Finance Operations Manager

Howden Group Services Limited; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. The Finance Operations Manager role in Milton Keynes leads transactional finance services across Accounts Payable, Employee Expenses and Corporate Cards, driving automation and ensuring policy-compliant processing.

You will manage teams, partner with offshore providers, and deliver KPI-driven improvements across multiple entities and geographies, while upholding robust financial controls and audit readiness.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in Finance Operations, Accounts Payable or Shared Services.
• Experience leading finance operations teams.
• Strong understanding of AP controls and governance.
• Experience managing high-volume transactional environments.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• AAT, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent qualification.
• Experience with offshore or shared services operating models.
• Experience with ERP platforms (Unit4, SAP, Oracle, etc).

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end Accounts Payable operations.
• Oversee employee expense and corporate card programmes.
• Ensure invoices and payments meet SLAs.
• Drive automation and process improvements.
• Monitor KPIs and oversee offshore teams.

Skills

Accounts Payable

Finance Operations

Team Leadership

ERP systems

Advanced Excel

Education

Accounting qualification (AAT/ACCA/CIMA)

Tools

Unit4

Kanbina

Emburse

Concur

Coupa

SAP

Oracle

Job description

Who are we?

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Role – Finance Operations Manager

Location: Milton Keynes

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mind-set, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 100 countries. Our people are our biggest asset as well as our largest shareholder group and are everything that makes us unique; our inclusive culture, the quality service we offer our clients, and our continued growth, all come from our people-first approach. There’s no such thing as individual success. We all need to play our part, contributing our skills and experience to make a true difference. That’s Howden.

Why work at Howden?

We have always been employee-owned and driven by entrepreneurial spirit. Right from the beginning, we've focused on employing talented individuals and empowering them to make a real difference to the company, whilst building successful and fulfilling careers at the same time. Simply put, we hire talented specialists and give them what they need to make a difference for clients. Always have, always will. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down disappointed head-hunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work/life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

What is the role?

The Finance Operations Manager is responsible for delivering efficient, controlled and scalable transactional finance services across Accounts Payable, Employee Expenses and Corporate Cards. The role leads operational teams and outsourced service providers, ensuring supplier payments, expense claims and reconciliations are completed accurately, on time and in line with company policy. The successful candidate will drive automation, process improvement and service excellence across complex Finance Operations processes spanning multiple entities and geographies.

What will you be doing?

• Operational Leadership – Manage end-to-end Accounts Payable operations.
• Oversee employee expense and corporate card programmes.
• Ensure invoices, expenses and supplier payments are processed within agreed SLAs.
• Monitor operational performance against KPIs.
• Team Management – Lead, develop and coach Finance Operations team members.
• Engage with offshore teams for systems & matrix management.
• Build capability through training, performance management and continuous improvement.
• Controls & Compliance – Maintain robust financial controls and segregation of duties.
• Ensure compliance with company policy, audit requirements and regulatory obligations.
• Support internal and external audits by providing required documentation and insights.
• Supplier & Stakeholder Management – Act as escalation point for supplier and stakeholder queries.
• Develop strong relationships with Procurement, Treasury, Finance and business leaders.
• Drive supplier service improvements.
• Process Improvement – Lead automation initiatives including AP workflow and invoice processing technologies.
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual activity.
• Reporting & Analytics – Produce operational KPI reporting.
• Monitor processing volumes, cycle times, compliance metrics and ageing.
• Use data to identify improvement opportunities and capacity requirements.

What are we looking for?

Experience & Qualifications

Essential

• 5+ years' experience in Finance Operations, Accounts Payable or Shared Services.
• Experience leading finance operations teams.
• Strong understanding of AP controls and governance.
• Experience managing high-volume transactional environments.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• High attention to detail and accuracy
• Experience using ERP systems and finance technology platforms.

Desirable

• AAT, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent qualification.
• Experience of offshore or shared services operating models.
• Experience with Unit4, Kanbina, Emburse, Concur, Coupa, SAP, Oracle or similar platforms.
• Experience leading transformation or automation programmes.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. Our business succeeds by allowing our people to make a mark in the areas they care about most: personal development, volunteering, and fundraising for charity, or creating new insurance products that address society’s greatest challenges. And we know that separate home and work lives don’t really exist. If you\'re happy and healthy at home, you\'re more likely to be happy and fulfilled at work – and vice versa. That\'s why we do our best to support our people in every aspect of their lives.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Howden we value diversity - there is no one Howden ‘personality type’. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us: Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new We support each other, in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges We are determined to make a positive difference, at work and beyond We consider our people our chief competitive advantage and as such we treat colleagues, candidates, clients, and business partners with equality, fairness, and respect – regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or family circumstances.

Our sustainability promise

We’re on a life-long journey to become an ever-more sustainable group. It\'s a commitment to taking care of our people and the world we live in, to doing good business, and to making a positive impact wherever we can. Our governance processes, company policies, and review systems are all geared towards our goal of making a positive impact in the world. You can read more about our sustainability work here.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us: Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We\'re committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours or hybrid working. If you\'re excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.
Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.

Permanent

Howden began in 1994, as just three people and a dog. Now there are 23,000 of us, and we're a leading global insurance group, managing $37bn of premiums for our clients. Our largest shareholder group is us – the people who work in the business – supported by three long-term, minority growth-equity partners who share our vision to build a business to last, one that will never be sold. The owner's mindset is something that's embedded in our culture; our people readily take ownership of their decisions, their actions, and their outputs. They’re invested in every sense. And we all know that by working together to drive the business forward, everyone will benefit from the extraordinary results we can achieve.