Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, this senior leadership role is responsible for overseeing financial reporting, regulatory reporting, and financial control across a regulated financial services organisation. The role leads teams responsible for statutory accounts, regulatory reporting, finance operations, and financial control frameworks, ensuring the business meets all internal, group, and regulatory reporting obligations.
The position also plays a key role in capital and liquidity management, regulatory compliance, and finance transformation initiatives. As part of the Finance leadership team, the role contributes to strategic decision-making, drives operational efficiency across finance processes, and ensures robust governance and risk management frameworks are in place.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead the Financial Reporting function, overseeing the production of statutory accounts, regulatory returns, and key regulatory documentation in line with internal and external reporting deadlines.
• Manage the end-to-end production of statutory financial statements for multiple regulated entities, ensuring compliance with UK GAAP and group accounting policies.
• Lead and manage the external audit process across corporate entities, ensuring timely resolution of audit queries and successful audit completion.
• Oversee the submission of all regulatory returns to relevant regulatory bodies, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and adherence to regulatory deadlines.
• Act as the subject matter expert within Finance for technical accounting and regulatory reporting matters, keeping the organisation informed of regulatory developments and best practices.
• Lead the preparation and coordination of internal capital adequacy and risk assessment documentation, working closely with risk teams and senior stakeholders.
• Own the development of stress testing and wind-down scenarios, coordinating cross-functional input and presenting outcomes to executive leadership and boards.
• Manage capital and liquidity monitoring processes, including balance sheet oversight, capital forecasting, and reporting on liquidity positions.
• Oversee the investment of surplus liquidity and support the process for dividend distributions to group entities where appropriate.
• Provide leadership and oversight of Finance Operations, ensuring timely ledger close processes, accurate financial transaction processing, and strong financial controls.
• Oversee processes relating to client billing, rebates, and revenue recognition while maintaining accurate reconciliations across financial systems.
• Ensure the Finance risk and control framework operates effectively, including ownership of risk and control self-assessment processes and documentation.
• Provide oversight and support for subsidiary finance teams and international entities, ensuring consistent reporting processes and strong financial governance.
• Drive improvements to finance systems, reporting capabilities, and automation, including the implementation and optimisation of finance technology platforms.
• Play a strategic leadership role within the organisation, contributing to business initiatives, product development, and finance transformation programmes.
• Lead, develop, and mentor finance team members, fostering a high-performance culture focused on collaboration, accountability, and professional development.
Core Skills and Experience
• Qualified accountant (ACA preferred or equivalent professional qualification).
• Extensive experience in financial reporting within a regulated financial services environment.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge including UK GAAP and experience with regulatory reporting requirements.
• Experience working with financial regulators and strong knowledge of regulatory frameworks within financial services.
• Experience managing audit processes and working closely with external auditors.
• Strong understanding of capital management, liquidity reporting, and regulatory capital frameworks.
• Proven experience leading finance operations and financial control functions.
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing teams within a complex finance function.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior leadership and board-level stakeholders.
• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple complex reporting deadlines simultaneously.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to balance operational delivery with long-term organisational objectives.
