About the role The Head of Finance Operations and Sourcing is responsible for overseeing and managing a broad spectrum of operational finance activities along with leading the sourcing and vendor management function within Nucleus. This includes accounts receivable (R2R), accounts payable and procurement (P2P), payroll execution, financial controls, system management, and the sourcing of third-party vendors and suppliers. The role ensures compliance with financial regulations, operational efficiency, and cost-effective sourcing strategies, supporting the business in achieving its strategic objectives. Additionally, the role involves leading a team of approximately 20 FTE across multiple locations, contributing to the Group’s overall financial governance and working closely with senior stakeholders to ensure robust risk management, regulatory compliance, and efficient operational processes. This combined responsibility for finance operations and sourcing will drive operational excellence, optimise vendor relationships, and ensure the effective management of contracts and vendor performance. It is essential that all regulated and other significant operating companies across the Nucleus Group have robust controls, consistent accounting policies, and appropriate reporting capabilities to meet statutory, fiscal, and regulatory demands at the subsidiary company level. The Head of Finance Operations and Procurement will interact with subsidiary company management, boards, and governance bodies, coordinating closely with Treasury, Capital Management, and the Group Company Secretary. The individual holding this role has been designated as a Certified Person for the purposes of the FCA’s Certification Regime. Key accountabilities include: Accounts Receivable (R2R) & Billing: Oversee the management and timely collection of all on-platform and off-platform billing activities. Ensure accurate and effective billing and receivables processes, including integration with platforms, both current and new. Maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely payments and resolution of any billing queries. Accounts Payable & Procurement (P2P): Lead the management of accounts payable processes, ensuring timely and accurate payments to suppliers. Oversee procurement controls, particularly through systems like Concur, ensuring compliance with corporate policies and regulatory requirements. Ensure the efficient use of banking systems for payment execution and cash management. Payroll Execution and Oversight: Oversee payroll processes, ensuring accurate and timely execution of payroll for all employees. Ensure appropriate controls and compliance with tax, regulatory, and internal standards in payroll management. First Line of Risk Management: Lead the first line of defence in risk management identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks. Ensure that financial risks related to operational activities are appropriately managed in line with Nucleus’ risk framework and regulatory requirements. Ensure compliance with all relevant FCA and PRA regulations, particularly as they apply to pensions, SIPP, Wrap, and Life businesses. Finance Systems & General Ledger (GL) Controls: Oversee the integrity and controls within the finance systems, including the general ledger and planning systems. Ensure that all financial transactions are accurately reflected in the GL, including proper management of journal entries, accruals, and other adjustments. Implement and monitor effective integration of financial systems with business platforms, ensuring smooth and accurate financial data flow. Oversight of Financial Processes & Controls: Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of financial processes, controls, and procedures. Ensure that Level 3 (L3) processes, controls, and risk mitigations are effectively managed and reviewed regularly. Ensure effective month-end and year-end closing processes, ensuring accurate reporting and compliance with financial standards. Audit, Governance, and Compliance: Coordinate with internal and external auditors to ensure accurate and transparent financial reporting. Ensure that all operational finance activities meet statutory, fiscal, and regulatory filing deadlines. Participate in the annual and half-yearly audit processes, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and addressing audit findings promptly. Vendor Relationship Management and Sourcing: Oversee vendor relationships, ensuring that key vendors and suppliers meet service levels, contractual obligations, and quality standards. Act as the point of escalation for vendor-related issues and ensure timely resolution of any disputes. Lead strategic sourcing efforts, identifying opportunities for cost savings, and ensuring vendor selection aligns with the company's long-term objectives. Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess vendor performance and conduct regular vendor reviews to ensure contract compliance Oversee the development, negotiation, and execution of vendor contracts. Ensure contracts are aligned with organizational goals and compliance requirements. Continuously review contracts to improve terms, reduce costs, and enhance vendor performance. Reporting & Analytics: Provide regular updates and reports to senior leadership regarding vendor performance, contract status, and financial impact. Analyse data related to vendor performance to identify trends, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. Team Leadership & Development: Lead and develop a high-performing team of c.20 FTE across multiple locations (Edinburgh, Salisbury, Ipswich, Glasgow). Foster a collaborative and performance-driven culture, providing clear direction, guidance, and development opportunities to the team. Promote continuous improvement and innovation within the finance operations and sourcing function, driving efficiencies and best practices. Manage all internal change impacting the team and be the operational lead for broader transformational activities impacting Financial Operations. Stakeholder Management & Reporting: Liaise with senior stakeholders, including the CFO, regulatory bodies, auditors, and business leaders, to ensure alignment on operational finance activities and strategic objectives. Provide regular updates on the performance of the operations function, highlighting key risks, issues, and achievements. Customer and Financial Outcomes: Ensure that finance operations consistently deliver good customer outcomes through robust financial controls and accurate reporting. Contribute to the reliable and complete capture of financial information for all operating components of the Group. Achieving KPIs/Targets: Achieve KPIs related to timeliness, accuracy, and completeness of financial data and reporting. Maintain performance standards for finance operations and sourcing activities, managing headcount and corresponding budget ownership. Ensure the timely submission of papers to operating boards and committees and meet all statutory, fiscal, and regulatory filing deadlines. Skills and Experience: Extensive experience in finance operations, vendor management, procurement, and sourcing within a regulated financial services environment. Proven experience in managing financial controls and systems, particularly general ledger management, journal controls, and integration with business platforms. Strong understanding of FCA and PRA regulations, particularly as they apply to pensions, SIPP, Wrap, and Life businesses. Experience in negotiating and managing vendor contracts and relationships. Demonstrable experience in risk management, process improvement, and internal controls. Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and develop a large, multi-location team. In-depth knowledge of finance systems, including ERP and planning systems. Expertise in financial control frameworks, including L3 processes, journals, accruals, and reconciliations. Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills. Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to proactively identify issues and drive solutions. Effective communication skills with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels. Strong understanding of procurement systems such as Concur and banking systems. Qualifications: ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent qualification or equivalent experience. Professional certifications in procurement or vendor management (e.g., CIPS, CPSM) are a plus. Professional qualifications in Change management (e.g. Agile, Prince2 etc) would be desirable. Experience in financial services or a regulated environment is highly advantageous. A strong understanding of UK pensions, SIPP, Wrap, and Life products would be beneficial. A little about us We are the Nucleus Financial Platforms group and we help make retirement more rewarding. Here at Nucleus, people come first - whether it’s our colleagues, or the advisers and customers we support, we know that working in partnership and collaboration leads to the best outcomes. Together, we’ve shaped the platform to how it is today. We work hard, and we celebrate hard too. Our ambition is to create a platform with a difference, putting the customer centre stage meant tearing up the rule book and starting from scratch. We’ve come a long way since then, but our mission remains just as focused. That’s why our culture, values, and social responsibility are things we keep at the top of our agenda – because we know they matter and have a big impact. Our culture is one of the many things that sets us apart from the pack. We want to have an environment where our people feel that they can make a real difference, know they’ll be rewarded for their efforts and more importantly, enjoy themselves at work. Are we a perfect match? Check out this video and find out Inclusion and diversity at Nucleus As with most things in life, who cares, wins. We really care about inclusion. For us it’s not a tick box exercise; inclusion and diversity are embedded in our culture and everything we do. It’s a commercial imperative. It isn’t about being PC. It’s about being future-relevant and durable. We owe it to ourselves and the industry to ensure we are playing our part in creating a fair, balanced and transparent financial services sector. More diversity means broader experience, a wider set of perspectives and a better collective ability to problem-solve. And it means being more representative of customer groups, which supports areas such as product development. At Nucleus, we offer a generous blend of benefits for the things that really matter to our people, including a non-contributory pension, bonus, enhanced parental leave, paid time off for emergencies, health and wellbeing initiatives and flexible working options. To find out more about this role please contact Hannah in our Recruitment team.