Director of Financial Control for UK&I

Dentsu; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A global marketing and communications company is seeking a Director of Financial Control in London. This permanent role will lead financial reporting, audit coordination, and technical accounting. The ideal candidate will be a qualified accountant with strong leadership skills and operational finance experience. The position offers a competitive salary and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Tailored benefits package

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualification experience required.
• Experience in managing cross-functional teams and driving policy compliance.
• Operational finance experience including ERP system implementation.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial reporting, ensuring timely delivery of all reports.
• Manage a team overseeing balance sheet integrity and operational oversight.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls and audit standards.

Skills

Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or equivalent)

Proven leadership in financial control and audit management

Strong technical accounting knowledge (IFRS, UK GAAP)

Strong analytical skills

Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills

Education

Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or equivalent)

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Overview

Dentsu is an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world's leading organizations. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, and now present in over 145 countries and regions, it has a proven track record of nurturing and developing innovations, combining the talents of its global network of leadership brands to develop impactful and integrated growth solutions for clients. Dentsu delivers end-to-end experience transformation (EX) by integrating its services across Media, CXM and Creative, while its business transformation (BX) mindset pushes the boundaries of transformation and sustainable growth for brands, people and society.

Purpose of the Role

Reporting directly to the UK&I CFO, the UK&I Director of Financial Control is a strategic finance leader responsible for ensuring the integrity of all financial reporting. They lead financial control excellence, audit coordination, and technical accounting, while driving transformation and influencing Group-wide financial strategy through robust governance and reporting.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Reporting

• Lead timely delivery of all financial reports (monthly, quarterly, annual, ad-hoc) in line with Group calendar.
• Partner with FP&A, Commercial Finance, and other teams to ensure accurate close, compliance with policies, and efficient processes.
• Support M&A, ESG disclosures, and entity rationalisation, ensuring alignment with Group policies and sustainability requirements.

Balance Sheet Ownership and Integrity

• Ensure robustness of the UK&I balance sheet, highlighting risks and opportunities to CFO.
• Drive improvements in reconciliations and proactively manage aged balances with offshore teams.
• Partner with FP&A and Operational Finance on NWC and cash forecasting.

Policy Compliance and Control Framework

• Champion strong internal controls, best-practice sharing, and compliance with Group financial policies and ICF.
• Ensure JSOX compliance, remediate deficiencies, and support the Risk Register.
• Monitor Controllership KPIs, embedding continuous improvement from audits and risk reviews.

Audit and Assurance

• Lead UK&I relationships with external auditors and Group Internal Audit, ensuring timely statutory accounts and filings.
• Drive remediation of audit findings, negotiate fees, and minimise control issues through proactive risk management.
• Foster a culture of robust controls and continuous improvement in audit readiness.

Technical Accounting Leadership

• Oversee adoption of new accounting standards and consistent application of IFRS across entities.
• Lead revenue recognition (including complex and intercompany arrangements) and transfer pricing compliance.
• Direct intercompany accounting, reconciliations, and elimination processes in line with policies and audit standards.

Operational Oversight and Team Management

• Manage a team of 25 FTE across Controllership, Tax, Treasury, and Client Accounting.
• Ensure accurate revenue recognition, VAT compliance, treasury policies, and tax governance frameworks.
• Collaborate with IT and Group Finance to optimise ERP and consolidation systems for reporting and control.

Qualifications + Skills

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or equivalent) with significant post-qualification experience.
• Proven leadership in financial control and audit management.
• Finance team transformation experience and ability to drive continuous improvement and efficiency
• Strong technical accounting knowledge (IFRS, UK GAAP).
• Experience obtained from Big 4 practice highly desirable, in order to understand audit approaches and challenges.
• Operational finance experience (including ERP system implementation)
• Experience in managing cross-functional teams and driving policy compliance.
• Strong analytical skills, with a proactive and investigative mindset.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

What we offer

• This is a permanent role.
• The team is based in our London office but operates under flexible working arrangements.
• As well as a competitive salary, you\'ll enjoy a benefits package that you can tailor to your needs.

Inclusion and Diversity

At Dentsu, we embrace diversity and inclusion, valuing the unique perspectives and contributions of every individual. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and innovation, benefiting our employees, partners, and communities.

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic. Beyond recruitment, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

We recognize the importance of work-life balance and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for all roles. If you need reasonable adjustments due to a disability or medical condition during our recruitment process, please contact us at [e-mail], quoting the reference number of the role that you are applying for. Your needs will be handled with respect and confidentiality to ensure an inclusive and accessible experience.

#LI-Hybrid

Location: London

Brand: Dentsu

Time Type: Full time

Contract Type: Permanent