Head of Technical Accounting & Entity Structure in Aberdeen

Wood has an exciting opportunity for a Head of Technical Accounting & entity structure to join Group Finance Function on a permanent basis. The role acts as the Group’s subject matter expert on complex technical accounting matters and is responsible for the review, optimisation and governance of the Group’s legal entity and intercompany financing structures. This position will be based in the UK, and we encourage applications from colleagues within the region.

The Role

You will be accountable for ensuring that the Group’s entity structure, capitalisation and intercompany arrangements are appropriately designed, technically sound, tax‑efficient and compliant with IFRS, local statutory requirements and internal governance policies. This includes leading and/or reviewing entity goodwill impairment assessments, balance sheet recapitalisations and entity restructurings and reductions. Working closely with the entity reduction programme, Group Treasury and Group Tax, the role provides technical accounting leadership to support simplification, cost reduction and balance sheet optimisation initiatives, while safeguarding reporting integrity and audit robustness. You will play a lead role in simplifying the Group’s entity structure and ensuring the financing activities are correctly reflected in the Group’s financial statements and statutory accounts. The role exercises significant influence over the Group’s technical accounting positions, legal entity architecture and intercompany financing design, providing authoritative recommendations on complex accounting matters and structural decisions, within the framework of IFRS, statutory requirements and Group governance, and materially influences balance sheet outcomes and audit conclusions.

Responsibilities

• Technical Accounting and IFRS Expertise
  • Act as the Group technical accounting SME for complex and judgemental accounting areas, including business combinations, goodwill and impairment, capital structure changes, intragroup funding and restructurings.
  • Prepare and review formal technical accounting papers to support significant accounting judgements and conclusions under IFRS.
  • Provide authoritative advice to Group Finance, regional finance teams and senior leadership on new and emerging accounting standards and their impact on the Group.
  • Develop and lead training programmes for key accounting topics within Wood Group for key areas of accounting, e.g. IFRS 15 Revenue recognition.
• Group Entity Structure & Architecture
  • Review and assess the appropriateness of the Group’s legal entity structure, identifying opportunities for simplification, rationalisation and risk reduction.
  • Partner with stakeholders to lead planned liquidations, mergers, migrations and other corporate restructurings, ensuring accounting impacts are fully assessed and executed.
  • Oversee accounting considerations arising from entity disposals, wind‑ups and reorganisations, including reserves, foreign currency translation and loss recognition.
• Intercompany Financing & Capital Structure
  • Review and optimise intercompany financing arrangements in collaboration with Group Treasury and Group Tax, ensuring structures are clearly documented, defensible and compliant with IFRS and transfer pricing principles.
  • Partner with Tax, Treasury and Legal/Corporate Governance to design controls to ensure intercompany funding structures have appropriate approvals/governance.
  • Assess accounting implications of intragroup loans, cash pooling, guarantees and funding instruments, including classification, measurement and disclosure.
  • Support the design and execution of recapitalisations, refinancing and other balance sheet optimisation initiatives at entity and Group level.
  • Lead for developing Parent company guarantee (PCG’s) process and policy ensuring suitable PCG entities within the Group and regional structure.
• Audit, Governance & Controls
  • Act as a key technical contact for external auditors on complex accounting matters relating to restructurings, intercompany arrangements and impairments.
  • Ensure strong governance, controls and documentation over technical accounting judgements and structural changes.
  • Support Board reporting on significant accounting matters, entity restructuring activity and balance sheet risks.
• Stakeholder Collaboration
  • Work closely with Group Treasury on funding structures, covenant considerations and capital planning.
  • Partner with Group Tax to ensure alignment between legal entity architecture, tax strategy and accounting outcomes.
  • Collaborate with Legal, external advisers and regional finance teams to ensure coordinated execution of structural changes.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified.
• Professionally qualified accountant (e.g. ICAEW, ICAS, ACCA, CPA).
• Significant experience in technical accounting within a large, complex multinational group or professional services environment.
• Deep technical knowledge of IFRS, particularly business combinations, impairments, group restructuring and intragroup financing.
• Proven experience supporting or leading legal entity rationalisation and balance sheet optimisation projects.
• Strong understanding of intercompany financing, capital structures and treasury‑related accounting issues.
• Experience preparing high‑quality technical accounting papers and engaging with external auditors.
• Ability to work effectively across finance, tax, treasury and legal functions.

Personal attributes:

• Highly analytical with strong professional judgement and attention to detail.
• Credible technical adviser, confident challenging assumptions and articulating conclusions clearly.
• Proactive, resilient and comfortable operating in complex, ambiguous environments.
• Strong collaborator with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Committed to maintaining high standards of governance, control and financial reporting integrity.
• Excellent communicator with the ability to articulate messaging clearly.
• Role model for Wood’s values and behaviours.