Head of Finance Central Control - NatWest Group - #2154743

Join us as Head of Finance Central Controls

• Lead a high profile function at the heart of NatWest Group, shaping the frameworks, governance and assurance activities that support the integrity of our financial and regulatory reporting
• Champion a culture of accountability, transparency and continuous improvement by driving the evolution of our Finance controls, SOx and risk management frameworks
• Influence and collaborate with senior leaders across the Group, providing expert insight and challenge to maintain a resilient and effective control environment

What you'll do

As Head of Finance Central Controls, you'll own and continuously enhance the Finance controls framework covering financial, regulatory, tax, and management reporting processes, while acting as the senior Finance lead for the bank's Sarbanes-Oxley (SOx) programme and Internal Control over Financial Reporting (ICFR) framework. You'll also lead Finance implementation of the Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Framework (EWRMF) and oversee Finance's approach to Material Controls and Provision 29 requirements.

You'll deliver high-quality reporting and insight to the Executive Risk Committee, Group Audit Committee, CFO governance forums, and other senior committees. You'll lead and develop a high-performing team of control, risk, and assurance specialists, providing the leadership, direction, and expertise needed to support Finance's strategic objectives.

In addition, you'll be:

• Driving a culture of accountability, transparency, and control excellence across Finance
• Ensuring effective governance, oversight, and challenge of SOx scoping, control design, testing, deficiency assessment, and remediation
• Providing expert advice to Finance leadership on risk management standards, control effectiveness, and regulatory expectations
• Supporting Board and executive assessments regarding the effectiveness of the Finance control environment
• Acting as the primary Finance representative to Internal Audit, External Audit and Risk on control-related matters
• Defining the strategy, priorities, and capability requirements for the Finance Controls function

The skills you'll need

We're looking for someone with deep expertise in financial controls, risk management, and governance within a large, complex financial services organisation, as well as significant experience with SOx 404 and COSO-based control frameworks. You'll also need to bring proven experience interacting with Executive Committees, Audit Committees, and Boards.

To succeed in this role, you must have strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, along with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive change across complex organisational structures.

In addition, you'll need:

• Comprehensive knowledge of risk management frameworks, including the practical application of EWRMF principles
• A strong understanding of financial, regulatory, and management reporting processes
• A relevant professional accounting qualification (ACA, CA, ACCA, or equivalent)
• Experience in regulatory engagement and assurance activities
• Experience leading large-scale control transformation, automation, or governance enhancement programmes