Job Title: Finance Manager Governance Operations
Location: Preston. We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements – please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role.
Salary: £57,600 + depending on experience
What you’ll be doing:
* Lead and develop a team of two finance professionals to deliver a consistent, high-quality governance service supporting compliance with finance and non-finance policies
* Manage the end-to-end planning, delivery, and reporting of centralised finance services on behalf of the One Finance function, ensuring adherence to quality standards and schedules
* Utilise modern technology and data analytics tools to provide meaningful insights into financial risks and control effectiveness across the UK finance function
* Identify opportunities to standardise and centralise activities, improving efficiency, accountability, team collaboration, and decision-making
* Work closely with the Governance Capability Centre (GCC) senior leadership and wider BAE assurance teams to maintain and demonstrate financial control standards in the UK and internationally
* Apply critical thinking to diagnose control weaknesses, determine root causes, and recommend value-added improvements to enhance business performance
* Collaborate effectively with multiple stakeholders to achieve common modernisation goals and provide clear management reporting on control operations
* Inspire a growth mindset within your team, champion continuous improvement, and lead with integrity, resilience, and professionalism
Your skills and experiences:
* Qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA or ACA) with proven experience delivering centralised finance services across diverse processes and systems
* Inspirational manager with experience leading teams through change, maintaining high performance, and meeting quality and schedule targets
* Good understanding of financial risk management and control frameworks, particularly in supporting the first line of defence
* Experience ensuring compliance with Finance Control Framework (FCF) and Finance Policy Mandates (FPM)
* Skilled at motivating and guiding teams to stay resilient and focused on achieving long-term goals in a changing environment
Benefits:
As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.
The Finance Team:
Join a dynamic and supportive team within the UK Governance Capability Centre (GCC), where you will lead and manage a team of two finance professionals focused on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of financial controls across BAE Systems. This role involves overseeing the delivery of centralised governance services within the One Finance function, ensuring consistent quality, adherence to schedules, and continuous improvement. You will identify opportunities to standardise and centralise activities to increase efficiency, accountability, and develop specialised expertise. The GCC offers an excellent platform to grow your career, deepen your understanding of finance operations and the wider business, and contribute innovative ideas in a highly visible and influential environment. This role also provides the opportunity to develop critical growth mindset skills essential for future success at BAE Systems.
Why BAE Systems?
This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.
Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.
Closing Date: 9th July 2025
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
#LI-SS1
#LI-Hybrid