Financial Services Manager

Job Purpose

To lead and develop a high-performing financial services team by providing expert coaching, mentoring, and knowledge sharing in core financial practices. The role is accountable for managing team performance, ensuring compliance with financial regulations and internal controls, and delivering high-quality financial services within agreed timelines and standards. The Financial Services Manager will drive continuous improvement, embed a culture of operational excellence and risk awareness, and foster an inclusive, customer-focused environment aligned with the organisation’s values.

Key Responsibilities Summary

•    Train, coach, and mentor team members in financial operations, ensuring structured knowledge transfer and capability building.
•    Manage individual and team performance, identifying development opportunities and promoting a collaborative, high-performing culture.
•    Ensure compliance with financial governance, risk management, and internal control frameworks.
•    Take ownership of service delivery across financial processes, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and adherence to internal and external standards.
•    Identify and implement process improvements and innovations to enhance financial efficiency and service quality.
•    Lead and manage key financial systems and processes, ensuring data integrity and operational effectiveness.
•    Deliver financial projects and objectives safely, on time, and within budget, with a strong focus on customer and stakeholder needs.
•    Promote a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement through effective performance metrics.
•    Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including auditors, regulators, and business partners.
•    Champion diversity and inclusion, creating a respectful and supportive team environment.

Key Responsibilities

Responsible for a timely monthly close across Financial Services, ensuring accurate completion within agreed timetables & SLAs. 
•    Managing relationships with several stakeholders, developing positive relationships, ensuring that service and process objectives are agreed, and that performance is managed effectively to a high standard
•    Development and management of end to end processes, providing an excellent customer experience.
•    Development, management and maintenance of effective and aligned policies, processes and SOPs, providing a high-quality user experience whilst balancing operational effectiveness and control.
•    Drive and support the delivery of change across Finance and the business, role-modelling new ways of working and owning the delivery of key outcomes to drive the improvement of long-term business capability.
•    Responsible for the delivery of internal and external audits requirements.  Including liaising with Financial reporting team on audit deliverables timeframes and dealing with additional queries from external audit provider.
•    Holds Delegation of Authority for payment & customer refunds & approver of key processes with the team
•    Responsible for ensuring BCM Testing is carried out on a period basis, providing review and Sign off.  Includes understanding & management of full BCM plans within area of responsibility 
•    Manage team’s performance on a regular basis and address performance issues where applicable
•    Drive & report on KPIs to Head of Financial Services, escalating any issues as required. 
•    Proactively build own knowledge of RIIO and its associated impact on the industry and the business in order to support key decisions
•    Genuinely values others input and ideas and challenges siloes or siloed thinking 
•    Identifies and focuses on things that matter most to stakeholders
•    Positions self clearly as leader: Walks the talk – does what they encourage others to do

Skills and Experience

Qualifications 

Role requires fully qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, ACA) or equivalent professional experience

Practical Experience 

•    Reporting financial information 
•    Accounting and reporting pronouncement 
•    Governance, risk & internal control frameworks
•    Transaction and close process management
•    Business acumen
•    Customer focus
•    Stakeholder management