Head of Business Services - R2R

About the role

We’re looking for a Head of Record to Report (R2R) to lead our financial accounting, compliance, and reporting frameworks across the UK and Benelux. Based in our Caerphilly Business Services hub, this is a high-impact senior leadership role with responsibility for maintaining robust financial integrity, ensuring adherence to regulatory and statutory requirements, and upholding strong governance and control frameworks. This role goes beyond operational leadership – you will bring a fresh perspective, challenge ways of working, and drive continuous improvement, standardisation, and digital transformation, particularly through close partnership with our Automation and Technology teams.

As part of the Business Services senior leadership team, you’ll lead and inspire a large, high-performing function, shaping both long-term strategy and organisational capability, while fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous development.

• Lead and develop a large R2R function (c.40 FTE), setting the strategic roadmap and contributing to Business Services leadership, governance, and long-term planning.
• Manage the associated R2R processes across multiple geographies, ensuring strong financial control, SOX compliance, audit readiness, and balance sheet integrity.
• Drive transformation through process optimisation, standardisation, and automation, working closely with technology teams to deliver scalable solutions.
• Build strong stakeholder partnerships across UK & Benelux, fostering a high-performance culture, managing risk, and developing future talent while deputising for the Director when required.

• Qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA, CIMA or equivalent) with strong senior leadership experience in complex, multi-layered finance environments.
• Strategic leader with a proven track record in transformation, process optimisation, and automation, bringing fresh thinking and challenging the status quo.
• Strong expertise in financial controls, compliance, and SOX, with the ability to balance governance and operational excellence.
• Strong people and stakeholder leadership skills, with experience building high-performing teams, developing talent, and influencing across geographies and functions.

• Play a key leadership role shaping the future of a major Business Services centre.
• Lead a high-impact function at the heart of financial integrity and business decision-making.
• Drive automation, transformation, and operational excellence at scale.
• Work with a diverse international stakeholder group across UK and Benelux.
• Opportunity to make a lasting impact through leadership, innovation, and talent development.

• A competitive salary and discretionary bonus.
• 25 days’ holiday + bank holidays.
• Pension scheme, life assurance, income protection.
• Employee assistance programme and digital GP access.
• Cycle to work scheme and discounts on shopping, travel and more.

Caerphilly.

We are DS Smith, and we believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. Fair recruitment at DS Smith.