Job Purpose

The Financial Reporting Manager is critical in ensuring the integrity of financial information, supporting strategic decision-making, and maintaining strong internal controls. This role leads the preparation of accurate, timely and compliant financial statements and additional external reporting requirements and ensures adherence to all Higher Education specific financial reporting requirements.

This role partners with senior stakeholders across Finance and the wider business, and drives continuous improvement in financial reporting systems, processes, and controls.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Financial Reporting & Compliance

- Lead the preparation of annual consolidated financial statements, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with UK GAAP and US GAAP as applicable.

- Oversee the production of statutory accounts for all legal entities within the group, ensuring timely submission and adherence to local regulatory requirements.

- Ensure all reporting complies with internal accounting policies, external regulations, and evolving financial reporting standards.

- Monitor and implement changes in accounting standards, assessing their impact and ensuring timely adoption.

- Provide insight-driven financial reporting that supports strategic decision-making.

Audit & External Stakeholder Management

- Manage the year-end audit process, acting as the primary point of contact for external auditors.

- Coordinate the preparation of audit documentation, ensuring timely responses to audit queries and resolution of issues.

- Responsible for the preparation and presentation of papers for Audit & Risk Committee, Finance Committee, Court and subsidiary Board meetings.

Technical Accounting & Advisory

- Lead the assessment and implementation of complex accounting treatments for M&A, restructurings, financing arrangements, and other strategic transactions.

- Provide authoritative guidance on emerging accounting standards, proactively assessing business impact and leading change management initiatives.

- Oversee the preparation of technical accounting papers for internal governance and external audit reviews.

Governance, Risk & Controls

- Champion a strong financial control environment, ensuring robust governance over reporting processes, data integrity, and compliance with internal and external standards.

- Drive continuous improvement in risk management practices related to financial reporting and disclosure.

- Challenge key financial controls such as balance sheet reconciliations to ensure accuracy and issues are identified immediately.

Transformation & Systems Leadership

- Drive innovation in reporting processes, leveraging technology to enhance speed, accuracy, and strategic value.

- Lead financial reporting system initiatives, including contribution to the implementation of the treasury function in the new Finance system (Project Sierra).

Team Leadership & Development

- Lead, inspire and develop a team of financial reporting professionals, providing coaching, performance feedback, and development opportunities.

- Foster a culture of technical excellence, accountability and continuous learning.

- Support succession planning and talent development within the financial reporting team.

- Promote cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing across financial reporting, tax, treasury and commercial teams.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills, Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential:

A1 CA/ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified with post qualifying experience commensurate to this level of role within a specialized financial reporting function.

A2 Able to demonstrate the necessary strategic competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary professional knowledge and leadership experience in a similar or number of different roles OR:  Ordinary/Honours Degree (SCQF Level 9, 10 or 11) or equivalent.

A3 Highly developed knowledge of the effective design and operational dynamics of a complex multi-national Financial Reporting team.

Desirable:

B1 Working knowledge of Agresso accounting system.

Skills

Essential:

C1 High level influencing and interpersonal skills, able to quickly build credibility and deliver impact at all levels.

C2 Strategic thinker, ability to develop strategy and policy and implement effectively.

C3 Ability to drive forward and deliver change in line with strategic and operational objectives and priorities.

C4 Resilient and able to effectively deal with ambiguity and able to maintain momentum in the face of obstacles/setbacks.

C5 Strong commercial awareness with a clear understanding of key business drivers and the ability to quickly understand the strategic corporate agenda in order to work effectively in partnership with senior managers.

C6 Well-developed report writing and presentation skills with the ability to present and translate comprehensive and often complex information and financial concepts for non-financial colleagues.

C7 Outstanding and proven analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make well-considered decisions, resolve conflicts and demonstrate sound, professional judgement.

C8 A self-motivated individual with the ability to work effectively under pressure and to tight timescales with an aptitude for prioritising priorities and manage competing demands.

C9 Ability to identify control weaknesses and recommend and implement solutions to resolve these areas.

C10 Advanced skills in the use of Microsoft packages such as Excel, Word, Access, Powerpoint; and accounting software packages.

Experience

Essential:

E1 A strong track record of leadership and delivery at a senior financial level operating in a political or highly complex environment – providing direction, delivering results, building on relationships and capability and demonstrating personal resilience.

E2 Extensive experience of leading and managing teams to deliver excellence.

E3 Substantial experience of managing relationships with auditors.

E4 Significant experience operating within a Financial Reporting Team.

Desirable:

F1 Experience of preparing US GAAP Financial Statements.

F2 Experience of going through an ERP system change.

F3 Experience of having implemented a new SORP / Accounting standard.

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 9, £59,966 - £67,468 per annum.

This post is full time (35 hours per week) and fixed term for up to 18 months in the first instance.

The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.  If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship.

Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit:  https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University  https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.

Closing Date:  20 January 2026