Senior Cost Controller (+OWC)

This is a hybrid position in our London office with 3 days in the office (at Covent Garden).

What You Will Do

• Own end-to-end cost controlling across the group, including OpEx, CapEx, headcount/personnel costs, vendor spend, and technology/infrastructure costs.
• Lead the annual cost budgeting process and rolling cost forecasts, partnering with department heads to build bottom-up plans and challenge assumptions.
• Deliver monthly and quarterly cost reporting packages, including budget vs. actual variance analysis, run-rate tracking, and executive-level commentary on cost drivers.
• Monitor and analyze key cost KPIs (e.g., cost per employee, cost per revenue unit, infrastructure/cloud cost ratios, gross margin impact) and flag deviations early.
• Identify, quantify, and track cost-saving and efficiency initiatives, working closely with business owners to ensure savings are realized and reflected in the P&L.
• Develop and maintain robust cost allocation models across entities, cost centers, products, and projects to support transparent internal reporting and transfer pricing.
• Build and refine scenario and sensitivity models that translate cost decisions (hiring plans, vendor changes, infrastructure scaling) into P&L and cash impact.
• Manage the monthly calculation and posting process for Verve’s Own Work Capitalized (OWC) under IAS 38, including supporting evidence, documentation, and additional analyses as required.
• Partner with product and engineering teams to track project developments, assess capitalization criteria, and support strategic discussions on team and asset structuring across entities.
• Prepare annual memos and documentation for the Annual Group Audit and act as the primary point of contact for auditors on cost capitalization and OWC-related matters.
• Contribute to group-level forecasting, ensuring cost lines are reflected accurately and consistently and providing insights to support strategic decision-making.
• Partner with Finance Operations and Group Accounting to ensure clean cost coding, accurate accruals, and a smooth and timely month-end close.
• Strengthen cost controls, approval workflows, and policies to protect margin while enabling the business to move fast.
• Support finance leadership with ad hoc projects, analyses, and strategic initiatives as required.

What You Will Bring

• Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field; CPA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent qualification is a strong plus.
• 5+ years of experience in cost controlling, FP&A, or financial management, ideally within AdTech, SaaS, or another fast-paced technology environment.
• Proven track record in OpEx/CapEx controlling, cost forecasting, variance analysis, and driving measurable cost-saving initiatives.
• Strong technical knowledge of IFRS and local accounting standards, particularly IAS 38 and the capitalization of internally generated intangible assets, as well as cost recognition and accruals.
• Experience working with auditors on capitalization and cost-related matters.
• Experience with financial systems (e.g., NetSuite, Lucanet) and BI/visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI); SQL knowledge is a plus.
• Advanced Excel and strong financial modeling skills, with the ability to build clear, auditable cost models.
• Commercial mindset with the confidence to challenge budget owners, vendors, and senior stakeholders constructively.
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders and translate complex cost data into clear narratives.

Please note: we can only consider candidates with the legal right to work in the UK, as we are currently unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role.

What We Offer

• Stay healthy with our Bupa HealthCare Plan with easy access to medical care.
• Support your long-term financial security with our Aviva Corporate Pension Scheme, with Verve contributing 5% of your qualifying earnings.
• Pick what matters most to you in our Personalized Benefits Platform, with a budget of £50/month.
• Recharge with 25 paid vacation days + 3 Wellness days throughout the year, in addition to the public holidays.
• Boost your professional knowledge with our annual training budget & internal webinars.

Verve provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.