Group Financial Controller

Company Overview

Sysco Ireland connects global communities by delivering fresh food and innovative solutions to restaurants, healthcare, education, lodging, and other foodservice customers. As a global industry leader, Sysco excels in innovation, supply, delivery, and culinary excellence. Currently, Sysco Ireland seeks a skilled and commercially astute Group Financial Controller to join its Finance Leadership Team based in Limerick. Reporting to the CFO, this pivotal role encompasses strategic leadership in financial control, reporting, governance, taxation, audit oversight, shared services supervision, and finance transformation initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct and maintain the financial control framework for entities across all of Ireland, ensuring accuracy and integrity in financial records and reporting.
• Manage month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closing activities to guarantee timely, precise financial statements.
• Uphold exemplary balance sheet controls and ensure consistent application of financial policies, internal controls, and governance.
• Lead preparation and delivery of all group financial reports, ensuring adherence to deadlines and statutory filing requirements.
• Provide insightful financial analyses to support executive-level decision-making and monitor compliance with evolving accounting standards.
• Oversee relationships with auditors and compliance bodies, ensuring efficient completion of audit programs and adherence to SOX controls and other regulatory requirements.
• Manage tax, VAT, and regulatory obligations, implementing remediation plans from audit findings and proactively mitigating financial and regulatory risks.
• Lead, develop, coach, and inspire a large finance team spanning multiple disciplines while promoting talent development including graduate programs.
• Serve as a trusted business partner to the CFO, executive team, and senior leaders by offering commercial insights and supporting business growth, acquisitions, and investment strategies.
• Steer finance transformation efforts, including Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation, process automation, and adopting new technologies.
• Ensure operational excellence across finance functions by monitoring service levels, key performance indicators, and driving process standardization.

Candidate Profile

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Chartered Accountant qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent).
• Proven senior leadership experience in finance, with expertise in financial control, reporting, and compliance within large complex organizations.
• Robust technical accounting skills and comprehensive understanding of IFRS.
• Extensive audit management experience, both internal and external.
• Strong knowledge of SOX controls, governance, and risk frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing finance teams.
• Experience collaborating with executive leadership and influencing strategic decisions.
• Competence in ERP systems and finance-related technologies.

Desirable Attributes

• Background in Big 4 accounting firms.
• Experience in FMCG, distribution, foodservice, retail, or manufacturing sectors.
• Proven involvement in ERP implementations or transformative finance initiatives.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Dynamics 365.
• Exposure to multinational group financial reporting environments.

Personal Attributes

• Strategic thinker with a commercial mindset.
• Strong executive presence and influencing capability.
• High integrity, professionalism, and accountability.
• Sound judgement and decision-making skills.
• Analytical and problem-solving oriented.
• Committed to continuous improvement.
• Resilient and adaptable amid change.
• Skilled at building trusted relationships at all organizational levels.