At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a finance team, ensuring accurate reporting and high-quality outputs.
- Company: Join Zurich, a leading insurance company with a focus on sustainability and employee wellbeing.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working options, competitive salary, and a range of employee benefits.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse and inclusive workplace that values your contributions.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment while developing your skills.
- Qualifications: Accounting qualification preferred; strong organisational and leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 £ per year.
Working hours: This role is available on a part-time, job-share or full-time basis.
Location: Fareham/hybrid working.
Closing date for applications: 16th June 2026.
The opportunity:
This is an operational team lead role within the Finance Operations Reporting & Controls function, responsible for owning day-to-day delivery, driving team performance, and ensuring high-quality, controlled outputs. You will lead a UK-based team and provide oversight of offshore delivery, ensuring priorities are clear, resources are aligned, and issues are resolved efficiently. The role is hands-on and delivery-focused, with accountability for outcomes. Success in this role comes from creating clarity, maintaining momentum, and taking ownership to ensure the team consistently delivers accurate reporting, strong controls, and excellent service to stakeholders.
Role Purpose:
- Own it: Take full accountability for the team’s operational delivery, ensuring deadlines, quality, and control standards are met.
- Accelerate it: Drive pace, remove blockers, and continuously improve processes and ways of working.
- Win it: Deliver reliable, accurate outputs and build trust with stakeholders through consistent performance.
What will you be doing?
- Operational Leadership & Delivery: Lead the day-to-day running of the Reporting & Controls team, setting priorities and ensuring work is delivered on time and to standard. Act as the first point of accountability for team output, quality, and issue resolution. Proactively manage workload, capacity, and competing deadlines across all teams. Ensure clear allocation of tasks and ownership, with strong follow-through.
- Query Resolution & Control Ownership: Take ownership of complex queries and issues, driving them through to resolution with pace and clarity. Investigate root causes and ensure sustainable fixes are implemented. Maintain oversight of balance sheet control accounts, ensuring accurate and timely review and sign-off. Ensure the control environment is effective and consistently applied.
- Reporting & Outputs: Oversee preparation and review of key finance deliverables, including balance sheet reporting and provisions. Ensure outputs are accurate, consistent, and meaningful. Provide clear insight and context to stakeholders where required.
- Team Leadership & Development: Provide line management for team members, including performance management, coaching, and development. Create a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement. Support offshore teams to ensure aligned delivery and high standards.
- Stakeholder & Delivery Management: Build effective working relationships across Finance Operations and the wider business. Manage dependencies and ensure stakeholder requirements are delivered.
- Continuous Improvement: Identify and implement improvements to process efficiency and control effectiveness. Support delivery of change and automation initiatives.
What Good Looks Like in This Role:
- The team delivers consistently, accurately, and on time.
- Issues are owned, understood, and resolved quickly.
- Priorities are clear and resources effectively deployed.
- Stakeholders receive a reliable and high-quality service.
Skills & Experience:
- Accounting qualification desired - ACCA/CIMA (or equivalent).
- Relevant finance experience or equivalent practical knowledge in a finance team.
- Preferable experience of working with offshore or co-located teams.
- Strong organisational and prioritisation skills.
- Ability to manage workload and meet deadlines.
- Experience supporting or leading teams.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capability.
- Confident communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Intermediate knowledge of Outlook 365 tools, including Power Query (desirable).
Behavioural Competencies:
- Collaborate: Promote and deliver effective collaboration with all stakeholders by understanding all parties' needs, through proactive communication, showing flexibility and compromise to deliver the best result for the business.
- Empower: Embrace empowerment by ensuring the necessary resources, support, and autonomy are in place to take initiative, make informed decisions, and contribute meaningfully to achieving our collective goals.
- Growth mindset: Demonstrate a growth mindset by encouraging continuous learning, embracing challenges and leveraging feedback.
- Trust: Proactively build trust by consistently demonstrating transparency, reliability, and integrity in all interactions and communications, within an environment of psychological safety.
- Curiosity: Ask more questions, seeking out new experiences and perspectives, to understand more about people, processes and the wider function and business, with a positive and constructive mindset.
What will you get in return?
