Global SL CoE - Finance Assistant Director

At EY, you’ll have the chance to build a career as unique as you are, with the global scale, support, inclusive culture and technology to become the best version of you. And we’re counting on your unique voice and perspective to help EY become even better, too. Join us and build an exceptional experience for yourself, and a better working world for all. 

Global SL CoE – Finance Assistant Director – GDS

Overview

As part of the All in strategy the Tax and Assurance Centers of Excellence are being transformed and included in the New Global structure. These COEs will continue to be governed and managed by the respective SLs but will be supported by one enablement team. The CoEs house strategic investments made by the SLs to enhance and accelerate EY’s growth across our Big Bets and will operate alongside the Super Regions.

At the start of FY26, the Assurance and Tax CoEs across EMEIA and Asia-Pacific will transport into their respective global SL constructs. The combined CoEs will generate over $130m in revenues, house 580 professionals, operate across 30 countries in EMEIA and Asia-Pacific and drive some of the Firms most strategic initiatives.

It will be managed as a separate autonomous Region, with their own P&L, management and enablement structure and reporting directly to Global SL Deputy Vice Chair and Governance Boards.

The opportunity

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the newly created Global SL CoE for an Assistant Director to support the Assurance and Tax CoE Finance Controllers. The role will play a vital role in the financial management of the Global CoEs and reports directly to the Global CoE SL Controllers. You would be part of a wider enablement team spread across the EMEIA and Asia-Pacific who provide operational support (Finance, Operations, Talent/HR, Recruitment) to enable the CoEs success.

The role interacts directly with the CoE Leadership team across both Assurance and Tax CoEs, Global SL & SSL Leadership, all regional finance teams as well our GDS teams and you will have financial responsibility from Revenue to Total Income for a section of the CoE portfolio.

We assist SL Leadership in maintaining financial control, addressing business challenges, and supporting strategic initiatives. We analyse and interpret data beyond the standard reporting cycles and are curious to explore connections that impact our business. We conduct in-depth analysis and research and contribute analytical thinking to drive change across the SL business agenda.

We are looking for a dynamic, forward thinking and pragmatic finance professional to join the team. The role suits someone with experience in operating across multiple geographies either in Global, Area or multi-country roles and has controlling and PBFA finance experience as well as having strong project management. They must have an ability to operate independently, be pragmatic in their approach, be open-minded to change and be focused on best in class delivery.

We are pro-active in making connections across EY and are committed to providing a consistently high service to our stakeholders, leveraging the best of what we see across the SLs including leveraging available EY tools and technology.

Your key responsibilities

• Provide FP&A support to the CoE including planning, financial controllership, modelling and analysis to support business planning, interpret performance and facilitate operational decision-making
• Working alongside the CoE Financial Controller and the Business by sharing and interpreting this information that will help to improve business performance
• Analyze and present complex financial and non-financial data in a way that is easily understandable to inform strategic decisions and provide insights into business performance. Pro-actively suggest ways to solve problems and to display presentations. Develop and support the delivery of presentations that engage audiences, responding to questions and concerns arising
• Working with the Financial Controllers on month/year end process - analyzing and understanding operating statements, preparing accruals and pre-payments
• You will be responsible for the weekly and monthly financial close activities – analyzing results, ensuring costs are accurate and reporting to the respective businesses and leadership
• Financial management of Strategic SL projects operated through the CoE, preparing plans, managing actuals to plan and providing detailed variance analysis
• Be seen as a trusted business advisor by the business and be the 'Go To' contact for financial issues while supporting the business Leaders. Develop effective working relationships with the extended Finance team and leadership, becoming a key point of contact
• Respond to requests from Finance and SL Leadership to answer specific ad hoc financial questions and provide insightful information to advance leadership discussions and decision making. This will require the ability to model projections, identify trends and issues that need to be analysed and understood
• Implement global financial planning approaches that will facilitate the achievement of strategic and operational goals.  Utilize the planning process and related communications to achieve alignment of priorities; analyze and challenge Plans, highlighting key issues, opportunities and provide remedial recommendations
• Budgeting and Forecasting – supporting the SL Leadership and CoE Financial Controllers to prepare annual plans and half-yearly forecasts
• Overseeing the working capital management for your portfolio
• Harness financial technology tools and digitalization to innovate and modernize the finance function, delivering best in class support for the business and thus facilitating enhanced real-time reporting and analysis (e.g. automation, AI)
• Building relationships and working with, the individual Super Region finance teams as well as the Global SL CFOs

Skills and attributes for success

• Global, Area or multi-country EY finance experience
• Extensive knowledge of and practical experience of EY’s FP&A activities – financial management and financial planning
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to collect, organize, analyse, and disseminate significant amounts of information with attention to detail and accuracy.
• A proven experience in a strategy, analytics, or business modelling role.
• Detailed oriented as well as high-quality and consistency standards
• Credibility and confidence to challenge and propose better ways of doing things, build bridges and harmonize divergent interests and priorities.
• Advanced EY reporting tool skills is useful (e.g., FR/Markets/Revenue Analyzer/Ah hoc cubes, ThoughtSpot, etc.)
• Advanced Excel skills, with ability to manipulate and draw trends from vast amounts of data as well as for sensitivity analysis and scenario modeling
• Proficient in using AI tools for data mining, trend analysis, and predictive modelling.
• Strong problem-solving skills and business acumen including ability to develop best in class solutions and recommendations.
• Highly team-oriented approach, with flexibility regarding tasks undertaken and the ability to prioritize a number of conflicting demands to meet exacting deadlines
• Very strong project management, communication and modernization skills
• Ability to communicate financial information across a wide range of stakeholders (both withing finance and across the Tax practice)
• Confident and able to build strong relationships at management/partner levels
• Commercial approach and ability to demonstrate clear business understanding
• Advanced PowerPoint skills, with ability to summarize clearly and succinctly for leadership what insights and observations are being recommended for leadership materials that is easy to read and understand by a combination of taglines, comments, and data visualization.
• Written and oral fluency in English required

EY | Building a better working world 

 
EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.  

 
Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.  

 
Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.