Ogilvy UK
Our vision is to inspire brands and people to impact the world. To create big ideas that make a significant contribution to the planet, society, and the bottom line. We believe in today’s world this is the best way for our clients to achieve sustainable growth.
We achieve this by breaking down the barriers that restrict talent and ideas.
Which is why our teams work fluidly across five capabilities: Advertising, Consulting, Experience, PR and Health. This allows us to not only operate but innovate at the intersection of capabilities and talent. We believe impact and magic lies at this intersection.
Ogilvy scales this by seamlessly connecting and accessing the deep cultural expertise of 132 offices in 83 countries.
The result is multifaceted ideas for our clients that drive impact and are born from the intersection of platform x culture x technology.
We call this Borderless Creativity.
About Ogilvy
Ogilvy, part of WPP, has been creating impact for brands through iconic, culture-changing, value-driving ideas since the company was founded by David Ogilvy 75 years ago. It builds on that rich legacy through Borderless Creativity – innovating at the intersections of its advertising, public relations, relationship design, consulting, and health capabilities with experts collaborating seamlessly across over 120 offices in nearly 90 countries. Ogilvy currently ranks as the #1 global agency network for creative excellence and effectiveness by WARC, signifying its ability to deliver creative solutions that drive unreasonable impact for clients and communities. Ogilvy is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP). For more information, visit Ogilvy.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.
About WPP
WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced and proactive Financial Controller to join our world-leading advertising and marketing agency, Ogilvy, based at Sea Containers, London. Reporting directly to the Group Finance Director, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the efficient functioning of our finance department, overseeing all financial reporting activities for Ogilvy EMEA and WPP. This is a critical leadership position, managing a team of nine (with four direct reports), where you will be instrumental in developing best practices, driving consistency, efficiency, and ensuring robust compliance across all financial operations.
What You'll Do
As our Financial Controller, you'll step into a pivotal leadership role at the heart of Ogilvy's finance department. You'll be instrumental in shaping our financial narrative, driving operational excellence, and ensuring robust compliance across all financial operations for Ogilvy EMEA and WPP. This role offers the chance to make a significant impact, working closely with senior leadership and managing a dedicated team.
Your key responsibilities will include:
- Leading and developing a team of nine (with four direct reports), fostering best practices and driving consistency and efficiency within the finance department.
- Overseeing all core financial reporting activities, from month-end P&L (Flash and Actuals) and Balance Sheet, to strategic Budget and Re-forecast submissions, providing crucial data for WPP and Ogilvy EMEA.
- Ensuring rigorous financial compliance and control, acting as a key owner for WPP control reviews, maintaining ICFR adherence, and serving as the primary contact for all auditors.
- Driving continuous process improvement across financial systems, including vendor set-up, POs, invoice approvals, and payment processes, to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
You'll also play a vital role in assisting with insightful financial presentations for CEO and CFO review meetings, providing commentary on variances, and managing all essential regulatory reporting required under UK law.
What You'll Need
We are looking for a highly skilled and motivated individual with:
- Qualifications & Experience:
- Qualified (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) or qualified by extensive experience.
- 6+ years of progressive experience within a finance team.
- Proven experience in managing a team, including staff hiring and development.
- Experience with month-end reporting and comprehensive financial analysis.
- Experience with vendor management and accounts payable processes.
- Skills & Attributes:
- Strong analytical and financial skills with meticulous attention to detail and accuracy.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, enabling effective collaboration across all levels.
- Strong Excel proficiency is essential.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines, both independently and for your team.
- Proactive, self-motivated, and able to work effectively independently and as part of a dynamic team.
- Experience of compliance frameworks (WPP experience would be advantageous).
- Familiarity with regulatory requirements.
- Knowledge of staff cost reporting and analysis (advantageous).
- Workday experience (advantageous).
Benefits
We believe in supporting our people to do their best work and live their best lives.
