Director, Transition Leader, Finance Managed Services, All EY Office Locations in Newcastle upon Tyne

At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence. We’ll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go. Join EY and help to build a better working world.

The opportunity EY Finance Managed Services is a fast-growing business helping clients modernise and run their finance functions through a managed services model — where EY operates key finance processes on behalf of the client and provides agreed outputs and deliverables.

As a Director, you will play a pivotal role in transitioning new clients onto our Finance Managed Services platform and operating model, ensuring a smooth move from client-led activity to EY-run service delivery with minimal disruption to business-as-usual. You’ll work with high-performing teams across multiple delivery locations in EMEIA, focusing primarily on the private mid-market, and you’ll have the opportunity to work with a range of platforms and alliance partners shaping the finance function of the future.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Client pursuits & solution architecture
  • Support go-to-market activities for Finance Managed Services, contributing to proposition development, market messaging and client materials.
  • Lead and/or support client pursuits, including discovery, shaping, estimation and bid management activities as required.
  • Architect managed services solutions aligned to client objectives across the finance value chain: P2P (Procure-to-Pay), O2C (Order-to-Cash), R2R (Record-to-Report), FP&A (Financial Planning & Analysis).
  • Develop compelling value propositions and outcomes‑based cases (e.g., improved control environment, cycle‑time reduction, better working capital performance, faster close, enhanced insight and forecasting).
  • Define the target managed services design, including: service catalogue, SLAs/KPIs, governance, controls, reporting, roles and responsibilities (EY vs client), and transition approach.
  • Recommend the optimal delivery model, including the right blend of delivery locations across EMEIA and the appropriate resourcing and governance structure.
  • Remain technology‑agnostic, while confidently advising on solution options and integration considerations, and collaborating with EY technology teams and alliance partners to bring the best‑fit platforms to client needs.
• Transition leadership (mobilisation to go-live)
  • Own and lead end‑to‑end transition delivery from contract signature through go‑live, with accountability for time, cost, quality and risk.
  • Establish robust programme governance: plans, RAID, stakeholder management, communications, quality and change control.
  • Lead discovery and mobilisation activities to baseline current performance and design the transition path, including process/control assessments and documentation.
  • Manage multi‑workstream execution spanning people, process, data, controls, reporting, technology enablement and change management.
  • Coordinate cross‑functional teams across EY and the client, including operations, technology, risk, tax (where relevant), and alliance partners.
• Minimise Disruption & Deliver Exceptional Client Experience
  • Design the transition plan to protect critical business cycles (e.g., month‑end close, payments runs, revenue cycles, credit and collections, audit readiness).
  • Drive proactive change management to enable adoption and clarity of new ways of working.
  • Maintain senior stakeholder engagement and deliver a consistently strong, confidence‑inspiring client experience throughout mobilisation and transition.
• Hypercare, stabilisation & handover to run
  • Lead hypercare post go‑live to stabilise operations, manage issues quickly and drive service performance to agreed KPIs.
  • Ensure readiness for steady‑state managed service delivery, including completion of SOPs, runbooks, knowledge transfer, and operational acceptance criteria.
  • Execute a structured handover to EY’s run operations and the managed services platform team, ensuring a clear continuous improvement backlog and governance cadence.
• Leadership & practice growth
  • Lead, coach and develop high‑performing teams across multiple EMEA locations; role‑model inclusive, collaborative leadership.
  • Contribute to business growth through development of reusable assets, playbooks, accelerators and transition methodologies.
  • Support the evolution of EY’s managed services capability through lessons learned, continuous improvement and innovation.

What We’re Looking For

• 10+ years’ experience in a combination of Finance, Finance Transformation, Shared Services/Outsourcing/Managed Services, Business/Systems Integration, or large‑scale finance operational change.
• Strong functional knowledge across one or more finance towers (P2P, O2C, R2R, FP&A), and ability to integrate them into an end‑to‑end finance operating model.
• Demonstrable track record leading complex, multi‑stakeholder programmes, ideally within multi‑location delivery environments.
• Confident in shaping and presenting solutions to senior client stakeholders (CFO/FD/Finance leadership) and guiding teams through ambiguity.
• Strong commercial mindset: able to balance client value, delivery feasibility and risk management.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and problem‑solving skills; team player with a collaborative approach.
• Ambitious, delivery‑driven and focused on measurable impact, with a passion for building and improving services at pace.

What Will Make You Stand Out (desirable)

• Experience transitioning clients into managed services and/or standing up new service operations with SLAs/KPIs and governance.
• Strong appreciation of controls, compliance and audit considerations within finance operations.
• Exposure to working with a variety of finance technologies and platforms (e.g., ERP ecosystems, workflow, automation, analytics) and partnering with technology teams and alliances to deliver outcomes.

Qualifications (preferred)

• Degree (Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics or similar) or equivalent experience.
• Professional qualification desirable (ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent) and/or programme/change credentials (e.g., PRINCE2, MSP, PMP, Agile).

What We Offer

• A role at the heart of a high‑growth Finance Managed Services business focused on the private mid‑market.
• Opportunity to work across EMEIA with diverse teams and delivery locations.
• The chance to help build the finance function of the future, leveraging EY investments and collaborating with a broad ecosystem of platforms and alliance partners.
• Significant career runway and rapid progression through expanding portfolio, leadership opportunities and visible impact.

EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets. Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow. EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi‑disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.