Group Financial Controller (12818)

Investec; City Of London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent financial institution in London seeks a Financial Controller to oversee financial reporting and enhance governance. The ideal candidate will be a fully qualified accountant with experience in IFRS and regulatory reporting within financial services. This role demands strategic thinking, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to team development. The position promotes a culture of integrity and collaboration, offering competitive benefits.

Benefits

Pension

Private Medical Cover

Gym Discounts

Annual Leave

Qualifications

• Proven track record as a senior finance leader in a listed financial services institution.
• Significant experience with IFRS, statutory and regulatory reporting.
• Experience working with multi-jurisdictional finance teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the preparation of accurate consolidated financial statements.
• Oversee technical accounting treatment on transactions and new products.
• Support the CFO in strategic financial management.

Skills

Technical accounting expertise

Influencing skills

Stakeholder management

Analytical and problem-solving skills

Education

Fully qualified accountant (ACA or equivalent)

Tools

Financial control systems

Job description

The Financial Controller is a senior finance leader responsible for ensuring the integrity, accuracy, and timeliness of the bank's financial information across all operating jurisdictions. This role is ideal for someone passionate about driving business forward through collaboration and strong relationships. You'll work closely with stakeholders, influencing strategy and supporting positive change. Attention to detail and a deep understanding of financial performance, capital, funding, and credit are essential. You'll oversee statutory and regulatory reporting, financial controls, accounting policies, and operations-acting as a key guardian of financial stewardship. Your leadership will help deliver a multi-year Finance Transformation programme, including system upgrades and process automation. Working alongside the CFO and other finance leaders, you'll foster a culture of high performance, fairness, and support, helping teams grow and succeed together. This role values technical expertise, strong governance, and operational leadership, but also prioritizes collaboration, adaptability, and a commitment to developing others. You'll work across business lines, technology, risk, and external partners, making a positive impact in an inclusive and inspiring environment.

Financial Reporting & Statutory Compliance

• Lead the preparation and delivery of accurate, timely, and compliant consolidated financial statements for the listed Group.
• Ensure adherence to IFRS, UK GAAP (where applicable), Companies Act, and local regulatory requirements across all geographies.
• Oversee month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close processes, embedding discipline, high-quality controls, and consistent application of accounting policies.
• Optimise the legal entity structure of PLC and maintain an accurate list of all legal entities.
• Liaise with Group Finance SA and other Investec plc accounting teams to ensure compliance with Group Finance timetables and standards.
• Manage external audit relationships and fees, ensuring efficient audit cycles and high-quality documentation.

Regulatory Reporting Oversight

• Provide oversight for relevant PRA, FCA, and other regulatory reporting obligations.
• Ensure local regulatory teams across all jurisdictions apply firm-wide controls and standards.
• Collaborate with risk and regulatory teams to align prudential reporting with supervisory expectations.

Accounting

• Oversee technical accounting treatment on transactions, new products, and changes in accounting policy.
• Liaise with the Group Technical accounting team to ensure consistent application of Group accounting policies.
• Manage consolidation accounting and intercompany reconciliation processes.
• Work with the Tax team to ensure appropriate tax accounting.
• Collaborate with risk and regulatory teams to align financial and regulatory information.
• Liaise with Credit Risk and Reporting teams for timely review of IFRS9 Expected Credit Losses.

Governance, Controls & UK Corporate Governance Code Compliance

• Oversee the maintenance and continuous enhancement of the financial control environment, including finance frameworks, risk registers, reconciliations, and finance policies.
• Ensure alignment with the UK Corporate Governance Code, including clear articulation of finance requirements, target operating model design, strong programme governance, risk management, and quality assurance.
• Drive finance process optimisation, automation, and standardisation across locations.
• Ensure data quality, data governance, and controls uplift as part of transformation.
• Partner with technology, Operations, Risk, and external vendors to deliver programmes on time and within budget.

Strategic Finance Leadership

• Support the CFO in strategic financial management, providing insight on performance, risk, control matters, and operational finance capability.
• Contribute to capital, liquidity, and balance sheet strategy via high-quality financial insights and scenario analysis.
• Shape the bank's long‑term finance systems architecture, data strategy, and control model.
• Participate as a member of various committees as required.

Team Leadership and Stakeholder Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop high‑performing teams and direct reports.
• Foster a culture of integrity, accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement across Finance.
• Act as a senior liaison to Audit Committee, Executive Committee members, the Board, external auditors, regulators, and internal audit, ensuring timely, accurate, and clean statutory and regulatory submissions.
• Strengthened financial control environment with high audit assurance and improved audit efficiencies.
• Successful on‑time and on‑budget implementation of the new general ledger and related transformation programmes.
• Improved efficiency and standardisation of finance processes across the UK Group.
• Strong engagement and confidence from the CFO, Audit Committee, regulators, and executive directors.

Key Qualifications

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA or equivalent).
• Additional certifications in governance, risk, or controls are beneficial.
• Proven track record as a senior finance leader (Financial Controller or Deputy FC) in a listed financial services institution.
• Significant experience with IFRS, statutory and regulatory reporting for complex financial services groups.
• Demonstrated expertise operating within a UK Corporate Governance Code environment.
• Prior leadership of major finance transformation initiatives, including GL implementation or large‑scale system replacements.
• Experience working with multi‑jurisdictional finance teams and cross‑border regulatory environments.

Competencies

• Strong technical accounting and financial control expertise.
• Strategic thinking and commercial acumen.
• Ability to influence at the strategic level.
• Excellent understanding of banking products, capital and liquidity drivers, and regulatory frameworks.
• Ability to lead complex programmes and work collaboratively with technology and operational teams.
• Exceptional communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• High integrity, sound judgement, and strong analytical and problem‑solving capability.

Investec offers a range of wellbeing benefits to make our people feel healthier, balanced and more fulfilled in their lives inside and outside of work. Embedded in our culture is a sense of belonging and inclusion. This creates an environment in which everyone is free to be themselves which helps to drive innovation, creativity and ultimately business performance. At Investec we want everyone to find it easy to be themselves, and to feel they belong. It's a responsibility we all share and is integral to our purpose and values as an organisation.

Benefits

• Pension
• Private Medical Cover
• Virtual GP
• Gym Discounts
• Psychologist Service
• Annual Leave
• Life Assurance
• Loading