Associate Finance Director (Controllership)

Cushman & Wakefield; Taguig; Hybrid; PHP 3,500,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Cushman & Wakefield is seeking an Associate Finance Director (Controllership) in the Philippines to lead financial reporting, tax, and governance for PH entities. You will drive controllership across service lines, coordinate audits, and advance digital finance initiatives with Power BI and AI tooling.

You will partner with regional teams, own planning processes, and deliver actionable insights to improve margins and cost efficiency while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; CPA certification required.
• Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or MBA preferred.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in finance, accounting, or audit, including controllership.
• Experience in shared services or multinational finance operations.
• Experience in financial planning; leading internal and external audits.
• Deep understanding of financial reporting standards, tax, and treasury operations.
• Proficiency with ERP systems (e.g., Workday).
• Advanced Excel and strong analytical capabilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; able to influence across functions.
• Strategic thinker with hands-on leadership in dynamic environments.

Responsibilities

• Prepare timely, accurate IFRS/local GAAP financial statements and management reports.
• Lead statutory tax compliance and treasury management for PH entities.
• Coordinate internal and external audits for clean outcomes and compliance.
• Oversee controllership across all PH service lines and cost allocations.
• Collaborate with APAC Finance to streamline regional reporting and costs.
• Review balance sheets and enforce corrective actions to maintain integrity.
• Drive digital finance transformation using Power BI and CoPilot AI.
• Lead change management to improve finance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Manage AOP process and present performance to leadership.
• Provide cross-functional business support and performance insights.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Financial analysis

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Communication

cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance

CPA certification

Master’s degree in Finance/Accounting/BA

Tools

Workday

Power BI

CoPilot AI

Job description

Job Title

Associate Finance Director (Controllership)

Job Description Summary

Job Description

Financial Reporting & Compliance

• Ensure timely and accurate preparation of financial statements and management reports in accordance with IFRS/local GAAP, regulatory requirements, and internal policies.
• Working knowledge of US GAAP, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), and SEC reporting requirements, including quarterly financial reporting, is required due to the company’s listing on the US Nasdaq.
• Lead statutory tax compliance and treasury management for Philippines entities.
• Coordinate internal and external audits to ensure clean audit outcomes and adherence to risk and compliance standards.

Controllership & Operational Support

• Provide controllership oversight across all service lines in the Philippines, including Local Business, Global Occupier Services (GOS), and Shared Services Center (SSC).
• Ensure proper cost allocation and recharging of global/regional hub expenses to relevant stakeholders.
• Partner with APAC Finance to streamline regional reporting and cost allocations.
• Conduct thorough balance sheet reviews and implement corrective actions to ensure financial integrity.
• Strengthen governance across fraud prevention, risk management, and compliance by enhancing internal controls, ensuring alignment with corporate financial policies and regulatory standards, and leading complex BIR tax audits through proactive engagement, thorough documentation, and coordination with legal and tax advisors.
• Lead digital finance transformation initiatives, including automation of reporting and forecasting using tools such as Power BI and CoPilot AI. Champion data governance and build analytics capabilities within the finance function.
• Drive change management initiatives to enhance efficiency and effectiveness within the finance function.

Business Partnering & Strategic Planning

• Provide administrative and operational oversight, along with cross-functional business support across multiple service lines and entities, including GOS and SSC.
• Lead the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) process in collaboration with local and regional business leaders.
• Conduct monthly and quarterly business reviews with the Country Head and Regional CEO, present financial performance, forecasts, and provide strategic recommendations to drive margin improvement and cost optimization.
• Monitor financial performance against budget, forecast, and KPIs; analyze variances and deliver actionable insights.
• Support shared services on performance metrics and SLA adherence.
• Co-lead cross-functional projects such as pricing strategy and procurement savings to drive operational efficiency.
• Support revenue recognition processes and educate stakeholders on compliance requirements.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop the finance team in the Philippines, fostering a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration and professional development within the team.

About You:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; CPA (Certified Public Accountant) certification recognized in the Philippines is required.
• Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business Administration is preferred.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in finance, accounting, or audit, including internal audit and controllership roles.
• Proven experience in managing finance operations in a shared services or multinational environment.
• Experience in financial planning is required; prior involvement in leading internal and external audits, including statutory and regulatory audits is preferred.
• Deep understanding of financial reporting standards, tax regulations, and treasury operations.
• Proficiency in financial systems and ERP platforms (e.g., Workday).
• Advanced Excel skills and strong analytical capabilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across functions and geographies.
• Strategic thinker with a hands-on approach and strong problem-solving skills.
• Highly adaptable and resilient in a dynamic business environment.
• Strong leadership qualities including integrity, decisiveness, emotional intelligence, and the ability to inspire and motivate teams.

Why join Cushman & Wakefield?

As one of the leading global real estate services firms transforming the way people work, shop and live working at Cushman & Wakefield means you will benefit from;

Being part of a growing global company;

Career development and a promote from within culture;

An organisation committed to Diversity and Inclusion

We're committed to providing work-life balance for our people in an inclusive, rewarding environment.

We achieve this by providing a flexible and agile work environment by focusing on technology and autonomy to help our people achieve their career ambitions. We focus on career progression and foster a promotion from within culture, leveraging global opportunities to ensure we retain our top talent. We encourage continuous learning and development opportunities to develop personal, professional and technical capabilities, and we reward with a comprehensive employee benefits program.

We have a vision of the future, where people simply belong.

That's why we support and celebrate inclusive causes, not just on days of recognition throughout the year, but every day. We embrace diversity across race, colour, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or persons with disabilities or protected veteran status.

We ensure DEI is part of our DNA as a global community - it means we go way beyond than just talking about it - we live it. If you want to live it too, join us.

INCO: “Cushman & Wakefield”