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 This role leads the financial control function for the Global Specialty and UK Specialty business divisions, ensuring accurate and timely internal financial reporting. It plays a crucial role in upholding robust financial oversight, providing monthly financial reports, and aiding in performance supervising across various entities. As a senior leader within the finance team, you’ll lead a team of accountants and collaborate closely with other finance functions to uphold data integrity, drive improvements in execution, and ensure compliance with accounting standards and internal deadlines. This is a 6-month contract based in our Milton Keynes office 2/3 days a week. What You’ll Be Doing Leading and managing the Specialty financial control team, providing supervision and development. Being responsible for the preparation and delivery of monthly management accounts. Ensuring compliance with Group accounting policies and statutory standards. Maintaining accurate financial records across multiple legal entities. Collaborating with FP&A, IBA, Cashiers, and international finance teams to resolve accounting matters. Reviewing and approving accounting entries and balance sheet reconciliations. Identifying and implementing improvements to accelerate month-end reporting. Leading all aspects of the audit procedure and coordinating with outside auditors and relevant parties. Coordinating with Group Tax for timely and accurate tax submissions. Ensuring all internal reporting deadlines are consistently met. Who We’re Looking For A confident leader with experience managing finance teams. Strong communicator with excellent stakeholder leadership skills. Detail-oriented with a dedication to financial accuracy and integrity. Able to work optimally across multiple entities and jurisdictions. Comfortable working in a fast-paced, complex environment. Proactive in identifying process improvements and driving efficiencies. Skilled in technical accounting with a strong grasp of IFRS and UK GAAP. Collaborative and able to build positive relationships across finance functions. Experienced in managing audits and working with external auditors. Capable of balancing strategic oversight with hands-on financial control. Qualifications Fully qualified accountant (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA). Minimum of 5 years post-qualification experience in financial control. 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. Fixed Term Contract (Fixed Term) Howden began in 1994, as just three people and a dog. Now there are 22,000 of us, and we're a leading global insurance group, managing $47bn of premiums for our clients. Our largest shareholder group is us – the people who work in the business – supported by three long-term, minority growth-equity partners who share our vision to build a business to last, one that will never be sold. The owner's mindset is something that's embedded in our culture; our people readily take ownership of their decisions, their actions, and their outputs. They’re invested in every sense. And we all know that by working together to drive the business forward, everyone will benefit from the extraordinary results we can achieve.