Head of Accounting Shared Services

Job Description About Aberdeen Aberdeen plc is one of Europe’s largest investment companies, and we are built on a long-standing culture of caring about the future and making a positive impact. Together we invest for a better future. We do it to make a difference to the lives of our clients and customers, our employees, society, and our shareholders. Our business is structured around three distinct areas focused on our clients' changing needs: Aberdeen Investments, Aberdeen Adviser, and interactive investor. As Head of Accounting Shared Services, you will help bring 'Invest in your tomorrow' to life by protecting financial integrity and enabling trusted decisions for our clients and our business. About the Department Finance Operations is a core part of Aberdeen’s Finance function, delivering services across Record to Report, Billing, Banking, Accounts Payable and Supplier Relationship Management. Within Group Financial Control, the Record to Report team is responsible for managing General Ledger operations, balance sheet control, reconciliations and the delivery of month-end, quarter-end and year-end close activities across the Group. Working closely with colleagues in Edinburgh and Chennai, the team operates within a shared services environment, ensuring robust controls, accurate reporting and high-quality financial outcomes. Through strong governance, continuous improvement and operational excellence, the team helps enable our clients to be better investors. About the Role This is a senior Finance Operations leadership opportunity within the Record-to-Report (R2R) function, responsible for leading the organisation's General Ledger operations and financial control environment. As head of a large-scale operational finance function, you will be accountable for the delivery of core finance processes including ledger integrity, reconciliations, balance sheet substantiation, controls governance and period-end close activities. Working across Edinburgh and offshore teams, you will lead a shared services operating model focused on operational excellence, control effectiveness, service delivery and continuous improvement. The role is particularly suited to finance operations, shared services, R2R, controllership and finance service delivery leaders who have experience managing large operational teams and driving high-volume finance processes. Rather than focusing on statutory reporting and external accounts production, this role centres on the effective running of finance operations, ownership of key control frameworks and ensuring the integrity of financial data and processes across the business. Leading a team of General Ledger Leads and Analysts, you will establish performance standards, strengthen governance processes and develop a culture of accountability, customer service and operational excellence. You will also play a key role in future operating model development, leveraging automation, AI and process transformation initiatives…