Advert Closes: Wednesday 16th September
Senior Controls Manager at The Crown Estate
Are you an experienced controls, audit or risk professional with a passion for finance transformation and ERP delivery?
This is a rare opportunity to play a pivotal role in one of The Crown Estate's most significant transformation programmes, leading the design, implementation and ongoing governance of a robust financial and technology controls environment that will support the organisation long into the future.
What You'll Be Doing
At The Crown Estate, we create lasting and shared value for the nation. As Senior Controls Manager, you will lead all controls-related activities within our ERP replacement programme, ensuring the new platform meets regulatory, audit, risk and financial reporting requirements while supporting efficient and effective business operations.
Reporting to the Process Lead, you'll act as the key link between Finance, Technology, Risk, Internal Audit and external delivery partners, helping to build a scalable controls framework that strengthens governance, supports decision-making and drives continuous improvement.
Following implementation, you'll assume ownership of the Finance Controls Framework, ensuring controls remain effective, compliant and aligned to business needs as the organisation continues to evolve.
The Opportunity
This role offers the chance to shape and lead the controls agenda across a large-scale transformation programme and beyond.
During the ERP programme, you will:
Lead the end-to-end controls workstream.
Define the controls strategy, scope and controls catalogue aligned to the Finance taxonomy and organisational risk appetite.
Oversee the design and implementation of financial controls, automated controls, configurable controls, reporting controls and IT General Controls (ITGCs).
Ensure alignment between process design, ERP configuration, integrations and controls requirements.
Challenge and guide implementation partners on control design and best practice.
Lead controls testing, remediation activities and audit readiness activities.
Support cutover planning, go-live readiness and hypercare, ensuring controls-related sign-off requirements are achieved.
Develop segregation of duties frameworks, access control models and conflict mitigation strategies.
Following go-live, you will:
Own and maintain the Finance Controls Framework.
Establish governance forums and controls performance reporting.
Monitor controls effectiveness through KPIs, assurance activities and issue management processes.
Lead periodic controls reviews, walkthroughs and risk assessments.
Ensure future system enhancements and organisational changes continue to operate within a robust control environment.
Drive control automation, simplification and continuous improvement opportunities.
Build controls capability across Finance and Technology teams through training, coaching and stakeholder engagement.
You'll also act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, preparing governance papers, controls reporting and Audit Committee updates while helping to foster a culture of strong control ownership and accountability.
What We're Looking For
We're looking for someone who combines deep controls expertise with the confidence and credibility to influence stakeholders across a complex transformation environment.
You'll bring:
Significant experience in finance controls, internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR), SOX or UK equivalent control frameworks.
Proven experience designing and implementing controls within major ERP programmes such as SAP, Oracle, Workday, Microsoft Dynamics 365 or similar.
Excellent knowledge of financial processes including Record-to-Report, Procure-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash, FP&A and Tax.
Deep understanding of IT General Controls, application controls, access management, segregation of duties and data integrity controls.
Experience working closely with Internal Audit, Risk and Technology functions.
A professional qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIA, CISA or equivalent.
Experience within audit, risk management, internal controls advisory, finance transformation or consulting environments.
Great analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex processes and system designs.
Excellent communication skills and the ability to challenge constructively while building trusted relationships.
A highly organised and methodical approach with strong governance and documentation skills.
The ability to remain calm under pressure while delivering high-quality outcomes within a complex programme environment.
Why Join The Crown Estate?
You'll have the opportunity to influence a business-critical transformation programme while helping to create lasting value for the country. Working alongside talented colleagues and senior leaders, you'll play a key role in embedding a modern, effective and sustainable controls environment that supports our long-term ambitions.
Our Offering / benefits:
As well as a competitive salary, pension and performance related bonus offering, we have a wealth of benefits available ranging from flexible working; market leading family policies and shopping discounts in the West End, to private healthcare; life and critical illness cover and 28 days holiday with the option to buy more. We value work life balance and your wellbeing highly, enabling you to be your best self to work.
Disability Disclaimer:
We are a proud disability confident employer and operate the offer of interview scheme Disability Confident employer scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
We are happy to offer alternative application methods or formats and can be flexible on our process to enable you to have the best opportunity.
If you have any questions about our recruitment process or would like to talk about adjustments, please contact us directly, or at careers@thecrownestate.co.uk
Please note that if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close this advert early. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible
At The Crown Estate, our role is to put the nation’s interests first.
We manage land, property and the seabed across England, Wales and Northern Ireland - independently, commercially and for our nation’s future.
We’re investing and playing a key role in delivering net zero and energy security, nature recovery and biodiversity, and supporting inclusive communities and economic growth, all while responsibly creating financial value for the UK.
We return our profits to the UK government for public spending, which has totalled more than £5 billion over the last ten years.
We manage a diverse £15 billion portfolio, making a lasting impact, today and for generations to come. This includes urban centres and development opportunities; one of the largest rural holdings in the country; Regent Street and St James’s in London’s West End; and Windsor Great Park. We also manage the seabed and much of the coastline around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, where we have an ambitious vision for how the UK’s seabed can support nature recovery and the transition to clean energy.
