Financial Reporting - #2163153

Head of UK Financial Reporting & Control

Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Industry: Wealth & Investments

Work Setting: Hybrid

Are you a strategic finance leader with a passion for financial stewardship, regulatory excellence, and organizational transformation? We are seeking a Head of UK Financial Reporting & Control to lead financial reporting, legal entity control, statutory reporting, and governance activities across key regulated and non-regulated entities. This role provides executive-level leadership, ensuring financial integrity, regulatory compliance, strong controls, and continuous improvement while partnering with senior leadership, board members, auditors, and regulators.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Reporting & Legal Entity Control

• Lead the delivery of accurate, timely, and insightful legal entity financial reporting across UK operations.
• Oversee board reporting, management reporting, and financial performance analysis, including capital, liquidity, and risk assessments.
• Ensure compliance with accounting standards, regulatory requirements, and corporate reporting obligations.
• Provide financial insight and challenge to support strategic decision-making and business performance.

Financial Governance & Control

• Maintain a robust financial control environment across regulated and non-regulated entities.
• Ensure effective balance sheet governance, financial integrity, reconciliation processes, and reporting controls.
• Develop and oversee control frameworks that support compliance, risk management, and financial accuracy.
• Monitor risks and implement corrective actions to strengthen control effectiveness and operational resilience.

Statutory & Regulatory Reporting

• Lead the preparation and delivery of statutory financial statements and regulatory reporting requirements.
• Ensure compliance with IFRS, UK statutory reporting standards, and regulatory obligations.
• Manage reporting deadlines, regulatory submissions, and governance processes.
• Stay abreast of changes to accounting regulations, reporting requirements, and industry standards.

Audit & External Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary finance lead for external audit activities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with auditors, regulators, and external stakeholders.
• Coordinate audit planning, issue resolution, and remediation activities.
• Ensure audit findings are addressed effectively and implemented sustainably.

Technical Accounting & Advisory

• Provide expert technical accounting guidance and leadership.
• Interpret complex accounting issues and translate them into clear business recommendations.
• Advise senior leaders on accounting impacts, reporting implications, and regulatory developments.
• Support the implementation of new accounting standards and reporting requirements.

Transformation & Continuous Improvement

• Lead finance transformation initiatives, automation programs, and process improvement efforts.
• Enhance reporting efficiency, scalability, and control effectiveness through technology and process optimization.
• Identify opportunities to simplify workflows and improve operational performance.
• Drive innovation across reporting, governance, and financial control activities.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Financial Reporting & Control team.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and continuous learning.
• Translate strategic objectives into measurable goals and successful outcomes.
• Develop future leaders and build organizational capability within the finance function.

Executive & Board Engagement

• Provide financial reporting, analysis, and recommendations to executive leadership and board directors.
• Communicate complex financial matters to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Influence senior stakeholders through strong business partnership and strategic insight.
• Support enterprise-wide initiatives and key business decisions through financial expertise.

Required Qualifications

• Professional accounting qualification (CA, ACA, ACCA, or equivalent).
• Extensive experience in Financial Reporting, Legal Entity Control, Financial Control, Audit, or related finance leadership roles.
• Strong expertise in IFRS, UK statutory reporting requirements, and financial governance practices.
• Experience working within investment management, asset management, banking, insurance, or regulated financial services environments.
• Proven leadership experience managing and developing high-performing finance teams.
• Demonstrated success leading complex financial reporting cycles, audits, and regulatory deliverables.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, governance frameworks, and risk management.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills with executive-level presence.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience overseeing centralized or outsourced finance service delivery models.
• Experience leading finance transformation and automation initiatives.
• Knowledge of ERP and enterprise financial systems such as Oracle or similar platforms.
• Experience presenting to boards, regulators, and senior executive leadership teams.
• Strong skills in financial analytics, reporting technologies, and process improvement methodologies.

Preferred Skills

• Financial Reporting
• Legal Entity Control
• Financial Governance
• IFRS Reporting
• UK Statutory Reporting
• Regulatory Reporting
• Technical Accounting
• Financial Control
• External Audit Management
• Risk Management
• Balance Sheet Governance
• Executive Reporting
• Board Reporting
• Finance Transformation
• Process Improvement
• Financial Analysis
• Stakeholder Management
• Team Leadership
• Oracle ERP
• Strategic Planning