Job Title: Programme Manager - Finance Transformation (Contract)
Location: Hybrid (2-4 Days/Fortnight in Yorkshire)
IR35: Inside
Duration: 6 Months+
Day Rate: up to £950 (DOE)
About the Role
We are hiring an experienced Programme Manager to lead a high-profile Finance Transformation Programme within a Financial Services organisation. This is a strategic and hands-on delivery leadership role, working closely with the CFO and senior stakeholders while staying close to delivery teams and the detail. The programme spans operating model transformation, systems and data change, and regulatory and performance outcomes to drive efficiency, compliance, control, and future scalability.
Programme Scope & Outcomes
You will own delivery across multiple workstreams, typically including:
- Regulatory reporting (including controls, reconciliations, data lineage)
- Finance balance sheet management and capital funding
- Regulatory reform (e.g. Basel 3.1 readiness and reporting impacts)
- GL, close and consolidation, chart of accounts, and reporting modernisation
- Operating model transformation (process, people, governance, location strategy)
- Systems implementation and data (ERP/cloud finance platforms, data migration, MI/BI)
- Change adoption and benefits realisation (target-state capability and measurable value)
Target outcomes may include reduced month-end close, improved control effectiveness, end-to-end data lineage, timely and accurate regulatory submissions, enhanced forecasting and planning, scalable target operating model, and tangible cost and benefits delivery.
Key Responsibilities
- Own and drive the end-to-end Finance Transformation programme aligned to business strategy and regulatory obligations
- Lead programme planning, governance, and execution across concurrent workstreams including systems, process redesign, data migration, TOM and change adoption
- Embed agile ways of working including incremental delivery, transparency, and continuous improvement while operating within robust programme governance
- Partner daily with the CFO and work closely with Finance, Risk, Technology, and Operations leaders, managing senior stakeholder alignment and decision-making
- Manage budgets of £15-20M+ and lead teams of 20-30+ including matrixed squads, SI partners, contractors, SMEs, ensuring delivery to time, cost, scope, and quality
- Drive operating model transformation including process simplification, role clarity, controls, service and sourcing models, and change adoption
- Oversee benefits realisation, ensuring clear OKRs and a traceable line from scope to outcomes, tracking benefits in-life
- Maintain strong risk management and regulatory compliance discipline, proactively identifying risks and implementing pragmatic mitigations
- Provide hands-on delivery leadership, engaging directly with squads, reviewing plans and backlogs, removing blockers, and upholding delivery standards
- Ensure data integrity and finance control requirements are baked into design including reconciliations, auditability, and ICFR/SoX where applicable
Required Skills & Experience
- Recent, hands-on programme delivery leadership in finance transformation within banking or financial services
- Deep finance domain experience across regulatory reporting, finance balance sheet management, capital funding, and regulatory reform including Basel 3.1
- Proven delivery of operating model transformation across process, people, governance, and controls
- Track record leading teams of 20-30+ and managing £15-20M+ budgets on complex, multi-year programmes
- Strong agile delivery experience including PI planning, incremental releases, backlogs, and metrics, coupled with disciplined programme governance
- Excellent stakeholder management and C-suite engagement, with credible partnering daily with the CFO while operating at working-team level
- Finance process and technology literacy including GL, reporting, regulatory compliance, and exposure to ERP/cloud finance platforms such as SAP, Oracle, Workday, or Anaplan
- Expertise in governance, RAID, dependency and critical path management, benefits realisation, and risk and compliance in regulated environments
- Exceptional communication, influence, and change leadership skills, able to align cross-functional teams and vendors behind clear outcomes
Desirable
- Professional certifications such as MSP, PRINCE2, PMP, Agile (Scrum or SAFe)
- Experience with controls frameworks including ICFR or SoX, data lineage tooling, BI/MI, and regulatory reporting platforms
- Prior leadership of cloud ERP or finance data platform migrations in a UK banking context
- Experience with offshoring or nearshoring models and partner or vendor management
