Job Description:
About this opportunity:
This is an exciting time to join our European Shared Service Centre (SSC) in Wantage as we evolve from a first‑generation finance operation into a mature, standardised and value‑driven service. As Controlling Finance Manager, you will lead the transformation of our Record to Report (R2R) function—shifting from a fragmented, transactional model to a unified, high‑quality controlling and reporting service that supports our European entities and manufacturing plants. You will be responsible for the accuracy and integrity of financial reporting, establishing best‑practice processes in a SOX‑controlled environment, and acting as a key link between the SSC, local finance teams and Group functions. This role offers the opportunity to elevate our controlling capability, drive automation and continuous improvement across SAP S/4HANA and OneStream and build a truly standardised service that anticipates and meets business needs.
Key responsibilities and accountabilities:
Leadership and people management
- Provide strategic leadership to the R2R organisation, setting clear direction, expectations and accountability aligned to Group reporting requirements and European Shared Service objectives.
- Build, coach and develop a high-performing R2R and controlling team, ensuring structured performance management, talent development and succession planning, transitioning roles from basic accounting execution to true financial control, analysis and stewardship.
- Drive a move from a combination of general ledger team and traditional controlling teams towards a combined, standardised portfolio of work that reflects the needs of operating finance teams and anticipates the output of the SSC team through an operations lens.
- Establish a strong performance culture with clear objectives, KPIs, service levels and escalation paths covering close, reporting quality, compliance and stakeholder satisfaction.
- Lead the function through change, embedding new ways of working, standard roles, documented processes and a service-oriented mindset.
- Act as the senior escalation point for complex accounting, reporting and control issues, ensuring timely resolution and prevention of recurrence.
Financial close, reporting and controlling
- Own and deliver the end-to-end month-end, quarter-end and year-end close process across EMEA entities, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and predictability.
- Coordination of forecast preparation, analysis, preparation of monthly reporting/analysis pack and working with operations and finance management to drive the periodic re-forecasting process.
- Ensure the production of high-quality management accounts and financial analysis that support operational and commercial decision-making.
- Transition the controlling community from transactional processing to value-adding analysis, insight and performance commentary.
- Ensure balance sheet integrity through robust reconciliations, reviews and governance, driving a “clean balance sheet” mindset.
- Establish clear ownership of journals, accruals, provisions and estimates, supported by consistent documentation and review standards.
Statutory accounts, tax and external reporting
- Lead the preparation and coordination of statutory financial statements for in-scope UK and European entities in compliance with local GAAP and Group requirements.
- Act as the primary SSC contact for external auditors, managing audit planning, execution, issue resolution and remediation.
- Support Group Tax and local tax advisors in the preparation and submission of tax returns, statutory filings and regulatory reporting.
- Ensure alignment between management reporting, statutory reporting and tax data, reducing rework and reconciliation effort.
Controls, compliance and governance
- Ensure full compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley requirements, internal control frameworks and Group accounting policies across all R2R activities.
- Own R2R-related controls, including documentation, testing support, remediation and continuous strengthening of the control environment.
- Drive audit readiness as a continuous state rather than a periodic activity.
- Establish and enforce clear governance over accounting judgements, estimates and policy interpretations across multiple reporting lines.
Process excellence and continuous improvement
- Design, document and implement standardised end-to-end R2R processes across EMEA, replacing local variation with clear global standards.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives to reduce close cycle time, improve first time-right reporting and enhance transparency.
- Champion the use of technology, automation and data to drive efficiency, quality and scalability in reporting processes.
- Identify and deliver tangible benefits from system optimisation, automation and process simplification.
- Develop and maintain KPI dashboards covering close performance, quality, compliance and service delivery.
Systems, data and transformation
- Act as the R2R business owner for SAP S/4HANA, OneStream and related reporting and consolidation tools.
- Drive improved use of systems to reduce manual processing, increase automation and improve data quality.
- Partner with IT, Finance Transformation and Group Finance on system enhancements and reporting roadmap initiatives.
- Ensure master data, chart of accounts and reporting structures support efficient, consistent reporting across the region.
Stakeholder management and business partnering
- Build strong, credible relationships with local finance teams, plant leadership, Group Finance, Tax and Treasury.
- Influence senior stakeholders across a complex matrix organisation, balancing local requirements with Group standards.
- Translate complex accounting and reporting topics into clear, practical actions for operational and finance teams.
- Act as an advocate for the Shared Service Centre, reinforcing its role as a value-adding partner rather than a transaction factory.
Essential qualifications:
- Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
Desirable qualifications:
- Degree level qualifications in Finance, Accounting or Business Administration
Essential skills and experience:
- Significant senior experience leading Record to Report / Financial Reporting in a large, complex organisation.
- Experience working in a complex, multi-entity, multi-currency listed corporate environment.
- Proven experience within a Shared Service Centre or similar centralised finance model.
- Strong background in management accounting, statutory reporting and balance sheet governance.
- Experience operating across multiple legal entities, countries and reporting lines.
- Deep understanding of best-practice R2R and controlling models.
- Strong knowledge of SAP S/4HANA, OneStream or similar ERP and consolidation platforms.
- Ability to draw clear conclusions from complex commercial and accounting issues and translate them into actionable plans and solutions that anticipate operational needs.
- Excellent influencing skills across peer groups and senior leadership.
- Strong problem-solving and issue-resolution capability.
- Proven ability to deliver measurable performance and quality improvements.
- Fluent English.
Desirable skills and experience:
- A career arc that shows experience in a controller role supporting operations and a transition into a larger, multi-site, multi-currency controller role.
- Prior exposure to commercial finance – factoring, supply chain financing, lease finance
- Experience supporting manufacturing operations and tolling models.
- Experience working in a US-listed, SOX-controlled environment.
- Exposure to European statutory and tax environments.
- Experience implementing automation, workflow or reporting enhancements.
- Exposure to finance transformation programmes.
- Additional European language.
Essential personal attributes:
- Energetic, resilient and credible leader with a strong delivery mindset.
- Comfortable operating in environments with legacy practices and driving cultural change.
- Detail-focused while able to maintain a strategic, end-to-end perspective.
- Strong coaching orientation, with a track record of developing finance talent.
- Service-oriented, with a clear commitment to quality, transparency and accountability.
Desirable personal attributes:
- Ambition to progress within a growing European Shared Service and Group Finance environment.
