efficiency, scalability and reporting quality.

• Provide recommendations that strengthen controls, improve decision-useful reporting and deliver cost-effective outcomes across the Finance function

Assurance and Communication:

• Provide evidence-based assurance that allows the Head of Finance to oversee outcomes without routinely repeating the work.

• Maintain oversight of key statutory, compliance and reporting obligations, providing early visibility of risks, material issues, control deficiencies and potential delivery constraints to enable timely management action.

• Communicate priorities, deadlines and emerging risks.

Experience and Skills:

• Recognised professional accountancy qualification.

• Significant hands-on financial accounting or financial control experience.

• Demonstrable ownership of closing tasks, reconciliations and balance sheet review.

• Practical experience of relevant UK VAT, PAYE and payroll accounting processes.

• Experience of audit coordination.

• Strong understanding of accounting integrity.

• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in spreadsheets.

• Ability to coordinate colleagues.

• Clear communication, sound judgement and disciplined deadline management.

• Demonstrated ability to identify and implement process improvements, challenge existing ways of working and drive greater efficiency and effectiveness.

• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to work effectively with shared service organisations and cross-functional teams.

• A continuous improvement mindset with a proactive approach to developing smarter, more efficient ways of working.

• Commercial awareness and a focus on cost control, efficiency and value creation.
• Already hold or have the ability to gain Security Clearance.

By submitting an application to Saab UK you consent to undertaking workforce screening activities that may include but are not limited to: Baseline Personnel Security checks, National Security Vetting, reference checks, verification of working rights and in all circumstances preferred candidates will be placed through a security interview.