Head of Finance Operations

Key Responsibilities

• Set the multi-year finance transformation strategy and roadmap, in partnership with the Group Finance Director
• Lead a portfolio of global finance transformation programmes from inception to benefits realisation, across multiple entities and jurisdictions
• Establish the governance and KPIs to measure transformation outcomes, and report progress and benefits realisation to the Group CFO

• Diagnose current-state processes across the global finance function and identify opportunities to streamline, standardise, automate and eliminate non-value-add activity
• Lead end-to-end redesign of core finance processes — Procure-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash, Record-to-Report, Payroll, and planning & reporting (including cash flow)
• Embed standardised operating procedures, process documentation and continuous-improvement disciplines across the global finance function

• Partner with the Financial Systems team to deliver the target-state finance systems architecture
• Help drive finance system upgrades, implementations and integrations, and drive improvements to data integrity, master data governance and reporting consistency

• Help drive the finance function's AI and intelligent automation capability — setting the strategy, prioritised use cases, responsible-AI guardrails, and benefits-tracking framework for financial control
• Direct deployment of AI and automation across high-value finance use cases including reconciliations, close, forecasting, anomaly detection, invoice processing, and data extraction & analysis
• Grow AI and digital fluency across the financial control team

• Uplift finance reporting and analytics capability — modernising dashboards, enabling self-service, and developing predictive and data-driven decision support for the business

• Support the finance workstream on M&A activity — from diligence support through to post-merger integration of finance processes, systems and controls
• Own the change management agenda — communications, training and adoption — across a globally distributed finance organisation, ensuring transformation is delivered without compromising the control environment

• Leads and influences change across the global finance control function of c.70 employees spanning the UK, Poland and Japan.
• Owns the finance transformation agenda for a global, multi-billion-revenue business operating across 200+ markets and multiple legal entities and jurisdictions.
• Works across the wider finance function — FP&A, Commercial Finance, Tax, Legal and HR & Payroll — and with key external partners including auditors, accounting partners and banks.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• ACA trained with 5+ year PQE
• Significant track record leading finance operations and change at scale in a global, multi-entity business — ideally implementation and finance operating model redesign.
• Proven ability to work with diverse stakeholders, manage competing agendas and priorities, and translate complex information across functions.
• Strong operational capability, with the ability to deliver projects to time and budget, and strong stakeholder-management skills.
• Highly collaborative, strong interpersonal skills and cross-functional team experience; ability to lead and influence.
• Ability to deliver executive-level updates, judge when to escalate, and identify the right stakeholders for decision-making.
• Strong control mindset — able to assess the adequacy of internal controls and identify process and efficiency improvements without weakening the control environment.
• Proven ability to lead change across geographies, time zones and cultures — with the executive presence to bring a global finance organisation along on the journey.
• Willingness to challenge the status quo while driving with a sense of urgency.
• Comfortable building and driving new frameworks and processes with cross-functional teams.
• Strong passion for designing and implementing solutions using next-generation technology such as data analytics, machine learning, and generative AI.

Benefits