Head of External Reporting

Purpose of the role: The Head of External Reporting leads the external reporting team (3 heads in the UK) which is responsible for the half year and full year financial statements for the consolidated Group, the monthly Group consolidation, and the preparation of the UK and Ireland subsidiary statutory accounts. Delivery is supported by the Group's offshore Finance Shared Service Centre in India who are responsible for the preparation of the UK and Ireland statutory accounts on behalf of the UK based team, general accounting processes for the Group (including fixed asset accounting, prepayments, the FX run, etc), bank reconciliations, and certain other balance sheet reconciliations.

What you'll be doing:

• Lead and motivate the External Reporting team, managing their performance and setting their priorities.
• Accountable for the External Reporting team's preparation of the monthly consolidation for the Group, and the HY and FY financial statements that are externally reported.
• Accountable for the UK and Ireland statutory accounts, the day-to-day delivery of which sits in the Finance Shared Service Centre in India.
• Day-to-day relationship with the external auditors in respect of the audit of the Group and the UK and Ireland subsidiary financial statements - ensuring they receive the support they require on a timely basis from the team.
• Build a close working relationship with other teams within Group Finance, including: the Commercial Accounting and Integrations team (that provides technical accounting support), FP&A (which includes the management reporting team), and the AP/AR team, as well as wider Finance teams in Tax, Treasury, the Finance Shared Service Centre, and finance directors and finance business partners outside of the central finance teams.
• Define key finance standards, including for example fixed asset accounting, subsidiary directorships, accruals, prepayments, manual journals etc - that all finance teams are required to adhere to.
• Responsible for the SAP ERP system from a finance perspective, defining rules and validations within the ERP system.

What we're looking for:

• Chartered accountant (e.g. ICAEW, ICAS).
• Extensive recent experience of preparing consolidated financial statements for a UK listed company (under IFRS), and UK subsidiary financial statements (under FRS 101).
• Experience of working with offshore Finance Shared Service Centres.
• Ability to work closely with senior finance colleagues to deliver external reporting and provide guidance as required.
• Ability to work closely with the external auditors.
• Knowledge of: SAP, BPC, Workiva.

How this aligns to Capita's values:

• Customer first, always - By delivering accurate, timely financial statements and supporting auditors effectively, the role ensures Capita's stakeholders receive reliable information they can trust.
• Fearless innovation - By driving improvements in SAP, defining smarter finance standards, and modernising reporting processes, the role champions bold, efficient ways of working.
• Achieve together - By collaborating across Group Finance, offshore teams, and external auditors, the role brings people together to deliver high-quality reporting.
• Everyone is valued - By leading, supporting, and developing a diverse team across multiple locations, the role fosters an inclusive environment where everyone can contribute and succeed.

Join Capita - Where Innovation Meets Opportunity

Capita is a dynamic leader in consulting and digital services, helping some of the UK's most recognized organizations transform and thrive. We use cutting-edge technology and fearless innovation to create smarter, more efficient solutions that make a real difference. Our work spans diverse sectors - government, healthcare, education, and finance - offering you the chance to contribute to projects that impact millions of lives. At Capita, you'll be part of a collaborative, forward-thinking team that values creativity, growth, and inclusion.

We're committed to your development and success, providing opportunities to learn, progress, and shape better outcomes for customers and communities. If you're ready to make an impact and grow your career, Capita is the place for you.

What's in it for you?

• A competitive basic salary.
• 25 days' holiday (rising to 27) with the opportunity to buy extra leave.
• The opportunity to take a paid day out of the office, volunteering for our charity partners or a cause of your choice.
• Company matched pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks' fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, paternity pay of two weeks...and plenty more.
• Voluntary benefits designed to suit your lifestyle - from discounts on retail and socialising, to health & wellbeing, travel and technology.
• Access to our Employee Network Groups, which represent every strand of diversity and allow colleagues to connect and learn from each other on an open, inclusive platform.

What we hope you'll do next:

Choose 'Apply now' to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you.

We are committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. As part of our strategic goals, we are focused on accelerating gender and ethnic representation in leadership roles. We warmly encourage applications from women and individuals from Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority backgrounds.

We're an equal opportunity and Disability Confident employer, which means we recruit and develop people based on their merit and passion. We're committed to providing an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment process and working environment for everyone. If you need the job description or application form in an alternative format (such as large print or audio), or if you'd like to discuss other changes or support you might need going forward, please email and we'll get back to you. For more information about equal opportunities and process adjustments, please visit the Capita Careers website.