Accounts & Business Services Operations Director

BKL is a Top 40 accountancy and advisory business supporting a diverse client base, from entrepreneurs and high-net-worth individuals to ambitious owner-managed businesses and multinational groups. With a legacy spanning over 130 years, we’ve evolved into a modern, purpose-driven business that balances profit with impact. BKL is a certified B Corp, reflecting our commitment to sustainability, transparency, and responsible governance. As a member of DFK International, we support clients locally and internationally with cutting-edge expertise and a personal touch. We believe all clients deserve the same level of care, innovation, and excellence.

The Accounts & Business Services Operations Director ensures the ABS team operates as a unified, high-performing department aligned with the firm’s strategy. This internal leadership role drives operational excellence, consistency, and innovation across all ABS disciplines, supporting sustainable growth and profitability through efficient delivery, strong client relationships, and high-quality output. You will champion the development of people and teams, embed robust quality and risk controls, and leverage insight from data, technology, and marketing to strengthen BKL’s ABS proposition. By challenging existing ways of working and promoting continuous improvement, you will help future-proof the ABS function, ensuring it delivers an exceptional client experience while supporting long-term commercial success through ethical leadership, innovation, and scalable delivery.

How You’ll Make a Difference

• Department and Strategic Planning: Align the ABS team structure, capacity, and operating model with the firm’s strategic goals, ensuring effective collaboration across service lines and with other departments. Drive innovation and continuous improvement in processes, systems, and delivery models to improve efficiency, margin, and client experience. Oversee forecasting, utilisation, and pricing insights to ensure work is delivered profitably and at scale, supporting sustainable growth.
• Operational Excellence and Quality: Establish and embed robust quality controls, workflows, and risk management frameworks to ensure consistent, accurate, and timely delivery of client work. Champion best practice across accounts preparation, management reporting, bookkeeping, and advisory services, ensuring compliance with professional standards and internal policies. Support Pod Leaders in balancing skill sets, capacity, and technical capability to meet changing client demand and regulatory requirements.
• Team Development: Foster a high-performance culture where teams live the firm’s values, collaborate effectively, and take ownership for outcomes. Partner with People and Culture to identify talent, manage succession planning, and reduce key person risk across the ABS function. Drive performance management, capability uplift, and leadership development within ABS Pods, developing future leaders and strengthening accountability.
• ABS Growth, Technology, and Client Proposition: Strengthen BKL’s ABS proposition by working with Marketing and Growth to articulate clear service offerings and value-led messaging. Identify opportunities to expand advisory services, improve client segmentation, and enhance cross-referrals with Tax, Audit, and other service lines. Champion the effective use of technology and data to improve client insight, automate routine work, and enable teams to focus on higher-value activity.

You’ll Be Ideal for This Role If You Have:

• ACA or ACCA qualified or equivalent professional qualification, or 9+ years’ experience in Accounts and Business Services
• Demonstrated senior leadership experience within an ABS or comparable professional services environment
• Strong understanding of accounts production, management accounts, bookkeeping, and advisory-led service delivery
• Proven track record of growing teams, improving operational performance, and enhancing client outcomes
• Experience of quality control, regulatory compliance, and risk management within an accounting function
• Strong commercial and strategic planning capability, including pricing, capacity planning, and profitability
• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills

BKL is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified candidates eligible to work in the UK. GDPR training will be required for all staff involved in the role.