WPP

Finance Manager

Reposted 3 Hours Ago

Be an Early Applicant

Colombo, LKA

In-Office

Senior level

AdTech • Marketing Tech

The Role

The Finance Manager supports financial operations, reporting, and governance while partnering with business teams to provide strategic insights. Key responsibilities include managing audits, tax compliance, financial reporting, and leading a finance team in Sri Lanka.

Summary Generated by Built In

About WPP Media

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence, and world-class partnerships – all united by our pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth. 

WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.

For more information, visit wppmedia.com.

Finance Manager/Head of reporting

Summary

Assist Director Finance on financial operations, governance, and reporting for the Sri Lanka market, ensuring compliance with WPP frameworks, statutory requirements, and APAC reporting cycles.

The role partners closely with business teams and senior leadership, providing strategic/operational financial insights, enhancing commercial discipline, and improving operational efficiency across the organisation. Head finance team & provide direction on finance operations.

Key Accountabilities

Financial Reporting & Control

Lead month end close, including journal approvals, reconciliations, schedules, and financial controls.
Maintain strict compliance with WPP financial governance, policies, and internal control frameworks.
Manage and respond to Internal/External Audit queries, providing evidence, corrective actions, and remediation tracking.
Ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency across all financial submissions.
Assist Director Finance on managing working capital.

Commercial & Operational Finance

Overlook vendor invoice validation process and client invoicing process including credit notes, purchase orders for operational expenditures.
Strengthen commercial governance by ensuring proper pricing, contract compliance, cost discipline, and margin protection.
Support commercial teams with financial evaluation, profitability analysis, and deal modelling.
Improve operational efficiency through financial insight, process optimisation, and risk mitigation.

Taxation & Statutory Compliance

Oversee statutory filings, tax submissions, documentation reviews, and regulatory compliance.
Provide consultancy to internal teams in all tax matters and, act as the liaison between internal teams, auditors, tax authorities, and external consultants where required.
Monitor regulatory changes and ensure timely adherence to new compliance requirements.

Regional Reporting & APAC Cycle Management

Manage Budgets, Forecasts, Net Sales Tracking, and APAC reporting cycles with accuracy and timeliness.
Coordinate with APAC Finance teams and regional reporting heads to resolve queries and ensure alignment.
Provide insightful commentary on variances, risks, and opportunities.

Vendor Due Diligence & Intermediary Governance

Oversee the due diligence process for all vendors including influencers, digital partners, intermediaries, and vendors under Global compliance requirements.
Ensure full documentation, financial checks, risk assessments, and compliance approvals are completed before onboarding.
Maintain an up to date due diligence repository for audits and governance reviews.

Strategic Partnering & Business Advisory

Act as the trusted business advisor to business teams, providing strategic/operational insights, scenario analyses, and commercial support.
Translate financial data into clear, actionable business recommendations.
Influence operational decisions through data driven advice, risk assessment, and performance insights.
Provide proactive guidance to strengthen profitability, cash flow discipline, and ROI across initiatives.

Strategic Financial Planning

Lead forecasting, budgeting, and long-term planning processes with cross-functional alignment.
Prepare strategic insights for senior leadership, highlighting trends, opportunities, and risks.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary finance team, providing guidance, coaching, and performance feedback.
Support succession planning, upskilling initiatives, and capability development.
Foster a high performance culture rooted in accountability, accuracy, and continuous improvement.

Skills & Competencies

Functional Competencies

Financial reporting (IFRS), management accounting, audit readiness
Tax compliance & statutory knowledge
Forecasting, budgeting, planning & analysis
ERP systems, SAP/BFC, tools expertise
Internal controls & risk management

Leadership Competencies

Thought leadership and strategic advisory capability
Stakeholder management and influencing skills
Effective communication and commercial storytelling
People leadership and coaching

WPP Behavioural Competencies

Collaboration across regions and functions
Compliance and ethics mindset
Continuous improvement and simplification

Scope & Impact

Financial responsibility for the Sri Lanka operations including revenue, cost, statutory, and vendor spend oversight.
Direct leadership impact on finance team performance and capability growth.
Operational influence across commercial, operational and finance teams.
Material contribution to business performance, compliance posture, and audit outcomes.

Key Stakeholders

Market leadership (Managing Director, FD), commercial teams, HR, operations, APAC Fnance teams, Internal Audit
External: Auditors, Tax Authorities, Banks, Vendors

Please read our Privacy Notice for more information on how we process the information you provide.

Skills Required

Experience in financial reporting, management accounting, and audit readiness
Knowledge of tax compliance and statutory requirements
Proven ability in forecasting, budgeting, and planning
Expertise in ERP systems like SAP/BFC
Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills

WPP Compensation & Benefits Highlights

The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about WPP and has not been reviewed or approved by WPP.

Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing support includes a global Employee Assistance Programme and company-wide initiatives, with modern multi‑agency campuses and on‑site amenities positioned as part of the experience. This indicates a holistic focus across mental, physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing.
Retirement Support — Retirement offerings commonly include a US 401(k) with employer matching, though specifics can differ by operating company. This provides a recognizable savings framework that many candidates expect in large employers.
Parental & Family Support — Family benefits can be above average in parts of the network, such as VML’s paid parental leave for adoptive and foster parents. These signals suggest meaningful support for certain family‑forming needs.