Finance Manager – Transformation

Why we're hiring:

What you'll be doing:

Transformation Financial Management & Analysis:
• Track and manage financial performance across WPP ET Media Transformation programmes and the Worldwide IT function, including budgets, forecasts, actuals, and variances
• Support Programme, PMO, and WPP Media Finance teams with financial insight, identifying risks, trends, and cost pressures
• Ensure clear linkage between approved business cases, funding decisions, and actual spend
• Support monthly actualisation of costs, quarterly reforecasting and annual budget cycles, ensuring transformation financials are accurate and timely
• Assist with investment, savings, and benefits tracking for approved Transformation initiatives

Reporting & Governance
• Prepare regular financial reporting and analysis for Media S&T Business Operations, WPP ET and WPP Media Finance, and senior stakeholders
• Ensure financial information presented to portfolio and governance forums is clear, consistent, and evidence‑based
• Maintain strong audit trails for assumptions, changes, approvals, and financial movements
• Support adherence to WPP and ET financial governance, controls, and policies

Business Operations & Finance Support
• Partner with Finance, PMO, Programme Managers, and Procurement to resolve data issues and improve transparency
• Support vendor‑related financial activities including spend analysis, accrual visibility, and invoice tracking
• Contribute to continuous improvement of financial models, templates, and trackers used across Media S&T
• Provide broader Finance and Business Operations support during peak planning and reporting cycles

Important Role Clarification
• This is an individual contributor role with no direct line‑management responsibility
• The “Manager” title (Chennai) reflects scope of financial accountability and judgement, not people management
• Career level, expectations, and progression opportunities are consistent across all locations

What you'll need:

Essential
• Qualified or recently qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
• Strong grounding in financial analysis, management accounting, budgeting, and forecasting
• High attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Strong Excel and Powerpoint skills; confidence working with complex financial data sets
• Excellent verbal and written communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Ability to communicate financial information clearly to non‑finance stakeholders - able to articulate or convey complex data well
• Quick to learn, with the ability to reshape, reconfigure and realign solutions to meet challenging deadlines without jeopardising the successful delivery of the team’s objectives

Desirable
• Exposure to project, programme, or transformation finance
• Experience in technology, media, professional services, or large matrix organisations
• Familiarity with financial planning and reporting tools (e.g. Adaptive or similar)

Who you are:

You're open: We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are open-minded: to new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working.

You're optimistic: We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected.

You're extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.

What we'll give you:

Passionate, inspired people – We aim to create a culture in which people can do extraordinary work.

Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry.

Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge?

#LI-Hybrid