Head of Finance

Creative Agency with offices in London and New York are looking for a qualified and commercially astute Head of Finance to manage the company's finance function and support their CFO with all things commercial. The business is part of an ambitious Global Marketing network with exciting plans for growth and international expansion.The Head of Finance owns the finance engine of the business across the UK and US entities. This is a genuine ownership role, not an oversight one: accountable for the accuracy, timeliness and reliability of financial operations, reporting and forecasting, and being the first point of escalation for finance across the business. The Head of Finance will lead a lean structure supported by a very capable offshore shared-service team.Head of Finance - Role Responsibilities: Own the delivery of monthly, quarterly and annual management accounts and financial statements, including cashflows, under US GAAP framework, delivered to the reporting calendar, every timeRun the forecasting and reforecasting process end-to-end, including variance and scenario analysis, working closely with the CFOOOwn cash flow and liquidity across both entities, and manage FX exposure on international payments — working with Group Treasury to implement hedging solutions and to set and apply our FX guidelinesOwn working capital and work-in-progress, including vendor payment policy aligned to client payment termsOwn billing and revenue recognition with client-facing teams, and enforce financial disciplines (including PO controls) across the businessOwn the year-end close and the external audit relationship, with the CFO involved on judgemental positionsEnsure compliance with financial, regulatory and contractual obligations, including tax filings across both entitiesDrive systems and process modernisation eg. deepening our ERP deployment, connecting tools, and replacing manual processes with reliable, efficient workflowsManage and develop the finance team, including delivery by our shared-service provider, and act as escalation point for the team internally and with client finance functionsManage external relationships with banks, auditors and advisors, and participate actively in quarterly finance reviews with Group finance leadershipBe the internal face of finance for the business; visible, approachable, and firmThe person - Key Skills and Competencies: Professional certification: CIMA / ACA / ACCA or equivalent is essential8 to 10+ years in senior finance roles, with at least one role owning the full reporting and audit cycle; creative, marketing, advertising or production agency experience strongly preferredStrong technical accounting expertise, including IFRS and US GAAP; SOX experience preferredProven ownership of month-end, forecasting and audit cycles in a project or job based businessA systems and process mindset, with evidence of simplifying and automating finance operationsExcellent communication and presence. Credible with senior group stakeholders, banks and auditors as well as internal teamsMulti-entity and/or UK–US experience is an advantage