Who are we?
Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.
People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.
The Role
As Financial Controller (Shared Services), you will play a key role in supporting the financial reporting requirements across Howden Group Services, Howden Risk & Resilience, and Howden Markets. This includes overseeing monthly management accounts, quarterly board reporting, and annual submissions to regulatory and tax authorities.
You will lead a team of management accountants, ensuring accurate and timely reporting, while driving improvements in accounting operations through automation and enhanced internal controls. This role is central to maintaining financial integrity and supporting strategic decision-making across the business.
This role is based in Milton Keynes with some days each week working from the office.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading the preparation and publication of accurate monthly management accounts.
• Supporting internal and external financial reporting across multiple business units.
• Managing and mentoring a team of management accountants.
• Ensuring compliance with financial reporting standards and company policies.
• Identifying and resolving bottlenecks in accounting operations.
• Implementing automation tools to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Maintaining strong internal controls to safeguard financial data.
• Overseeing the audit process and liaising with external auditors.
• Coordinating submissions to Group Tax for tax return preparation.
• Ensuring all financial reporting deadlines are consistently met.

Who We’re Looking For

• Proven experience in a similar financial controller role.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent understanding of financial reporting standards and compliance.
• Experience in a group services company is highly desirable.
• Skilled in identifying process improvements and implementing automation.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Confident communicator with the ability to liaise across departments and with external stakeholders.
• Proactive problem-solver with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Able to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.

Qualifications

• Professional accountancy qualification (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA).
• Minimum 5 years post-qualified experience.
• Experience in group services accounting preferred.
• Experience with month-end acceleration and automation desirable.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments
We’re committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you’re excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

• Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.

Permanen

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading the preparation and publication of accurate monthly management accounts.
• Supporting internal and external financial reporting across multiple business units.
• Managing and mentoring a team of management accountants.
• Ensuring compliance with financial reporting standards and company policies.
• Identifying and resolving bottlenecks in accounting operations.
• Implementing automation tools to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Maintaining strong internal controls to safeguard financial data.
• Overseeing the audit process and liaising with external auditors.
• Coordinating submissions to Group Tax for tax return preparation.
• Ensuring all financial reporting deadlines are consistently met

If you’re excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

• Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more