Financial Reporting Manager

Job Purpose

The Financial Reporting Manager is critical in ensuring the integrity of financial information, supporting strategic decision-making, and maintaining strong internal controls. This role leads the preparation of accurate, timely and compliant financial statements and additional external reporting requirements and ensures adherence to all Higher Education specific financial reporting requirements.

This role partners with senior stakeholders across Finance and the wider business, and drives continuous improvement in financial reporting systems, processes, and controls.

• Lead the preparation of annual consolidated financial statements, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with UK GAAP and US GAAP as applicable.
• Oversee the production of statutory accounts for all legal entities within the group, ensuring timely submission and adherence to local regulatory requirements.
• Ensure all reporting complies within internal accounting policies, external regulations, and evolving financial reporting standards.
• Monitor and implement changes in accounting standards, assessing their impact and ensuring timely adoption.
• Provide insight-driven financial reporting that supports strategic decision-making.

• Manage the year-end audit process, acting as the primary point of contact for external auditors.
• Coordinate the preparation of audit documentation, ensuring timely responses to audit queries and resolution of issues.
• Responsible for the preparation and presentation of papers for Audit & Risk Committee, Finance Committee, Court and subsidiary Board meetings.

• Lead the assessment and implementation of complex accounting treatments for M&A, restructurings, financing arrangements, and other strategic transactions.
• Provide authoritative guidance on emerging accounting standards, proactively assessing business impact and leading change management initiatives.
• Oversee the preparation of technical accounting papers for internal governance and external audit reviews.

• Champion a strong financial control environment, ensuring robust governance over reporting processes, data integrity, and compliance with internal and external standards.
• Drive continuous improvement in risk management practices related to financial reporting and disclosure.
• Challenge key financial controls such as balance sheet reconciliations to ensure accuracy and issues are identified immediately.

• Drive innovation in reporting processes, leveraging technology to enhance speed, accuracy, and strategic value.
• Lead financial reporting system initiatives, including contribution to the implementation of the treasury function in the new Finance system (Project Sierra).

• Lead, inspire and develop a team of financial reporting professionals, providing coaching, performance feedback, and development opportunities.
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, accountability and continuous learning.
• Support succession planning and talent development within the financial reporting team.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing across financial reporting, tax, treasury and commercial teams.

Essential:

• A1 CA/ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified with post qualifying experience commensurate to this level of role within a specialized financial reporting function.
• A2 Able to demonstrate the necessary strategic competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary professional knowledge and leadership experience in a similar or number of different roles OR:
  Ordinary/Honours Degree (SCQF Level 9, 10 or 11) or equivalent.
• A3 Highly developed knowledge of the effective design and operational dynamics of a complex multi-national Financial Reporting team.

Desirable:

• B1 Working knowledge of Agresso accounting system.

Essential:

• C1 High level influencing and interpersonal skills, able to quickly build credibility and deliver impact at all levels.
• C2 Strategic thinker, ability to develop strategy and policy and implement effectively.
• C3 Ability to drive forward and deliver change in line with strategic and operational objectives and priorities.
• C4 Resilient and able to effectively deal with ambiguity and able to maintain momentum in the face of obstacles/setbacks.
• C5 Strong commercial awareness with a clear understanding of key business drivers and the ability to quickly understand the strategic corporate agenda in order to work effectively in partnership with senior managers.
• C6 Well-developed report writing and presentation skills with the ability to present and translate comprehensive and often complex information and financial concepts for non-financial colleagues.
• C7 Outstanding and proven analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to…