Financial Controller

WHO WE ARE

On Board Experiential (OBE) is an award winning, full service, experience-led agency that creates meaningful brand experiences worldwide, with office locations in London, San Francisco, Los Angeles and NYC.  

We help brands to cut through the noise, capture consumer attention and leave lasting impressions that live beyond the shareable, streamable, screamable moment. 

We are specialists in creating extraordinary brand events – immersive, engaging and unrivalled.   

The London office is the most recent to open its doors in the OBE family, making us the new kids on the block, but backed by years of experiential experience. Boasting a heavy hitting portfolio of incredibly active brands and a range of well-established partners, we’re well set for an exciting future.  

We are looking to build out our internal operations team through the appointment of a Financial Controller to oversee the financial administration of the business. This senior level role is a pivotal part of our agency growth ambitions and will help to shape the way we operate both internally and externally.

THE ROLE

The Financial Controller is the ultimate owner of our financial process at OBE London. With oversight and general management of our creditors and debtors, they would be responsible for the way in which the business administrates all day to day book keeping. They also form an integral part of the SMT within the agency.

Key responsibilities of the role focus on:

• Internal financial process leadership
• Book keeping oversight
• Internal finance reporting
• Management of any third party accountancy relationships
• Project reconciliation oversight
• Agency budget forecasting
• Agency cashflow management
• Finance software tool management
• Strategic financial advisory to the Managing Partners
• Management of banking relationships
• Oversight of the annual accounting process (supported by 3^rd party accountancy as required)

The Financial Controller is from an accounting background with a professional certification as a qualified accountant (either ACA or ACCA) and with an excellent working knowledge of the Xero finance platform.

The Financial Controller drives exceptionally high financial administration standards across the team and has an eye for meticulous detail, whilst forming excellent working relationships both internally and externally.

As the agency grows, the Financial Controller is responsible for ensuring that all financial processes are fit for purpose and that the financial administrational capabilities of the business can continue to service this growth.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Financial Controller role is varied, and you are responsible for:

Internal finance process management

• Leadership of all internal financial processes across the team
• Ensuring compliance of budget monitoring processes

Bookkeeping oversight

• Leadership of the day to day bookkeeping requirements of the agency, to include:
  • Accounts payable
  • Accounts receivable
  • Credit control
  • Management of Xero and all associated admin
  • Processing of all outgoing payments
  • Bank reconciliations
• Bookkeeping support to be provided by a third party accountancy as required

Internal reporting

• Management of all internal finance reporting. To include:
  • Day to day cashflow reporting (short and long term)
  • Ownership of the agency monthly project finance report (as supported by the Account team)
  • Long and short term agency budget forecasting

Project reconciliation oversight

• Ensuring that all projects are reconciled in a timely fashion, working closely with the account team on a project by project basis

Financial strategy

• Advising the Managing Partners and the OBE London board with strategic financial advice and support as required (to include HMRC and tax compliance, liaising with partner accountancy firm as requried)

Management of external financial relationships

• Management of the following relationships:
  • Banking and credit card providers
  • Financial software providers
  • Third party accountancy partner

People Management & Leadership

• Day to day management and upskilling of any future members of the financial operations team
• Line management of key members of the team as required
• Oversight of team finance training to ensure compliance and understanding of our financial processes
• Support in the on boarding of new starters from a financial admin perspective
• Effective management of resource across the team and understanding the importance of giving time to support your team’s learning and development
• Create outstanding working relationships with all teams across multiple areas of specialism
• Providing timely and accurate quality reports to the SMT and the board
• Ensuring collaborative working with the team and partners
• Sitting on the SMT, the Financial Controller will have an input into various elements of the strategic running of the agency
• Contribute to company culture creating a positive working environment

ABOUT THE PERSON

As a Financial Controller at OBE London you:

• Are a qualified accountant (either ACA or ACCA)
• Are passionate about helping to build a growing agency
• Build outstanding internal and external relationships
• Have an excellent working knowledge of the Xero finance platform
• Have exceptional communications skills
• Have strong leadership skills
• Can be a senior leader in a high performance team
• Have line management experience at a senior level
• Have a proven track record of high level admin based project management and thrive off leading a team via process driven framework
• Are exceptionally organised and administratively strong
• Are a companywide advocate in using and championing agency project tracking and finance platforms
• Have outstanding interpersonal skills
• Are a high level problem solver and solutions driven, underpinned with a calm and methodical demeanour
• Have an exceptional eye for detail
• Thrive under pressure and are approachable at all times
• Have a strong knowledge of the inner workings of an experiential marketing agency
• Are an aspiring leader throughout the business

PACKAGE

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 37.5 hours a week

Location: Hybrid (Ability to attend Soho Works, 180 The Strand and client environments at least three days per week)

Salary: DEPENDENT ON EXPERIENCE

Holiday: 25 days annual leave, Bank Holidays & time off in lieu for every weekend day worked

Benefits:

• Pension contribution
• Bonus scheme
• Birthday entitlement
• Move in day
• Flexi Friday and working policy
• Sabbatical opportunities
• Profession development and training
• Cycle to work scheme
• Approaches to wellness and physical activity
• Quarterly team outings

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

We treat all applications on a level playing field, we are striving to create a diverse team that share different cultures, backgrounds and experiences to inform and enhance the campaigns we create.

To apply for the role please submit your CV and covering letter outlining why you are right for the role.

The closing date for applications is Friday 15 August 2025.