Head of Finance in London

Want to work for one of the most successful and vibrant advertising agencies in the industry? We’re looking for a strong, technically focused Head of Finance to join a global ad agency. This is a great opportunity for someone with strong technical accounting skills and a keen interest in projects and AI implementation. Reporting to the Group Finance Director, this role is the senior leader and strategic head of the Finance Operations function. You will have overall accountability for group statutory reporting, financial governance, treasury management, and driving the function's digital transformation roadmap, ensuring compliance and efficiency across the group.

Responsibilities:

• Team development and management - provide senior leadership and mentorship to the Finance Operations team including Financial and Management Accounting teams.
• Ensuring that adequate training and development takes place for the direct reports, liaising closely with the Group FC who will be establishing a formal training programme for the wider team.
• Support the Group Finance Director to oversee the group reporting function ensuring accurate and timely submission of the financial reporting requirements.
• Ensure the financial information/control framework is sufficiently robust and maintained.
• Reviewing current processes and looking for areas of improvement – including further automation in collaboration with the BI team/Group FC.
• Controlling costs for the companies under your remit, closely partnering with budget owners.
• Oversight (along with Group FD) of all tax/statutory reporting/audit as well as internal audit process, annual insurance review and banking compliance.
• Provide full strategic oversight of the balance sheet, cash flow, and working capital, ensuring a comprehensive global view for the Group FD/Global CFO.
• Establish a more formalised treasury function for the group with clear policies and processes to manage cash and mitigate FX/investment risk.
• Alongside the Legal team, review supplier agreements, and provide any analysis required for the Group FD/CFO to decide how to move forward.
• Oversee reviews of the US and APAC P&L monthly and BS quarterly.
• Act as the key FinOps champion for digital transformation, actively working with the BI team to ensure maximal automation and data integrity.
• Drive the radical adoption of AI across the function, sharing learnings and best practices with the wider team.
• Managing banking user administration ensuring access rights are appropriately assigned within the team.
• Look for ways to automate/streamline our banking process.
• Be responsible for any complex accounting.
• Management of group P11D, PSA, CT, ERS and STBV submissions with support from Group Financial Accountant/Payroll Manager.
• Support on R&D submissions each year and oversee the confirmation statement submissions each year.
• Working with our tax and legal partners overseas to ensure clear reconciliations to their workings and manage all statutory reporting.
• Ensure we have the best local partners across all tax/accounting disciplines across all markets and if not then find and onboard an alternative.
• Ensuring a compliant and tax efficient benefits package in all regions.

Required Experience:

• Qualified Accountant.
• Must have strong technical knowledge and maintain up-to-date with current accounting standards.
• Able to drive forward new processes and manage change - should have examples where AI/automation has been leveraged.
• Organised, structured way of working – able to manage multiple stakeholders.
• Solutions focused and proactive - always seeking out improvements and better ways of working.
• Collaborative and team focused.

Package:

• Salary £100-120k.
• Hybrid working - 3 office days.
• 25 days holiday.
• Pension.
• Enhanced maternity and paternity.
• Life assurance, critical illness, income protection and travel insurance.