About Morningstar
Morningstar is a leading global provider of independent investment insights, serving both individual and institutional investors across public and private markets. Our offerings include a wide range of data, research, and investment management services, with $300+ billion in assets under management.
Operating in 32 countries, Morningstar empowers investors, financial professionals, and institutions with the insights they need to make confident decisions and achieve their financial goals.
The Team
We are looking for a Controller to join our EMEA West region and become a key member of our global Finance team, which partners closely with the business to drive innovation, automation, and operational excellence.
The Role
As the Controller EMEA West, you will lead financial reporting and accounting activities across Morningstar’s UK, Middle East, and Africa operations, ensuring compliance with the standards and controls expected of a publicly traded U.S. company.
Reporting to the Regional Controller EMEA, you will play a key role in planning, forecasting, and analysing regional financial performance. Partnering closely with senior business leaders and cross-functional Finance teams, you will provide meaningful financial insights, support strategic decision-making, and help drive operational excellence across the region.
This is a London-based, full-time opportunity operating under Morningstar’s hybrid work model, with four in-office days each week to foster collaboration, relationship-building, and close engagement with colleagues and stakeholders.
What You’ll Do
- Oversee general accounting functions, including monthly close process, financial audits, and tax/statutory reporting with support from U.S. and shared services accounting and finance teams.
- Optimize the organizational structure of the local finance team to best support the unique needs of the countries and the team, ensuring training, mentoring, and career development.
- Maintain and champion internal controls and processes appropriate for a U.S. publicly traded company to achieve global harmonization.
- Lead an efficient financial reporting process and month-end close to produce timely and accurate financial reports reflecting Morningstar's global accounting policies.
- Partner with the EMEA West (UK, Middle East, and Africa) regional business leaders and other areas of Finance to ensure accuracy of forecasts and budgets, identifying gaps and solutions.
- Identify and lead system and process improvement initiatives in support of global standardization, including the use of shared service capabilities within Finance.
- Oversee all statutory reporting requirements in the region, including regulatory submissions to the FCA, to ensure timely submission and compliance with local regulations.
- Lead and oversee various country projects and participate in global transformation projects, including system implementations, M&A activities, and process improvements.
- Coordinate with local external advisers for various activities, including audit, tax, payroll, insurance, and other compliance activities.
- Serve as director for local legal entities, as needed.
- Assist with transfer pricing and other tax planning strategies in conjunction with the corporate team.
- Perform other duties as assigned including the preparation of accounting memorandums and local policy documentation.
Who You Are
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) with a degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field.
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive accounting and finance experience within a complex multinational organization operating across multiple legal entities.
- Extensive experience in financial close, consolidation, and reporting across multiple legal entities with knowledge of SOX/internal controls.
- Proven people leader with a track record of building, developing, and leading high-performing teams, while effectively influencing stakeholders across global Finance functions.
- Strong commercial and strategic acumen, with the ability to translate financial data into actionable business decisions.
- Deep understanding of financial structures, business value drivers, and performance management.
- Highly detail-oriented, with a commitment to accuracy, governance, and financial controls.
- Able to manage competing priorities and deliver to tight deadlines.
- Continuous improvement mindset with a proactive, solutions-focused approach.
- Knowledge of UK GAAP and/or US GAAP preferred.
Ready to Shape the Future? At Morningstar, every hire we make strengthens our mission to empower investor success. Apply now and help shape the future of investing with us.
Base Salary Compensation Range
GBP 106,700.00-120,000.00
Bonus Target:
20% Annual
We expect the compensation and target bonus for this role to fall within the stated range. The specific compensation offered will depend on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and other job-related factors.
Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.
Skills Required
- Qualified accountant with ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent certification
- Degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field
- Minimum 10 years of progressive accounting and finance experience
- Experience within a complex multinational organization operating across multiple legal entities
- Extensive experience with financial close, consolidation, and reporting across multiple legal entities
- Knowledge of SOX and internal controls
- Proven experience building, developing, and leading high-performing teams
- Ability to influence stakeholders across global Finance functions
- Strong commercial and strategic acumen
- Ability to translate financial data into actionable business decisions
- Understanding of financial structures, business value drivers, and performance management
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, governance, and financial controls
- Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver to tight deadlines
- Continuous improvement and solutions-focused mindset
- Knowledge of UK GAAP and/or US GAAP
What the Team is Saying
Morningstar Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off policies include flexible PTO and a paid sabbatical every four years, often highlighted as a standout perk. Feedback suggests this structure supports strong work–life balance and meaningful breaks.
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Parental & Family Support — Policies advertise a global minimum of 16 weeks for primary caregivers, up to 8 weeks for secondary caregivers, and at least six weeks of paid caregiving leave. These offerings signal above-average support for family and caregiving needs.
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs feature employer 401(k) contributions/matching, with some postings citing a 75% match on up to 7% of pay. Feedback suggests these offerings are a strong pillar of the package.
Morningstar Insights
What We Do
We are a global investment research and financial data company with 40-plus offices across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Our products and services are used daily by individual investors, financial advisors, asset managers, retirement plan providers, and institutional investors. We provide data, research, and analysis across managed investment products, publicly listed companies, private capital markets, debt securities, and real-time global market data. The financial system can have real barriers—hidden information, friction that can slow decisions, and forces that can limit transparency and access. We work to remove them, bringing independent research, connected data, and investor-first tools to a system that needs more clarity. The people doing this work span research, technology, design, product, sales, and functional areas. We build many of our products in-house, so the work can connect directly to the tools investors use to make real financial decisions.
Why Work With Us
Morningstar’s missing is to empower investor success. We can only do that if our people feel empowered. That means finding people who think independently, bring a wide range of backgrounds with analytical rigor and genuine intellectual curiosity to the work.
Gallery
Morningstar Teams
Morningstar Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Across most of our offices globally, employees work four days a week in the office and one day from home. We recognize that life doesn't always fit a fixed schedule and offer programs that can help provided increased workplace flexibility.
