St. James’s Place
Financial Controls Testing Manager
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Are you ready to chart your own career path? With our refreshed strategy, we’re building on our rich heritage and transforming our business to be more scalable and efficient, unlocking the capabilities needed for future success. This includes significantly investing in technology, streamlining the way we work and creating an environment where colleagues feel engaged, empowered and accountable; where they can show up, speak up and perform - because we believe in the difference our work makes.
At a glance:
- Location: Cirencester Office
- Workplace Type: Hybrid (2 days in office)
- Employment Type: Permanent
- Seniority: Mid-Senior Level
About The Role
We’re looking for a Financial Controls Testing Manager to play a key role in strengthening and maintaining our internal controls framework over financial reporting. Working closely with the Head of Financial Controls and wider Finance teams, you’ll lead the day-to-day delivery of controls testing, ensuring robust governance and providing confidence to senior stakeholders and Board Committees.
In this role, you’ll not only assess and test key financial controls, but also partner with control owners to identify opportunities for improvement, enhance efficiency, and ensure controls evolve alongside business and process changes. This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys combining technical expertise with stakeholder engagement to drive real impact.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Leading and managing the day-to-day delivery of financial controls testing, including reviewing work completed by testers and delivering complex testing
- Developing the annual controls testing plan and tracking/reporting progress to key stakeholders
- Communicating testing outcomes clearly, providing actionable recommendations to strengthen control weaknesses
- Partnering with control owners and project teams to maintain and enhance the financial controls framework as processes evolve
- Identifying and implementing efficiencies in the controls testing approach to reduce effort and improve effectiveness
- Providing coaching and support to controls testers, ensuring consistent quality and delivery
- Supporting the documentation and attestation of controls effectiveness in collaboration with the Financial Controls Lead
- Contributing to the ongoing development and maintenance of the internal controls framework over financial reporting
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Who We’re Looking For
We’re seeking a self-motivated and proactive individual who combines strong technical financial controls knowledge with the ability to influence and partner with stakeholders. You’ll be confident working independently, comfortable engaging with senior leaders, and able to translate complex control requirements into practical, real-world solutions. A collaborative mindset and a passion for driving continuous improvement will be key to success in this role.
Essential Criteria
- Qualified accountant (ACCA or ACA) with strong external financial reporting knowledge
- Proven experience in testing financial reporting controls, ideally including planning or leading testing activity
- Strong understanding of controls frameworks, governance, and standard testing methodologies
- Proven ability to engage, influence, and provide practical guidance to stakeholders across Finance and wider business teams
Desirable Criteria
- Experience within financial services
- Awareness of automation tools or techniques to enhance controls and improve testing efficiency
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What's in it for you?
We reward you for the work you do, whether that’s through our discretionary annual bonus scheme that reflects both personal and company performance, competitive annual leave allowance (28 days plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase an additional 5 days), or online rewards platform with a variety of discounts.
We also have benefits to support whatever stage of life you are in, including:
- Competitive parental leave (26 weeks full pay)
- Private medical insurance (optional taxable benefit)
- 10% non-contributory pension (increasing with length of service)
Reasonable Adjustments
We're an equal opportunities employer and want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive for all. If you require reasonable adjustment(s) at any stage, please let us know by emailing us at careers@sjp.co.uk.
Research tells us that applicants (especially those from underrepresented groups) can be put off from applying for a role if they do not meet all the criteria or have been on an extended career-break. If you think you would be a good match for this role and can demonstrate some transferable experience, please apply, regardless of whether you tick every box.
What's next?
If you're excited about this role and believe you have the skills and experience we're looking for, we'd love to hear from you! Please submit an application by clicking ‘apply’ below and our team will be in touch.
As a business regulated by the FCA, we would advise you to familiarise yourself with the conduct regulations and in particular consumer duty obligations prior to an interview with SJP.
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