Senior Finance Manager - Change & Controls

Summary  

We're looking for a Senior Finance Manager - Change & Controls to join Group Finance and play a pivotal role in strengthening operational controls, risk management and governance across M&S. 

Reporting to the Group Financial Controller, you'll lead the Finance Operational Controls team and take ownership of the Group's Material Controls Framework, supporting compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code (Provision 29). Working closely with the Food and Fashion, Home & Beauty (FH&B) Finance leadership teams, you'll help drive improvements in operational controls, risk management and control maturity across some of the most significant areas of the business. 

This is a high-profile opportunity to partner with Finance Directors, Internal Audit and Group Risk, influencing decision-making at senior leadership and Board Committee level while shaping the future of M&S's control environment. 

You'll lead and develop this small team, acting as a trusted adviser on governance, risk and controls while supporting the wider Change & Controls strategy across Group Finance. 

This role is currently offered on a 0.8 FTE basis, although full-time working will be considered for the right candidate. 

To stay close to customers, our support teams are in the office three days a week as we believe that skills are developed through collaboration, and that spending time together makes us more creative and connected. 

What you’ll do  

Your key accountabilities will include: 

• Lead the Finance Operational Controls team, partnering primarily with the Food and FH&B Finance teams to drive improvements in operational controls, risk management and control maturity across key business processes. 
• Act as the Group subject matter expert on UK Corporate Governance Code Provision 29 requirements and disclosures, leading the development, maintenance and ongoing enhancement of the Group's Material Controls Framework. 
• Build trusted relationships with Finance Directors, Risk and Internal Audit teams, providing challenge, insight and practical solutions that strengthen governance, controls and organisational resilience. 
• Oversee assurance of the Group’s material controls, this  includes co-ordination of control declarations, control testing, driving the business to set remediation programmes and annual control effectiveness assessments, helping identify and address issues before they become externally reportable. 
• Maintain the Finance risk register and support enterprise risk management activities, ensuring risks, including fraud risks, are identified, understood and mitigated appropriately while driving continuous improvement across the wider Change & Controls agenda. 

Who you are  

Your skills and experience will include: 

• A qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) with significant post-qualified experience in finance, risk, controls, assurance or governance within a large and complex organisation. 
• Risk and controls experience with a strong understanding of governance, risk management, internal controls and assurance frameworks, ideally including experience of Corporate Governance Code requirements. 
• An experienced people leader who enjoys coaching and developing others while creating an inclusive, high-performing team environment. 
• A credible communicator with experience engaging senior stakeholders and presenting complex topics to executive or Board-level audiences. 
• A commercially minded and pragmatic problem solver who can balance risk management with business objectives, influence change and drive sustainable improvements across a complex organisation's growth ambitions. 

What’s in it for you?  

Working at M&S means being part of something bigger - helping to deliver quality, value and service to millions of customers every day. We’re inclusive, fast-moving and always evolving, with a strong sense of purpose and a focus on doing the right thing. 

Here are just a few of the benefits that make working here even more rewarding: 

• 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third-party brands for you and someone in your household, available once you’ve completed your probation 
• Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more 
• Discretionary bonus schemes linked to your performance and ours  
• Strong pension and life assurance to help plan for the future 
• Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one 
• Exclusive perks and savings through our M&S Choices portal 
• Market-leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave 
• 24/7 wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services 
• One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause that matters to you 

Everyone’s welcome  

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen. 

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together. 

If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process. 

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