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Overview
The Finance Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing payroll operations, banking and cash activities, VAT compliance coordination, and wider operational finance controls across the Group.
The role acts as the central coordination point between internal stakeholders and outsourced providers across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring the accurate, timely, and compliant delivery of payroll, payments, VAT, and regulatory processes. This position combines strong operational finance capability with experience managing outsourced providers, international finance operations, and financial controls within a multi-entity environment.
The role focuses on the coordination, review, control, and operational oversight of outsourced and internally managed finance operations processes, rather than acting as the technical specialist responsible for preparing all underlying submissions directly.
The role currently has line management responsibility for the junior finance team members supporting accounts payable, payment processing, and VAT administration activities.
The finance function is also undergoing ongoing systems and process improvement initiatives to further strengthen operational efficiency, controls, and automation across the Group.
Desired skills and qualifications
Technical Knowledge & Process Depth
The successful candidate will demonstrate genuine, deep understanding of operational finance processes — not just familiarity with their outputs. We will test the ability to explain, sequence, and teach processes clearly to others. Candidates who can describe what they would do without being able to explain why, or who rely on templates without understanding the logic underneath, will not be suitable. In practice this means:
- Able to build a P11D process from first principles
- Can articulate the end-to-end logic of a payroll run, identify where errors typically arise, and explain reconciliation steps to a junior colleague
- Understands the VAT return process well enough to review submissions critically, not just pass information to advisors
- Can walk through a payment run control framework and identify the risk points
- Knows what KYC and international compliance documentation looks like and why it matters — not just where to file it
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Essential Experience
- Part-qualified or qualified (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent) with a strong operational finance background
- Strong practical experience in payroll coordination, treasury management, and finance operations within a complex organisational structure.
- Strong, demonstrable understanding of UK payroll processes and employment tax — including P11D, benefits-in-kind, pensions, and statutory payments
- Proven experience working with outsourced payroll providers — managing the review and sign-off of their work
- Practical experience overseeing banking platforms, payment controls, mandates and signatories
- Direct experience coordinating VAT and compliance processes across multiple jurisdictions
- Experience supervising or reviewing junior team members' work and communicating process logic clearly
- Confident communicating with senior stakeholders, external providers, and international teams — written and verbal
Desirable
- Experience within architecture, professional services, consultancy, or international project-based businesses
- Exposure to international payroll operations and overseas banking — particularly China operations
- Experience supporting finance systems improvements or automation initiatives
- Familiarity with Sage 200, Deltek, or equivalent ERP/project systems
- Language skills an advantage
Personal Attributes
We are a fast-paced, high-pressure environment and this role carries significant responsibility over sensitive financial data and processes. We are looking for someone who:
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- Is genuinely humble, willing to ask questions, acknowledge gaps, and learn the business
- Is highly intelligent and intellectually curious — able to pick up new processes quickly and understand them deeply, not just operationally
- Communicates with clarity and patience — able to explain complex processes simply to colleagues at all levels, including junior team members and non-finance stakeholders
- Takes ownership without being asked — reliable, organised, and delivery-focused
- Is calm, approachable and collaborative
- Can be trusted with sensitive payroll, banking and compliance information — discretion is essential
How to apply
To apply for this role, please click on the apply button below. You will need to complete the application form and include your CV and cover letter.
Please note that shortlisted candidates will be required to complete an assessment in our London office as part of the recruitment process.
About us
ZHA redefined architecture for the 21st century with a repertoire of projects that have captured imaginations across the globe. Creating buildings uniquely tailored to the communities they serve, ZHA has been awarded the highest honours from professional and academic institutions worldwide. Founded by Dame Zaha, ZHA is one of the world’s most innovative architectural studios—and has been for almost 50 years. These five decades of detailed research are inscribed within ZHA’s buildings which become more spatially inventive, more structurally efficient, more technologically advanced, and more environmentally considerate with each new design. ZHA’s 500 staff in five offices worldwide are currently developing projects in 34 countries across six continents—combining pioneering design solutions with ecologically sound materials and sustainable construction practices to meet the aspirations of each new generation.
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