Group Head of Financial Control

Are you a senior finance leader who cares deeply about integrity, governance and clarity? Do you thrive in complex environments where financial accuracy, judgement and transparency matter at every level? As Group Head of Financial Control, you will shape how financial control, reporting and governance operate across the Group. You will bring clarity to complexity, ensure financial information is decision ready, and help create confidence in the Group's financial position. Working closely with executive leadership, the Audit Committee and senior stakeholders, you will play a pivotal role in safeguarding the Group's financial environment while shaping how it evolves through finance transformation and ERP change. Purpose of the role The Group Head of Financial Control provides enterprise wide leadership for financial integrity, governance and reporting. The role is accountable for setting direction and ensuring delivery of effective accounting, reporting, tax, treasury and internal control frameworks that support executive decision making, audit outcomes and responsible stewardship of the Group's financial environment. Spanning the full finance lifecycle, from transaction processing through to Audit Committee engagement, the role champions simplification, control discipline and data quality, and leads key Financial Control contributions to Finance Transformation and ERP implementation. What you will do Financial control and reporting

• Provide Group wide leadership for Financial Control, covering accounting, financial reporting, technical accounting, tax, treasury, sustainability reporting and internal controls.
• Be accountable for the integrity, accuracy and completeness of the Group general ledger, profit and loss account and balance sheet.
• Oversee disciplined close execution supported by KPIs, control evidence and clear ownership.
• Ensure delivery of accurate, timely and high quality group, statutory and external reporting, including consolidation and disclosures.
Governance, judgement and assurance
• Act under delegated authority from the Group Finance Director for financial control matters, including approval of accounting positions, key judgements and close outputs.
• Recommend Group and statutory financial statements for Executive and Audit Committee consideration.
• Act as policy owner for Group accounting standards, leading judgement on complex or non-routine transactions and ensuring consistent application across all entities and joint ventures.
• Own the Group internal control framework aligned to enterprise risk, including segregation of duties, testing, remediation and audit readiness.
• Lead internal, joint venture and Group audits end to end, maintaining senior auditor relationships and driving reliable outcomes.
• Chair and contribute to financial governance forums, setting expectations for control discipline, early issue escalation and transparency.
Sustainability, tax and treasury oversight
• Provide senior oversight of sustainability reporting in partnership with specialist teams and non-financial data owners, ensuring disclosures are well governed, aligned with financial reporting and regulatory requirements, and supported by effective controls and data quality.
• Provide strategic oversight of tax across all taxes, with a particular focus on VAT compliance, risk management and technical guidance.
• Provide executive oversight of treasury activities, including liquidity, cash management, forecasting and contractual compliance.
Leadership and transformation
• Lead, inspire and develop a multi-disciplinary team of approximately 20, ensuring capability, engagement and succession.
• Provide Financial Control leadership into Finance Transformation and ERP programmes, ensuring processes, controls and reporting are embedded by design and transitioned successfully into business as usual.
• Partner closely with the Group Finance Director, Audit Committee and senior stakeholders, offering insight and challenge on financial integrity, governance and control effectiveness., We value that you get more time with your family and friends. Therefore, we offer everybody 28 days paid holiday, 2 volunteering days and the option to purchase further holiday.
• Flexible working
We value work-life balance highly, therefore we have flexible & hybrid working policies.
• Market leading family friendly policies
We want the support we offer to be inclusive of everyone, reflective of the wide range of situations people face in life.


• Senior leadership experience in Financial Control, Financial Reporting or Technical Accounting within a complex organisation.
• Deep technical accounting expertise and confidence applying professional judgement to complex transactions.
• Experience leading audits and engaging at senior level with external auditors and governance forums.
• Knowledge of general accounting, balance sheet governance, consolidation and oversight of tax and treasury.
• Experience contributing to or leading finance transformation and ERP enabled change.
• Credibility with Executive level Finance leaders and Audit Committee stakeholders.
Capabilities
• Sets a high bar for financial integrity, rigour and professionalism.
• Confident decision maker who balances technical detail with enterprise level judgement.
• Executive presence with the ability to influence, challenge and advise senior stakeholders.
• Inclusive leader committed to developing senior talent.
• Governance and risk focused, with a commitment to assurance and transparency.
• Pragmatic and improvement driven, able to simplify complex environments.
  
  About The Crown Estate
The Crown Estate is a unique business with a distinct heritage and a portfolio unlike any other. It includes some of central London's best places to work, shop and spend time, retail and leisure destinations across the country, and a substantial rural portfolio. As manager of the seabed and half the foreshore around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, we play a role in the UK's world-leading offshore wind sector as well as marine aggregates, cables and pipelines. We are also responsible for the Windsor Estate, including the world-renowned Windsor Great Park. Founded in 1760 Co-workers 579 Finance · The Crown Estate, 1 St James Market · Hybrid

As well as a competitive salary, pension and performance related bonus offering, we have a wealth of benefits available ranging from flexible working; market leading family policies and shopping discounts in the West End, to private healthcare; life and critical illness cover and 28 days holiday with the option to buy more. We value work life balance and your wellbeing highly, enabling you to be your best self to work.