Senior Group Manager, Finance Operations

Job description

Prudential’s purpose is to be partners for every life and protectors for every future. Our purpose encourages everything we do by creating a culture in which diversity is celebrated and inclusion assured, for our people, customers, and partners. We provide a platform for our people to do their best work and make an impact to the business, and we support our people’s career ambitions. We pledge to make Prudential a place where you can Connect, Grow, and Succeed. Organisation Profile: Prudential plc is an Asia-led portfolio of businesses focused on structural growth markets. The business helps individuals to de-risk their lives and deal with their biggest financial concerns through life and health insurance, and retirement and asset management solutions. Prudential plc has 20 million customers and is listed on stock exchanges in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New York. Prudential was founded in London in 1848 on the principles of integrity, security and prudence and we still adhere to those principles today. Job Scope: As Senior Group Manager for Central Entities, the role is accountable for leading financial control, accounting governance, regulatory and statutory reporting, and process standardisation across the Central Entities portfolio. The role provides senior oversight of record-to-report activities, balance sheet integrity, financial risk management, and management reporting, while partnering with Finance leadership, cost management, capital management, auditors, tax advisors and entity boards to ensure robust controls, timely deliverables, and continuous improvement across finance operations. 1. Central Entity Financial Governance: o Provide senior oversight of financial accounting, balance sheet integrity and P&L management for the Central Entities portfolio. o Ensure timely, accurate and complete general ledger recording, reconciliations and financial close deliverables. o Oversee statutory, tax, regulatory and board reporting requirements, ensuring compliance with applicable legal and governance obligations. 2. Financial Control, Risk and Compliance: o Own and strengthen the financial control environment across Central Entities, including policies, procedures, approval governance and documentation standards. o Identify and manage financial, operational and compliance risks, ensuring appropriate escalation and remediation of control issues. o Review and approve key financial transactions, journals and reconciliations in line with delegated authority and internal control requirements. o Drive continuous improvement in finance processes, systems, controls and operating documentation. 3. Management Reporting and Business Partnering: o Lead the preparation and review of financial reports for entity boards, Group Finance, senior management and other key stakeholders. o Provide clear analysis of financial performance, balance sheet movements, risks, opportunities and emerging issues to support management decision-making. o Partner with cost management, capital management and other Finance teams on budgeting, forecasting, recharge, cash flow and entity funding matters. 4. Month-End Close and Record-to-Report Leadership: o Lead the centralised record-to-report process for Central Entities, ensuring close timelines, quality standards and governance requirements are met. o Supervise and review journals, reconciliations, balance sheet reports, management packs and other close-related deliverables. o Maintain accuracy and consistency of financial data in finance systems and reporting platforms. 5. Cash Flow and Forecasting: o Oversee cash flow forecasting, funding requirements and liquidity monitoring for Central Entities. o Support budget and forecast cycles through timely financial inputs, variance analysis and coordination with relevant Finance stakeholders. 6. Audit and SOX Compliance: o Plan and coordinate external audit, statutory audit and SOX compliance activities, ensuring audit requests, accounting matters and control observations are addressed on a timely basis. o Liaise with auditors, tax advisors, company secretaries, entity directors and internal stakeholders to support timely finalisation of financial statements and related submissions. Core Competences Required: • Financial leadership and governance: Ability to provide senior oversight of financial management, controls and reporting across multiple entities. • Technical and regulatory expertise: Strong understanding of IFRS, statutory reporting, tax, audit, SOX and regulatory requirements. • Stakeholder management: Ability to engage effectively with entity boards, Group Finance, auditors, tax advisors and senior management. • Risk and control mindset: Strong focus on balance sheet integrity, control effectiveness, issue resolution and continuous improvement. • People and process leadership: Ability to lead finance deliverables, coach team members and drive standardisation across finance operations. Education and Experience: • Experience: o Minimum of 15 years of progressive finance experience, including senior-level responsibility for financial control, accounting governance, financial reporting, audit and compliance. o Strong track record in managing complex finance operations across multiple entities, preferably within a multinational, regional finance, shared services or insurance/financial services environment. o Demonstrated experience in leading month-end close, record-to-report, balance sheet governance, statutory reporting, tax compliance, SOX/internal controls and external audit processes. o Proven ability to engage with senior stakeholders, including Finance leadership, entity boards, auditors, tax advisors, company secretaries and cross-functional business partners. o Experience in leading teams, driving process standardisation, strengthening control environments and implementing finance transformation or continuous improvement initiatives. • Education: o Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or a related discipline. o Professional accounting qualification such as CA, CPA, ACCA or equivalent is required or strongly preferred. o Additional qualifications in finance, governance, risk management, internal controls or leadership would be advantageous. • Skills: o Senior finance leadership: Ability to lead finance deliverables, provide direction to teams and influence outcomes across multiple stakeholders. o Technical accounting and reporting: Strong knowledge of IFRS, statutory reporting, management reporting, tax compliance and audit requirements. o Control and risk management: Strong control mindset with the ability to identify risks, resolve issues, strengthen governance and ensure audit readiness. o Stakeholder engagement: Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to present financial matters clearly to senior management, entity boards and external advisors. o Process improvement: Ability to drive standardisation, automation, simplification and continuous improvement across finance processes and systems. o Judgement and accountability: Strong ownership, sound judgement and ability to manage competing priorities in a complex, deadline-driven environment. Prudential is an equal opportunity employer. We provide equality of opportunity of benefits for all who apply and who perform work for our organisation irrespective of sex, race, age, ethnic origin, educational, social and cultural background, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, disability or part-time / fixed-term work, or any other status protected by applicable law. We encourage the same standards from our recruitment and third-party suppliers taking into account the context of grade, job and location. We also allow for reasonable adjustments to support people with individual physical or mental health requirements.