About the role
We’re looking for a Head of Finance (R2R) to lead our financial accounting, compliance, and reporting frameworks across the UK and Benelux. Based in our Caerphilly Business Services hub, this is a high-impact senior leadership role with responsibility for maintaining robust financial integrity, ensuring adherence to regulatory and statutory requirements, and upholding strong governance and control frameworks.
This role goes beyond operational leadership - you will bring a fresh perspective, challenge ways of working, and drive continuous improvement, standardisation, and digital transformation, particularly through close partnership with our Automation and Technology teams.
As part of the Business Services senior leadership team, you’ll lead and inspire a large, high-performing function, shaping both long-term strategy and organisational capability, while fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous development.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead and develop a large R2R function (c.40 FTE), setting the strategic roadmap and contributing to Business Services leadership, governance, and long-term planning
Manage the associated R2R processes across multiple geographies, ensuring strong financial control, SOX compliance, audit readiness, and balance sheet integrity
Drive transformation through process optimisation, standardisation, and automation, working closely with technology teams to deliver scalable solutions
Build strong stakeholder partnerships across UK & Benelux, fostering a high-performance culture, managing risk, and developing future talent while deputising for the Director when required
About You:
Qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA, CIMA or equivalent) with strong senior leadership experience in complex, multi-layered finance environments
Strategic leader with a proven track record in transformation, process optimisation, and automation, bringing fresh thinking and challenging the status quo
Strong expertise in financial controls, compliance, and SOX, with the ability to balance governance and operational excellence
Strong people and stakeholder leadership skills, with experience building high-performing teams, developing talent, and influencing across geographies and functions
Why Join:
Play a key leadership role shaping the future of a major Business Services centre
Lead a high-impact function at the heart of financial integrity and business decision-making
Drive automation, transformation, and operational excellence at scale
Work with a diverse international stakeholder group across UK and Benelux
Opportunity to make a lasting impact through leadership, innovation, and talent development
Benefits
A competitive salary and discretionary bonus
25 days’ holiday + bank holidays
Pension scheme, life assurance, income protection
Employee assistance programme and digital GP access
Cycle to work scheme and discounts on shopping, travel and more
Location: Caerphilly
About us
We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!
Fair recruitment at DS Smith
To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.
Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria
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