Head of Financial Control

Location: London

Status: permanent

Reports to: Deputy Chief Financial Officer

Job purpose:  The Head of Financial Control is responsible for leading the Foundation’s end to end Statutory Reporting, Management Reporting, and Financial Control activities across all operating countries and at the consolidated group level. This role will oversee the month end close, yearly audit processes, and ensure all statutory, regulatory, and internal reporting requirements are delivered accurately and on schedule.

The role manages a team of accountants and financial controllers across multiple geographies, ensuring that financial controls are robust, reporting is consistent and compliant, and that the Group’s financial position is clearly and reliably communicated. A core priority is to optimise, standardise, and automate financial control processes to strengthen governance, enhance accuracy, and support timely delivery. The role will also define and monitor SLAs to ensure a consistent, high quality service across the Foundation.

Principal accountabilities:

Leadership & Governance

• Lead and develop the Financial Control teams across all countries, fostering a culture of accountability, technical excellence, and continual improvement.
• Provide strategic leadership for the Group’s financial control framework, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Act as the primary contact for external auditors, regulatory bodies, and internal stakeholders on all matters relating to financial control and statutory reporting.

Statutory Reporting

• Oversee the preparation and submission of all statutory accounts for the Foundation across all jurisdictions.
• Manage group level consolidation and the production of consolidated financial statements in accordance with applicable accounting standards.
• Ensure all statutory filings are completed accurately, in full, and in line with regulatory deadlines.

Management Reporting

• Own the month end close process, ensuring a controlled, timely, and accurate close across all business units and geographies.
• Produce high quality monthly and quarterly management reporting packs, ensuring financial performance is presented clearly, accurately, and with appropriate insight.
  Drive consistency in reporting standards, templates, and methodologies across all countries.

Audit & Compliance

• Lead the annual external audit process, ensuring timely preparation of audit schedules, coordination with auditors, and resolution of queries.
• Maintain a strong internal control environment, ensuring policies, procedures, and reconciliations are adhered to across all jurisdictions.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant accounting, legal, regulatory, and internal governance requirements.

Process Optimisation & Automation

• Identify, design, and deliver process improvements to enhance control, reduce risk, and improve reporting accuracy and speed.
• Drive automation and system optimisation across financial control processes, collaborating closely with technology and systems teams.
• Standardise workflows, documentation, and control processes across countries to ensure consistency and operational efficiency.

Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with Finance Operations, FP&A, Tax, Treasury, and other internal functions to ensure cohesive financial reporting and alignment with organisational priorities.
• Provide financial insights and technical accounting guidance to senior leadership, country teams, and project teams.
• Support strategic initiatives through accurate, timely financial information and strong financial governance.

Service-Level & Performance Management

• Develop, monitor, and continually improve SLAs and KPIs for Financial Control activities.
• Ensure all tasks—month end, quarter end, annual reporting, statutory filings—are delivered accurately and on schedule.
• Monitor and communicate performance metrics and control exceptions, driving accountability across the team.

Qualifications, Knowledge & Experience:

Qualifications

Fully qualified accountant (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
University degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related discipline preferred.

Knowledge & Experience

• Significant experience in Financial Control leadership roles, including managing statutory and management reporting in a multi entity or multi country environment.
• Strong technical accounting expertise, ideally with experience in IFRS accounting frameworks.
• Proven experience managing group consolidation processes and complex audits.
• Demonstrated success in improving, automating, and standardising financial processes.
• Experience leading geographically dispersed teams and working in a multinational or foundation/non profit environment (advantageous).
• Strong understanding of internal controls, risk management, and financial compliance frameworks.
• Experience with ERP and consolidation systems (e.g. Microsoft Business Central).

Skills & Attributes

• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to coach and develop high performance teams.
• High technical competence with exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to interpret complex financial information.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present clearly to senior stakeholders and non finance audiences.
• Highly organised, deadline driven, and able to manage multiple competing priorities.
• Proactive, solutions focused mindset with a strong drive for continuous improvement.
• High integrity, sound judgement, and a commitment to strong financial governance.
• Ability to work effectively across cultures, countries, and diverse teams.

Application closing date: 30th June 2026

Please note that while we have a closing date for this application, we reserve the right to interview candidates and potentially close the role early should we find a suitable candidate.

 

About us

At the IFRS Foundation, we believe better information leads to better decisions. We set financial reporting standards that enable companies to meet the evolving information needs of the global capital markets. United by our purpose to foster trust, growth and long-term financial stability in the global economy, we engage in challenging, meaningful work every day—across all our areas of expertise.

If you share our passion for this mission, we want to hear from you.

Diverse perspectives. International expertise.

Working for our global organisation offers many benefits, including:

• rewarding work that serves the public interest;
• engagement with diverse international experts;
• inclusive and collaborative teams;
• intellectually challenging projects;
• flexible working arrangements;
• numerous areas of specialisation; and
• opportunities for professional growth and development.

Diversity and inclusion are seen as key strengths of our organisation. These qualities are essential for us to engage with and meet the needs of our varied global stakeholders, and they are part of what makes the IFRS Foundation a great place to work.

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