Subsidiary Finance Manager
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
Job purpose
The Subsidiary Finance Manager is responsible for managing the financial operations across multiple subsidiary companies, ensuring accurate and timely reporting, compliance with statutory requirements, and supporting strategic decision-making. This role involves overseeing month-end close processes, preparing management accounts for each subsidiary as required, and contributing to operational discussions at board level.
Main duties & responsibilities
- Month-End Close
- Complete all month-end close procedures for multiple subsidiaries on a timely basis, ensuring the accurate posting of journal entries and the performance of all appropriate financial reconciliations. The role holder will be required to work with other University colleagues to ensure that corrective action is taken in an effective and efficient manner to resolve any reconciling items on these reconciliations
- Ensure accuracy and timeliness of financial data across all entities and work with other University colleagues to ensure that all policies, procedures and internal controls are complied with
- Raise and process timely and accurate invoices for each subsidiary in line with company policies
- Proactively manage accounts receivable and payable across subsidiaries to maintain healthy cash flow
- Management Reporting
- Prepare monthly management accounts for each subsidiary, provide insightful variance analysis, ensure adherence to a ‘no surprises’ culture and ensure that the information produced for stakeholders is accurate, timely, relevant and reliable
- Prepare budgets for each subsidiary, ensuring that the process is continually improved both in terms of data quality and analytical insight. As part of the budgeting process, the role holder will be required to liaise with senior management and budget holders, consolidate financial information, produce commentary and ensure that the proposed budgets have been evaluated and approved by relevant stakeholders
- Deliver insights and recommendations to support operational and strategic decisions
- Board Engagement
- Attend operational board meetings for each subsidiary to present and shape financial performance and forecasts
- Act as a financial advisor to subsidiary boards on financial matters by providing expert professional advice and guidance
- Year-End Financial Statements
- Act as the primary day-to-day contact for external auditors and ensure timely completion of audits across all entities
- Lead on the implementation of new accounting standards that impact on the financial statements of the subsidiaries
- Intercompany Responsibilities
- Reconcile the intercompany position with the University and work with other members of the finance team to ensure that corrective action is taken
- Responsible for preparing and maintaining the intercompany matrix at year end which is a critical part of the group consolidation
- Tax Responsibilities
- Provide any additional information required by colleagues in the wider team for VAT returns and corporation tax returns
- Ensure compliance and provide details for the Construction Industry Scheme if a subsidiary company becomes registered
- Regulatory/Statutory Compliance and Internal Controls
- Ensure timely and accurate filings at Companies House (financial statements, changes in directors, annual confirmation statements etc.) after obtaining relevant approvals from directors
- Maintain strong internal controls and ensure adherence to company policies and regulatory requirements across subsidiaries
- Work with other finance colleagues as required in the implementation of the new Finance system (Project Sierra) surrounding the subsidiary companies and the intercompany position
Knowledge and qualifications
Essential
- CA/ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified with post qualifying experience commensurate to this level of role.
- Ordinary/Honours Degree (SCQF Level 9, 10 or 11) or equivalent.
- Strong up to date knowledge of the technical accounting environment in the UK.
- Strong technical accounting knowledge.
Skills
Essential
- Excellent planning and organisational skills.
- Ability to prioritise workload to deliver to tight deadlines and manage competing demands from various stakeholders.
- Ability to identify control weaknesses and recommend and implement solutions to resolve these areas.
- Ability to apply intellectual rigour and analytical insight to support qualitative decision – making.
- Highly effective oral and written communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to challenge assumptions and practices with diplomacy.
- An ability to demystify complex financial concepts for non-financial colleagues.
- Resilient and able to effectively deal with ambiguity and able to maintain momentum in the face of obstacles/setbacks.
- Advanced skills in the use of Microsoft packages such as Excel, Word, Visio, PowerPoint and accounting software packages.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Team working skills.
Experience
Essential
- Significant professional experience as a qualified accountant.
- Experience of a complex organisation with a large volume of transactions.
- Experience of producing statutory accounts and management accounts.
- Experience of documenting procedures and financial controls.
- Experience of working to tight deadlines.
- Demonstrable experience of continued professional development.
- Experience of preparing management accounts.
World-Changing Campus
We have delivered one of the most significant expansions of a UK university city campus for over a century.
Over the last decade, the University of Glasgow has invested in its estate to expand its world-class campus and facilities.
An area covering 14 acres of land next to our magnificent Gilmorehill campus has been redeveloped to build a mix of modern research, teaching and public spaces.
Our new buildings will mean the University remains a centre for world-changing research, as well as a vibrant community hub and centre for public engagement.
The development will transform our teaching, learning and research spaces. It will allow us to bring together the best minds of today and tomorrow within world-class interdisciplinary research spaces that offer flexibility and stimulate collaboration, and modern study spaces that will combine study and social learning space with technology enabled teaching.
- The Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre (ARC) is changing the way research is conducted at Glasgow. The ARC is the creative and collaborative heart of research at the University of Glasgow, bridging the boundaries between research, cross-subject collaboration and true societal impact . The ARC brings more than 500 world-leading researchers from a range of disciplines together in a building specifically designed to break down organisational structure and facilitate collaboration and interdisciplinary work.
