Job Description
The role
This is a key role designed to support the UK Head of Finance in achieving the Firm's strategic objectives around growth and operational excellence. The UK business has Income +£900m pa and circa 1,200 FTE.
We are seeking a Senior Finance Manager to join our dynamic team, where the ideal candidate will be responsible for financial planning, performance management, and operational excellence, with scope to influence firm-wide initiatives and contribute to strategic transformation.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Financial Leadership: Lead financial planning and analysis to support long-term strategic goals. Partner with senior leaders to shape financial strategy and ensure alignment with business priorities.
Performance Management & Reporting: Develop and oversee KPIs and financial metrics that drive accountability and performance across departments. Provide insight and challenge to ensure delivery against targets.
Transformation & Change: Act as a finance lead on transformation programmes, including digital finance initiatives, process optimisation, and cost efficiency projects.
Governance & Risk Oversight: Ensure robust financial governance, compliance with regulatory standards, and proactive risk management. Lead internal controls and audit readiness.
Stakeholder Engagement: Influence and collaborate with senior stakeholders across the UK and global finance teams. Represent finance in cross-functional forums and strategic initiatives.
One Europe Collaboration: Actively contribute to the One Europe finance agenda, sharing best practices, aligning processes, and supporting cross-border initiatives.
Qualifications
Your experience
- Qualified with relevant certifications (e.g., ACA/CIMA/ACCA), indicating a solid foundation in financial principles and practices, and a commitment to ongoing professional development.
- Experience in a complex, matrixed organisation, with a proven track record of strategic financial leadership, ideally within professional services or regulated sectors.
- Strong commercial acumen and ability to translate financial insight into business impact including experience of influencing senior stakeholders across functions and geographies and demonstrated ability to lead through change and contribute to firm-wide transformation.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex financial data and provide clear and actionable recommendations to senior management.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders in a clear and understandable manner.
- Proficiency in financial software and Office 365 (particularly Excel and Copilot), with experience using advanced features to analyse and present financial data, with a focus on automation and insight generation.
Company Description
Who we are
We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.
Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.
Our one firm global strategy is focused on targeted growth led by the needs of our core clients, those who we can best support with the breadth and depth of Clifford Chance expertise, across the sectors and geographies, which matter most to them.
You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.
Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.
Additional Information
Hybrid Working
This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way with the expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time.
What we offer including our broad range of benefits and working environment
When you join Clifford Chance, you will have access to a broad range of benefits to support you across many aspects of your personal and professional life including financial, wellbeing, lifestyle, and family friendly benefits. For more information on what we offer specifically in the UK, please visit our What We Offer page on our career site.
Equal Opportunities
At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.
We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.
We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.
Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm.
Find out more about our inclusive culture here
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