CoE Head of Central Services at British Council

The Role:

The Head of Central Services is a senior FP&A CoE leader responsible for building and leading a scalable, insight-driven finance support function. Acting as a strategic partner to Group FP&A, the role oversees financial planning, analysis, and reporting, drives standardisation and continuous improvement, and leads finance teams in India to deliver high-quality, value-adding outcomes across global finance operations.

Accountabilities:  

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead and develop the Central Services team by building strong capabilities, effective structures, and succession plans. Foster a high-performance culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning while overseeing team leadership, resource planning, talent acquisition, and career development across Group FP&A, Professional Services, and Network Indirects.

Group FP&A Support

• Oversee key Group FP&A processes, including reporting, variance analysis, budgeting, and forecasting. Deliver insightful financial analysis, ensure data quality and accurate reporting, and maintain strong stakeholder relationships to support executive decision-making and meet evolving business priorities.

Operational Excellence & Service Delivery

• Establish and manage service delivery frameworks, SLAs, and KPIs to ensure high-quality performance. Drive process standardisation, automation, and efficiency improvements, ensure compliance with financial policies and governance requirements, and promote best practices in data integrity, reporting consistency, and analytical excellence.

Business Partnering

• Serve as a senior liaison for Group FP&A, Professional Services, and Network Indirect leaders, aligning CoE deliverables with strategic priorities while providing expert guidance on financial planning, analysis, and decision-support practices to support business objectives.

Continuous Improvement

• Drive adoption of digital tools such as Anaplan and Power BI to enhance analytics, improve service delivery, and identify opportunities to expand CoE capabilities and create greater organisational value.

Role specific knowledge and experience: 

Essential:

• Proficient experience in FP&A, finance shared services, or CoE leadership roles.
• Proven experience managing senior finance teams, preferably in a global or matrix organisation.
• Deep understanding of FP&A processes, performance reporting, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior global finance leaders.
• Excellent analytical, problem‑solving, and communication skills.

Desirable:

• Experience working with global finance transformation programmes.
• Expertise in financial systems (e.g., SAP, Anaplan, Hyperion)
• Professional qualifications such as CMA, CPA, or MBA Finance.

Role specific skills:

• Strategic thinking and ability to translate vision into execution.
• Strong people leadership with a coaching mindset.
• Customer‑centric approach with a focus on service quality.
• Resilience, adaptability, and comfort working with ambiguity.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
• Excellent analytical and data skills along with strong planning and organisational skills are required.
• Flexibility, independence, and initiative to perform successfully in a global and rapidly changing environment.
• Ability to operate effectively and prioritise in a busy global facing role.

Qualifications

• Essential: Graduate and Qualified Chartered Accountant  

Language Requirements:

The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required.

Important Information:

• Business Division: Finance and Corporate Services
• Department: Financial Planning and Analysis
• Pay Band: 9/D
• Contract Type: Indefinite Contract (Permanent)
• Proof of Identity requirements/right to work in country: Candidates should ensure they have the pre-existing legal right to live and work in the country where the role is based. Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided. 

Starting Gross Salary:

Nigeria- NGN 55302176 (Annual)