Senior Finance Manager
Wood · Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom · hybrid
Wood has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Finance Manager to join its Regional Finance Team on a permanent basis. Reporting to the Financial Controller for UK & Europe, this role is a key member of the Regional Financial Controller Team, playing an important part in supporting financial governance, reporting, and business performance across the region.
This position is based in Reading and operates on a hybrid working arrangement, with attendance in the office required three days per week.
The Role
The Senior Finance Manager is responsible for ensuring compliance with external financial reporting requirements and maintaining strong financial governance across the region. The role provides stewardship of the regional balance sheet, overseeing multiple legal entities and complex finance activities across the UK.
You will lead and develop high-performing finance teams, while ensuring the accurate and timely delivery of statutory, monthly, and quarterly reporting. The role also supports regional forecasting and budgeting processes, providing financial insight that drives business performance and decision-making.
In addition, you will maintain accountability for internal controls and governance, while playing a key role in the ongoing transformation of the finance operating model through process improvement, greater cross-functional integration, and operational efficiencies.
Our Clients and Projects
Designing the future. Transforming the world.
Wood delivers solutions across more than 60 countries with local offices covering all major energy and materials hubs globally.
For more than 160 years, we have partnered with clients to deliver engineering, advisory and operational solutions to some of the world’s most complex and critical challenges in energy and materials.
What we can offer:
- Meaningful and interesting projects we support green hydrogen and fuel switching, as well as supporting local clients with energy transition
- Flexible working arrangements that balance client, team and individual needs offering hybrid working arrangements
- Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion; we are an organisation actively committed to diversity and inclusion across our business with employee networks committed to giving all employees a voice
- Competitive salary with regular salary reviews to ensure we are rewarding at the right level in line with the market
- Flexible benefits package; inclusive of 33 days annual leave (including public holidays), generous contributory pension scheme, private medical cover, 4x base salary life insurance; all of these and more that can be adapted to suit your own lifestyle
- Commitment to continued professional development; development plans that are tailored to your individual needs and interests
- Global connections; join experts around the world who are at the leading edge of our industry, shaping the standards of our profession
Key objectives for this role are:
- Lead UK controllership activities, ensuring strong financial governance, compliance, and stewardship across all legal entities
- Drive implementation of the UK finance operating model, enhancing collaboration across finance functions
- Oversee the preparation and delivery of statutory accounts, ensuring compliance with IFRS, UK GAAP, and regulatory requirements
- Ensure accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting across the UK.
- Own and maintain the UK financial governance framework, controls, reporting, and finance systems
- Develop and lead a high-performing finance team through coaching, succession planning, and capability building
- Support budgeting, forecasting, and long-term planning, providing challenge and insight to improve financial accuracy
- Partner with the Regional Financial Controller to deliver strategic priorities, strengthen governance, and improve business performance
- Act as the key liaison with Group Tax and Treasury teams, providing financial information and resolving queries
- Lead finance-related systems initiatives and oversee support for global ERP platforms
- Deliver financial insights on country costs, identifying opportunities to improve profitability, cash flow, and operational performance
- Own month-end close activities, balance sheet stewardship, working capital management, cash flow forecasting, and entity result consolidation
Skills And Qualifications
What makes you remarkable?
At Wood, we are committed to equal opportunities and welcome all talented individuals to consider joining our team. So even if you don't match every statement below but feel you have some of the experience, knowledge or skills needed for this role, we encourage you to apply. It will take all of us working together to deliver solutions to the world’s most critical challenges.
Expected:
- Professionally qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CPA, or equivalent) with a strong foundation in accounting, finance, and financial reporting
- Experienced in financial controllership, statutory reporting, technical accounting, and corporate governance
- Proven ability to manage external audit processes and build effective relationships with Big Four auditors and senior stakeholders
- Experience operating within complex, multinational, matrix organisations, with the ability to influence and collaborate across diverse stakeholder groups
- Strong leadership skills with a track record of developing high-performing teams and leading business and finance transformation initiatives
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities, with a focus on driving continuous improvement
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to engage and challenge at senior leadership level
- Experience leading change in fast-paced, evolving environments while maintaining strong financial controls and operational excellence