UK Controller
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Role Purpose
The UK Controller is a senior finance leader accountable for the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of the UK's internal and external financial reporting and compliance across all JLL business lines in the country.
The role owns the UK statutory and US GAAP reporting control environment, leads a Controllership team based in London, and acts as a primary finance point of contact for UK business leadership, shared services, and global / regional Controllership. This is one of the most significant Controller roles in the EMEA region given the scale and complexity of the UK market.
Key Responsibilities
Month-End Close & General Ledger Integrity
- Own the UK close calendar and delivery, coordinating with the Shared Services Centre to ensure accuracy and timeliness across all UK entities
- Review and approve judgmental and complex journal entries, topside adjustments, accruals, and payroll and bonus entries
- Perform review controls over the balance sheet and P&L (month-over-month actuals) with variance commentary
- Act as control owner for payroll and bonus reporting
Balance Sheet Quality & Reconciliations
- Prepare and approve high-risk reconciliations; monitor reconciliation dashboards and drive resolution of aged items in line with global reconciliation policy
- Monitor balance sheet risks and opportunities, escalating proactively to UK and regional leadership
- Resolve intercompany disputes and approve fixed asset transactions, including additions, retirements, disposals, and transfers
Statutory Reporting & External Audit
- Own review and sign-off of UK statutory financial statements (FRS 102) across the UK entity portfolio (currently fewer than 40 entities), prepared in coordination with the Statutory Audit Centre of Excellence
- Serve as primary contact for the external auditor, including PBC lists, planning meetings, cadence calls, and resolution of audit findings
- Own preparation and filing of Companies House annual accounts and confirmation statements
- Supervise FCA regulatory returns for UK regulated entities
- Own review and sign-off of all other statutory filings and reporting, examples being payment practices, office of national statistics reporting, government contract reporting
- Run risk assessments, execute and document SOX control testing, and remediate control weaknesses and audit findings
US GAAP Reporting
- Deliver monthly, quarterly, and annual US GAAP reporting within JLL's global reporting matrix
- Act as primary UK point of contact for global and regional Controllership on reporting matters
- Develop and continuously improve month-end close processes to support both US GAAP and UK statutory timetables
- Apply and interpret global accounting policy locally, with particular focus on revenue recognition, leases, and non-standard transactions
Tax & VAT Coordination
- Coordinate with the Tax function on UK tax compliance matters, including group VAT filings across a complex multi-entity VAT position, corporation tax, PAYE settlement agreement submission and other statutory tax obligations
- Support Tax with information requests, documentation, and process input from a controllership and controls perspective, without assuming ownership of tax technical positions
Team Leadership & Development
- Manage and develop a UK Controllership team of qualified accountants and trainees, including workload prioritisation, performance management, and career development
- Deliver technical training and updates to the team on accounting policy, process, and control changes
Business Partnering & Shared Services Oversight
- Serve as the bridge between Controllership and Finance Business Partnering, ensuring controls and processes run smoothly across the wider UK Finance function
- Monitor and help develop the performance of the Shared Services Centre supporting the UK
- Partner with HR, Legal & Compliance, Procurement, and Tax on cross-functional finance matters
- Represent Controllership in UK leadership discussions on financial and compliance matters
Ad Hoc / Projects
- Lead or support projects as they arise, including entity rationalization, acquisitions, and integration activity
- Provide decision support and financial modelling for UK executive leadership
- Coordinate with other UK finance teams on cross-functional initiatives
- Identify opportunities to standardize and improve UK accounting and reporting processes
Qualifications
- ACA or ACCA qualified required; US CPA or other international equivalent will be considered, particularly combined with UK statutory and Companies House experience
- 6-8 years of post-qualification experience, including a background in external audit
- Experience reporting within a large, listed or multinational group; working knowledge of both UK GAAP/FRS 102 and US GAAP strongly preferred
- Proven experience managing and developing a team
- Experience working with shared service centres, with the ability to hold providers accountable to quality and service standards
- Strong stakeholder relationship management skills, with the credibility to operate as a peer to UK business leadership and global/regional Controllership
- Proactive communicator, with a track record of surfacing risks and challenges to leadership before they escalate
- Experience with Oracle/PeopleSoft, OneStream, and Tableau or comparable financial systems
- Excellent Excel skills and strong organizational discipline to manage competing deadlines
- Fluent in English
Location:
On-site -London, GBRIf this job description resonates with you, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements. We’re interested in getting to know you and what you bring to the table!
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