At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic finance team, ensuring high-quality reporting and effective controls.
- Company: Join Zurich, a forward-thinking company that values flexibility and inclusivity.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible working options, and a comprehensive benefits package.
- Other info: Embrace a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by driving team performance and delivering accurate financial insights.
- Qualifications: Finance experience and strong leadership skills are essential; ACCA/CIMA preferred.
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.
Many of our employees work flexibly in a variety of different ways, including part-time, flexible hours, job share, an element of working from home or compressed hours. This is because we want the best people for our roles, and we recognise that sometimes those people aren’t available full-time. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you may need.
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.
Benefits
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. You can find out more about our wide range of employee benefits on our website.
Our 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.
Reporting & Controls Finance Manager in Fareham employer: Zurich
At Zurich, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer, offering a flexible work culture that accommodates part-time, job-share, and hybrid working arrangements to suit diverse lifestyles. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through comprehensive benefits, including a generous pension scheme, annual bonuses, and opportunities for continuous learning, all within a supportive environment that values collaboration and accountability. Located in Fareham, our team thrives on delivering high-quality outputs while enjoying the unique advantages of a balanced work-life integration.
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 even in person. Let them know you're on the hunt for a Reporting & Controls Finance Manager role. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research the company and the role thoroughly. Think about how your skills in operational delivery and team leadership can shine through. Practice common interview questions and be ready to showcase your problem-solving abilities.
✨Tip Number 3
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way. It shows your enthusiasm for the role and keeps you fresh in their minds. Plus, it’s a great chance to reiterate why you’re the perfect fit for the team.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, you’ll find all the latest roles and updates there, so keep checking back!
We think you need these skills to ace Reporting & Controls Finance Manager in Fareham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight how your skills and experience align with the role of Reporting & Controls Finance Manager. We want to see how you can own it, accelerate it, and win it!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:Since this role involves leading a team, don’t forget to mention any relevant leadership experiences. Share examples of how you've driven performance and resolved issues in previous roles – we love a good success story!
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to see your key achievements and skills. Remember, clarity is key!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Zurich
✨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 prepared to discuss how you've ensured accuracy in past reports and how you handle discrepancies.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role involves leading a team, so be ready to share examples of how you've successfully managed teams in the past. Highlight your approach to performance management, coaching, and fostering a culture of accountability. Think about specific challenges you've faced and how you resolved them.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholder management is crucial in this position. Prepare to discuss how you've built effective relationships with stakeholders in previous roles. Think about how you communicate complex financial information clearly and how you ensure their needs are met.
✨Embrace Continuous Improvement
The job description emphasises continuous improvement, so come armed with examples of how you've identified inefficiencies and implemented changes. Be ready to discuss any tools or methodologies you've used to enhance processes and drive results.