Everyone’s different. That’s why at Zurich, we offer a wide range of employee benefits so our people can choose what fits them and their life. Our benefits provide real flexibility so our people can make considered choices and tailor their benefits throughout the year. Our benefits include 12% defined non-contributory pension scheme, annual company bonus, private medical insurance and the option to buy up to an additional 20 days or sell some of your holiday, alongside a range of other flexible benefits.
Who we are:
At Zurich we aspire to be one of the most responsible and impactful businesses in the world. Together, we’re creating a brighter future for our customers, our people and our planet. With over 65,000 employees, you’ll feel the support of being part of a strong and stable company that is a long-standing player in the insurance industry.
We’ve made a promise to each other and every employee: to focus on sustainable impact, to care about each other’s wellbeing, to use our diverse expertise to be curious and optimistic and to develop the skills needed for our future.
If you’re interested in working in a dynamic and challenging environment where your creativity, ideas and contributions are recognised and rewarded, Zurich could be just the place for you. Be part of something great.
Our culture:
At Zurich, our strength comes from the diverse experiences, perspectives and talents of our people. Our goal is to create a workplace where every employee can flourish and where everyone feels valued, heard and respected. Over a quarter of our employees are members of at least one of our inclusion communities (Employee Resource Groups), with groups focused on areas such as social mobility and cultural awareness. We’re proud to have received numerous industry awards recognising our diversity and inclusion policies and initiatives.
Your application:
We’re committed to treating all applicants fairly and with respect, irrespective of their actual or assumed background, sexual orientation, disability or any other protected characteristic. As an inclusive employer we also want to ensure that all candidates feel comfortable and are able to perform at their best during the interview. You’ll have the opportunity to let us know of any reasonable adjustment or practical support needed when you apply. We’d love it if you could submit your application online. If you require an alternative method of applying, please send an email to recruitment@uk.zurich.com.
So, make a difference. Be challenged. Be inspired. Be supported. Love what you do. Work for us.
Reporting & Controls Finance Manager in Fareham employer: LiveWell
Zurich is an exceptional employer that prioritises flexibility and employee wellbeing, offering a range of benefits including a generous pension scheme, private medical insurance, and the option to tailor holiday entitlements. With a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, employees are encouraged to grow and develop in a supportive environment, making it an ideal place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding careers in Fareham. Join a dynamic team where your contributions are valued and recognised, and be part of a company dedicated to creating a sustainable future.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Reporting & Controls Finance Manager in Fareham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections on LinkedIn or at industry events. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and role thoroughly. Know their values and how you can contribute to their goals. This shows you’re genuinely interested!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your answers to common interview questions, but keep it natural. We want you to sound confident and authentic, not like a robot reciting lines.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and show your enthusiasm for the role. Plus, it keeps you on their radar!
We think you need these skills to ace Reporting & Controls Finance Manager in Fareham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Reporting & Controls Finance Manager role. Highlight relevant experience and skills that match the job description, like operational leadership and stakeholder management.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for the role. Mention specific examples of how you've driven team performance or resolved complex issues in the past.
Showcase Your Skills:Don’t forget to highlight your accounting qualifications and any relevant finance experience. If you’ve worked with offshore teams or have strong analytical skills, make sure these stand out!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and keep track of it. Plus, we love seeing applications come directly from our site!
How to prepare for a job interview at LiveWell
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Reporting & Controls Finance Manager, you'll need to demonstrate your financial acumen. Brush up on key financial metrics and reporting standards relevant to the role. Be ready to discuss how you've used these in past roles to drive team performance and ensure accuracy.
✨Showcase Leadership Skills
This role requires strong leadership capabilities. Prepare examples of how you've led teams, resolved conflicts, and driven performance improvements. Highlight your experience in managing offshore teams and how you ensured alignment and high standards across different locations.
✨Be Ready for Problem-Solving
Expect questions that assess your analytical and problem-solving skills. Think of specific instances where you've tackled complex queries or issues. Be prepared to explain your thought process and the steps you took to achieve sustainable solutions.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Building trust with stakeholders is crucial. Prepare to discuss how you've effectively communicated with various stakeholders in the past. Share examples of how you’ve provided clear insights and context to ensure their needs were met, showcasing your ability to foster strong relationships.