Finance Operations Manager

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. 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 24,000 employees spanning over 56 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.

Location:

Milton Keynes

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 mind-set, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 100 countries. Our people are our biggest asset as well as our largest shareholder group and are everything that makes us unique;

our inclusive culture, the quality service we offer our clients, and our continued growth, all come from our people-first approach. There’s no such thing as individual success. We all need to play our part, contributing our skills and experience to make a true difference. That’s Howden.

We have always been employee-owned and driven by entrepreneurial spirit. Right from the beginning, we've focused on employing talented individuals and empowering them to make a real difference to the company, whilst building successful and fulfilling careers at the same time. Simply put, we hire talented specialists and give them what they need to make a difference for clients. Always have, always will.

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 disappointed head-hunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work/life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

The Finance Operations Manager is responsible for delivering efficient, controlled and scalable transactional finance services across Accounts Payable, Employee Expenses and Corporate Cards. The role leads operational teams and outsourced service providers, ensuring supplier payments, expense claims and reconciliations are completed accurately, on time and in line with company policy. The successful candidate will drive automation, process improvement and service excellence across complex Finance Operations processes spanning multiple entities and geographies.

• Operational Leadership – Manage end-to-end Accounts Payable operations.
• Oversee employee expense and corporate card programmes.
• Ensure invoices, expenses and supplier payments are processed within agreed SLAs.
• Monitor operational performance against KPIs.
• Team Management – Lead, develop and coach Finance Operations team members.
• Engage with offshore teams for systems & matrix management.
• Build capability through training, performance management and continuous improvement.
• Controls & Compliance – Maintain robust financial controls and segregation of duties.
• Ensure compliance with company policy, audit requirements and regulatory obligations.
• Support internal and external audits by providing required documentation and insights.
• Supplier & Stakeholder Management – Act as escalation point for supplier and stakeholder queries.
• Develop strong relationships with Procurement,…