Director of Accounting and Finance Systems in London

The Director of Accounting and Finance Systems will be responsible for establishing and maintaining a robust finance foundation, with primary ownership of UK statutory accounting, audit, tax and regulatory obligations. The role will ensure that all UK registered companies meet their statutory accounting and reporting responsibilities in a timely, accurate and compliant manner. Beyond the UK statutory scope, the role will provide business-wide finance systems and infrastructure leadership. A core focus will be to lead the design of a simplified and scalable financial data structure, system process and reporting framework that is aligned, fit for purpose and capable of supporting the wider business across multiple entities. The role will act as a key bridge between Finance, IT, Legal, Tax and business teams, ensuring that finance requirements are correctly translated into practical system design, governance and reporting solutions.

Location: London, UK

Key Responsibilities

• Own statutory accounting and reporting for UK legal entities, ensuring compliance with UK GAAP / IFRS and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Lead the preparation, review and filing of annual financial statements and statutory accounts for all UK registered companies.
• Act as the primary point of contact for external auditors and manage the UK audit process end-to-end.
• Ensure statutory, regulatory and financial reporting obligations are delivered accurately and on time.
• Maintain a strong and compliant financial control environment for the UK entities.

Tax & Regulatory Compliance

• Oversee UK corporate tax, VAT and other regulatory obligations in partnership with internal stakeholders and external advisors.
• Ensure appropriate tax and regulatory compliance across the UK entity structure.
• Monitor relevant changes in UK accounting, tax and regulatory requirements and ensure the business responds appropriately.
• Support tax and regulatory considerations relating to legal entity structure and simplification.

Finance Systems, Data Architecture & Process Design

• Assess the current finance systems landscape and define a clear roadmap for improvement, integration and simplification across the business.
• Lead the finance input into the selection, design and implementation of an appropriate ERP or finance system solution, such as SAP or equivalent.
• Design and standardise the financial data architecture across the business, including chart of accounts, financial categories, reporting hierarchies, cost centres, profit centres, business units, entity structures and intercompany logic.
• Establish a simplified and scalable financial data model to enable consistency, comparability and reliable reporting across multiple entities.
• Define and optimise system configuration, logic and settings to ensure alignment with accounting policies, statutory requirements, management reporting needs and operational usability.
• Reduce manual workarounds, inconsistent data treatment and unnecessary complexity through standardised finance processes and automation.
• Act as the key interface between Finance and IT, ensuring finance requirements are accurately translated into system solutions and practical implementation plans.

Legal Entity Simplification

• Review the current UK legal entity structure and identify opportunities for simplification.
• Support initiatives to streamline entities, reduce complexity, improve efficiency and strengthen governance.
• Partner with Legal, Tax and external advisors to assess and implement appropriate structural changes.

Financial Governance & Control Framework

• Establish and maintain robust financial governance, controls and accounting policies.
• Ensure consistency in accounting treatment, reporting logic and financial processes across relevant entities.
• Build scalable finance processes aligned with the organisation’s operating model and wider business requirements.
• Provide clear documentation of finance processes, system logic and reporting structures to support governance, auditability and business continuity.

Profile & Experience

• Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA or equivalent).
• Strong experience in UK statutory accounting, audit and regulatory requirements.
• Proven experience managing external audits and statutory reporting processes.
• Demonstrated experience in ERP or finance system selection, design, configuration or implementation, such as SAP or equivalent.
• Strong understanding of financial data structures, including chart of accounts, cost centres, reporting hierarchies, entity structures and intercompany processes.
• Good working knowledge of the UK tax framework, including corporate tax and VAT.
• Experience in multi-entity, post-acquisition or complex business environments preferred.
• Ability to operate at both strategic and hands-on levels, with strong attention to detail and practical execution capability.

Key Attributes

• Strong ownership and accountability.
• Structured, detail-oriented and control-focused.
• Able to simplify complexity and design scalable finance solutions.
• Pragmatic, solution-driven and comfortable working in an evolving environment.
• Strong stakeholder management across Finance, IT, Legal, Tax and external advisors.

Role Purpose

This role is critical to establishing a strong, simplified and scalable finance foundation. It will ensure full compliance with UK statutory accounting obligations while leading the design and embedding of fit-for-purpose finance systems, data structures, processes and reporting frameworks for the wider business.