Finance Operations Lead — Transformation & Controls

The Crown Estate; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Pension

Flexible working

Family policies

Private healthcare

Life cover

28 days holiday

Job summary

The Crown Estate invites an experienced finance operations leader to Head Finance Operations, delivering accurate, timely services across complex portfolios. You will shape a modern, digitally enabled function, drive new systems adoption and strengthen controls.

You will lead and develop teams, balance strategic priorities with hands-on leadership, and partner with Finance, Procurement and external stakeholders to achieve operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in Finance Operations or large-scale shared services.
• Proven ability to lead multiple transactional finance functions during change and transformation.
• Strong service charge accounting experience and related processes.
• Experience managing outsourced providers or third-party partners.
• Solid understanding of financial controls, risk management, and fraud prevention.
• Experience delivering process improvements, digitisation, and automation.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of Finance Operations with accuracy, timeliness, resilience and strong service levels.
• Drive governance, controls and service quality across transactional finance.
• Coach and develop managers to build capability and succession.
• Champion standardisation, automation and continuous improvement in processes.
• Collaborate with Finance Transformation and Digital teams on new systems and benefits realization.
• Use data and insights to identify risks and improve performance.
• Maintain strong control environment including fraud prevention and reconciliations.
• Oversee billing, collections, supplier payments, expenses and client money stewardship.
• Manage relationships with outsourced providers and external partners to ensure performance.
• Provide concise reporting and recommendations to senior stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Operational finance

Accounts receivable

Accounts payable

Service charge accounting

Governance & controls

Outsourced partnerships

Process improvement

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Hands-on leadership

Resilience

Education

Professional accounting qualifications (advantageous)

Job description

The Crown Estate invites an experienced finance operations leader to Head Finance Operations, delivering accurate, timely services across complex portfolios. You will shape a modern, digitally enabled function, drive new systems adoption and strengthen controls.

You will lead and develop teams, balance strategic priorities with hands-on leadership, and partner with Finance, Procurement and external stakeholders to achieve operational excellence.