Head of Group FP&A

We are recruiting for a Head of Group FP&A to join our Finance team in London. 
 

Finance team - London 
 

Achieving the firm’s strategy requires a world class Finance department to work with the decision makers. Our teams add value through the services provided, managing compliance and providing information and insight. This is achieved by having a collaborative and high performing team that builds relationships with the Partners and other decision-makers in the firm so that they trust us to advise them on commercial, financial and technical matters.
 

What you will do  

Lead the Group FP&A function as a strategic finance partner to the business, forming a core part of the Group Finance leadership team. This is a senior finance leadership role requiring a qualified accountant with deep experience across business performance management, financial planning, and commercial advisory. The role combines regular cyclical responsibilities — budgeting, forecasting, and investment planning — with ad hoc strategic projects that flex according to business priorities and firm-wide initiatives.

Strategy and Finance Leadership

• Support delivery of the Firm's strategic objectives and the Group Finance strategy, ensuring FP&A outputs are aligned to both.
• Partner with the Head of Strategic Investment to design and implement a structured, methodical approach to financial planning and analysis across the Firm.
• Provide well-considered financial advice to senior leadership, drawing on current FP&A methodologies, market insight, and commercial awareness to inform decision-making.
• Take a proactive, long-term view on business improvement, demonstrating thought leadership by looking beyond traditional finance boundaries and engaging with operational and strategic leaders across the Firm.
• Present recommendations and business cases to senior stakeholders, securing buy-in for proposed initiatives.
• Collaborate with other Heads of function within Group Finance on joint projects and cross-functional priorities.
• Lead, manage, and develop the Group FP&A team, setting a high-performance culture and clear direction.

Financial Planning, Analysis & Reporting

• Budgeting and Forecasting: Own the annual budget process and periodic in-year forecasts, ensuring robust, timely, and commercially relevant outputs for executive decision-making.
• Investment Planning: Lead the rolling three-year Investment Plan process, producing outputs for executive use including reporting packs, scenario analysis, and supporting use cases.
• Planning Systems: Act as the functional owner of the Firm's budgeting and planning software, working in conjunction with the Head of Finance Systems to optimise capability and data integrity.
• Performance Monitoring: Deliver ongoing business financial performance analysis, providing leadership with clear insight, commercial context, and early escalation of areas requiring attention.
• Executive Reporting: Design, develop, and deliver financial information accompanied by a business narrative — integrating financial data with an understanding of strategic objectives, market conditions, and external factors to support executive groups and finance-led processes.

Business Partnering & Advisory

• Act as a credible subject matter expert and finance ambassador across the Firm, contributing to cross-functional projects, business change initiatives, and strategic discussions at the most senior level.
• Collaborate with Practice Group COOs and Office/Regional CFOs to deliver insight and financial support to the Firm's executive groups.
• Lead finance work streams (alongside the tax team) on firm-wide and management projects, including new office openings, business restructuring, and closures.
• Build and maintain a thorough understanding of all areas of finance, the Firm's business operations, its practice groups and sectors, and the systems that underpin them.
• Support the design and delivery of fee-earner training to improve financial and commercial awareness among the Firm's lawyers.

Team Management & Leadership

• Set the team's strategy, goals, and objectives; lead change and drive ambition to ensure the function operates at the highest standard.
• Manage team performance throughout the planning cycle, business performance activities, and ad hoc leadership support, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery.
• Champion continual improvement by adopting and embedding technology, refining processes, and staying abreast of wider FP&A market trends to enhance business information and performance.
• Develop talent within the team, building the next generation of finance leaders through structured development, mentoring, and coaching.
• Manage, develop, and mentor a team of FP&A professionals, fostering engagement, inclusion, and personal growth.
• Build strong peer relationships across the wider Group Finance team to encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration.
• Provide FP&A training and share best practices with the global finance community, raising capability across the function.

What you will have

This role will be called upon by senior stakeholders to participate in strategic discussions and initiatives for which they require financial or commercial support and guidance. This will require the individual to take responsibility for the finance participation and function as trusted advisor which will require a thorough understanding of the commercial business, market and our practices and sectors.

• Strong blend of financial expertise, strategic acumen, and commercial awareness, with the ability to operate beyond traditional financial reporting and modelling.
• Highly credible communicator, confident engaging with and influencing senior stakeholders at all levels.
• Effective in ambiguous, fast-paced environments, with a consultative partnership approach to decision-making.
• Resilient, proactive self-starter with drive, tenacity, and a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Ability to build strategic frameworks, processes, and capabilities from the ground up where needed.
• Collaborative team player who builds effective working relationships across all areas of the Firm.
• Proficient in leveraging technology — including planning tools, data analytics, and emerging technologies — to improve FP&A output and efficiency.
• Demonstrated thought leadership and agile thinking, with the ability to consider non-financial factors and wider business impacts.

Qualifications and Work Experience

• ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent qualification with a minimum of ten years' post-qualification experience.
• Proven track record in FP&A, business partnering, or commercial finance at a senior level.
• Previous experience in a global professional services organisation is essential, ideally within a group or head-office function. Law firm experience is a strong advantage.

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Our approach to hybrid working seeks to combine and maximise the benefits of effective remote working with the benefits of being in the office.  Our current hybrid working arrangements require office based working for a minimum of 60% of your time (i.e. three days per week for a full time role) in accordance with our hybrid working policy.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE - A&O Shearman does not accept unsolicited CVs. For further information, please see our UK Recruitment Agency Policy and our commitment to direct sourcing here.

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