- The James McCune Smith Learning Hub is an inspirational and diverse learning space. The flagship building was the first to be completed as part of our campus development, and provides a creative environment, combining flexible study and social learning space with multi-styled and technology-enabled teaching. It can accommodate more than 2,500 students, and includes a lecture theatre with capacity for 500 students. State-of-the-art teaching facilities, with flexible study spaces and interactive teaching for students, help to create a more immersive learning experience.
Find out more
Living in Glasgow
A UNESCO City of Music, a vibrant arts and culture scene, a food-lover’s delight, and a shopper’s paradise. Just some of the highlights of the ‘friendliest city in the world’. As well as that accolade by the Rough Guides poll, Glasgow has also been named a must visit destination by publications including the New York Times, The Guardian, and Wanderlust.
Music
The city hosts an average of 130 music events a week catering for every taste; from rock to rap, and classical to country. Glasgow also has a world class club scene playing host to some of the world’s top DJs.
Shopping
Outside of London’s West End, Glasgow is frequently voted the best place for shopping in the UK. A must-visit destination for any shop-a-holic, it houses high street chains, international designers, and independent retailers. The West End, home to the University of Glasgow, is bustling with vintage fashion, vinyl stores, and second-hand bookshops.
Arts and Culture
Glasgow’s arts scene has gone from strength to strength, and is the base for five internationally renowned performing arts companies including the National Theatre of Scotland and Scottish Ballet. The city has several world-class museums, which are free to the public, and the city’s architecture is a work of art in itself.
Food and drink
You can be in Glasgow and taste the world with its many diverse restaurants, cafes, and bars. And if you’ve yet to sample the delights of haggis and whisky, Glasgow is the place to be.
The City and Beyond
Glasgow has all the opportunities and excitement of a big city but its compact size means you can quickly travel from one vibrant district to the next. You could be relaxing in one of its many parks, before shopping in the quirky West End, and then dancing until the wee small hours in the Merchant City.
And when you fancy getting out of the city you can reach the stunning Loch Lomond in just 30 minutes, climb one of our many breath-taking Munros, play golf at one of Scotland’s many world-class courses, visit one of our ancient castles, or go further North and search for Nessie! Scotland has also just been named the world’s most beautiful country by Rough Guides.
Relocating to Glasgow
Choosing to relocate to Glasgow is a big decision. There are numerous things to be considered, such as the costs of moving, the cost of living, and where exactly to relocate to. We have created a guide to aide you in the decision making process.
Find out more on relocating to Glasgow at the below link:
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
WORLD CHANGING GLASGOW 2025
Our outstanding disciplinary breadth and expertise has enabled us to make world-changing advances in fields as diverse as medicine, physics, linguistics, public policy and global development.
The key to our success is our talented staff and students pushing back at the boundaries of knowledge and understanding together.
Our World Changers Together strategy recognises the fundamental importance of a culture of open cooperation: not just as colleagues and mentors or students and teachers, but as a community of discovery that reaches beyond its walls and draws inspiration and strength from its connections and partnerships worldwide: excellence that's part of something bigger. The strategy is articulated across three themes:
COMMUNITY
- People centred, globally engaged
CONNECTIVITY
- Collaboratively minded, digitally enhanced
CHALLENGES
- Solution focused, impact oriented
Find out more
How to apply
Full details of the role and how to apply can be found by visiting our website:
The closing date for applications is 6 April 2026
Terms & Conditions
Salary will be Grade 8, £50,253 - £58,225 per annum.
This post is full time (35 hours p/w) and open ended. Relocation assistance will be provided where appropriate.
The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.
3 A flexible approach to working.
4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.
We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.
We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.
We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.
It is the University of Glasgow’s mission to foster an inclusive climate, which ensures equality in our working, learning, research and teaching environment. We strongly endorse the principles of Athena SWAN, including a supportive and flexible working environment, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equity.
Our values
The future holds innumerable challenges for our sector, our society, and our world. We will have to adapt and change what we do and what we offer if we are to navigate these successfully. Our strategy and approach may evolve as the landscape changes, but our values will remain constant: a fixed point of certainty in uncertain times.
We have identified our values in consultation and partnership with our staff and student community. Living and upholding these values will ensure that we remain true to the spirit of our community and ourselves:
Ambition and Excellence
- We strive for excellence through our work
- We defend academic freedom globally
- We recognise and celebrate shared success
- We have an unrelenting focus on development
Curiosity and Discovery
- We innovate and solve problems together
- We lead by influence and example
- We engage with lifelong learning and personal development
- We learn from our mistakes
Integrity and Truth
- We uphold honesty, integrity and fairness
- We share our work widely and generously
- We do the right thing, not the easy thing - or we don’t do it
- We take responsibility
An Inclusive Community
- We are one Glasgow team, and we care for and respect one another
- We advocate for diversity and believe in variety as a vital part of a healthy university
- We champion education as an engine for social progress
- We practise and advance sustainability