Financial Controller - Media

Job Description:

Dentsu is an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world’s leading organisations. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, and now present in over 145 countries and regions, it has a proven track record of nurturing and developing innovations, combining the talents of its global network of leadership brands to develop impactful and integrated growth solutions for clients. Dentsu delivers end-to-end experience transformation (EX) by integrating its services across Media, CXM and Creative, while its business transformation (BX) mindset pushes the boundaries of transformation and sustainable growth for brands, people and society.

Purpose of the Role

Reporting into the UK&I Director of Financial Control, the UK Financial Controller – Media acts as the key link between the controllership function, operational finance and the wider business. This role ensures the integrity and efficiency of the Media practice area’s balance sheet, monitors associated risks, and enforces compliance with UK&I policies and frameworks.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as controller for a £400–500m asset base with >£1bn turnover, ensuring financial accuracy and compliance with internal control frameworks (JSOX, Group policies, UK&I standards).

• Monitor and resolve balance sheet risks, lead reconciliation processes and implement procedures to enhance efficiency and reduce financial exposure.

• Ensure compliance with formal KPI metrics, including the timeliness of the monthly close, reconciliation timeliness and quality, aged debt/unbilled balances, JSOX controls compliance, credit limit breaches, intercompany confirmations, internal audit findings and statutory filing compliance.

• Coordinate dashboards, ad-hoc analyses and working capital commentary for senior leadership, ensuring timely and actionable insights.

• Lead annual audit and statutory accounts processes for the Media practice area, and advise on complex accounting judgments and technical issues.

• Collaborate with FP&A and commercial finance on budgeting, forecasting, and working capital performance, while supporting UK&I leadership on strategic projects.

• Manage and mentor a team of 4 direct reports (8 FTE in total), oversee shared services, and foster a high-performance, collaborative team culture.

Qualifications + Skills

• Qualified ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent, with post-qualification experience.

• Ability to lead, mentor and develop teams with strong people management skills.

• Strong Excel skills; experience with Microsoft D365 and BPC (or similar consolidation/reporting tools).

• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and change, with a proactive mindset.

• Desirable experience in media sector, particularly in revenue recognition, complex client contracts, intercompany transactions, and industry-specific financial challenges.

What we offer

• This is a permanent role

• The team is based in our London office but operates under flexible working arrangements.

• As well as a competitive salary, you’ll enjoy a benefits package that you can tailor to your needs.

Inclusion and Diversity

At Dentsu, we embrace diversity and inclusion, valuing the unique perspectives and contributions of every individual. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and innovation, benefiting our employees, partners and communities.

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic. Beyond recruitment, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

We recognise the importance of work-life balance and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for all roles. If you need reasonable adjustments due to a disability or medical condition during our recruitment process, please contact us at [email protected], quoting the reference number of the role that you are applying for. Your needs will be handled with respect and confidentiality to ensure an inclusive and accessible experience.

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