- 25 days annual leave plus the option to buy up to 5 extra days leave + 1 volunteer day
- Bupa Healthcare
- Enhanced family friendly policies, including, adoption and shared parental leave
- Menopause support
- We have a Flexible Working Model with core working hours: 10am – 4pm
- A generous pension scheme - you pay in 4% we pay 6%, following probation contributions are matched up to 10.5% (17.5% in total
- A fantastic Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provided by Telus which offers brilliant support, expert advice and specialist counselling
- Help @ Hand - quick free access to a remote GP, mental health support, physio or a medical 2nd opinion
Our ambition is to attract the very best diverse talent to Ogilvy, and to be the employer of choice in the UK. We want everyone to feel welcome when they join us, and once they’re here, for them to want to stay with us, grow their career, and to feel they belong with us.
We are an equal opportunity employer and we’re committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone who wants to work at Ogilvy. For us, diversity, equity and inclusion is integrated into everything that we do. We believe that for creativity to flourish, everything about how we work must have diversity at its core. Your race, colour, ethnic, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, have no bearing on our hiring decisions, but we encourage everyone to feel free to express their true selves in an environment we are consistently striving to make as inclusive as possible.
We aim to facilitate an accessible and positive application experience for all candidates. If you require any adjustments from us to support you through the process or expect to require any adjustments to working conditions to be able to best perform in the role, please let us know. We are happy to consider all reasonable adjustments.
If you live with a disability and you would like to take advantage of our offer of a guaranteed interview under the Disability Confident Scheme, please ensure you fill out our voluntary Equal Opportunities Questionnaire when applying.
Ready to apply?
Apply to Ogilvy UK
Job Title: Commercial WIP Manager
Location: London
Contract Type: Fixed-Term (12 months)
Reporting to: Commercial WIP Manager Lead
About Ogilvy: Impacting Brands & the World
At Ogilvy, our vision is to inspire brands and people to impact the world. We're driven to create big ideas that contribute significantly to the planet, society, and the bottom line. We believe this is how our clients achieve sustainable growth, and we achieve it by breaking down barriers that restrict talent and ideas.
Our teams work fluidly across five core capabilities: Advertising, Consulting, Experience, PR & Influencer, and Health. This unique approach allows us to innovate at the intersection of talent and expertise – what we call Borderless Creativity. With 132 offices in 83 countries, we seamlessly connect deep cultural insights to deliver multifaceted ideas that drive impact, born from the intersection of platform x culture x technology.
We're proud to be at the forefront of our industry, ranked as the number one UK agency at D&AD and the only UK agency to win a Glass Lion at Cannes. Ogilvy was also nominated 'Network of the Year' by Campaign, Effie Awards EMEA, London International Awards, The One Show, and WARC Rankings. Join a team that consistently pushes boundaries and delivers award-winning work!
The Opportunity
We're seeking a dedicated and proactive Commercial WIP Manager to join our Commercial Finance team in London on a 12-month fixed-term contract. Reporting directly to the Commercial WIP Manager Lead, you will play a critical role as a gatekeeper of billable projects, overseeing the billing and Work-In-Progress (WIP) management for a diverse portfolio of clients.
This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a dynamic team committed to embedding best commercial practices throughout all agency business transactions. You will ensure best practice is applied to project management across the full project lifecycle, working closely with Commercial Managers, other WIP Managers, and agency client teams.
What You'll Be Doing:
- Project & Financial Management:
- Oversee the entire project lifecycle, ensuring adherence to Workday project opening processes, timely follow-up, and accurate project closure.
- Proactively manage WIP, hold regular review meetings with client teams, and ensure project profitability is reviewed and signed off.
- Ensure timely and accurate client invoicing, adhering to both client and internal Ogilvy processes.
- Manage credit notes, review open Purchase Orders, and allocate WIP and prebill balances.
- Monitor and manage FX gains/losses on projects.
- Client & Data Integrity:
- Set up new clients in Workday and maintain accurate master data.
- Ensure strict adherence to VAT rules and foreign currency policies for each client.
- Net Working Capital (NWC) Management:
- Proactively review WIP and collaborate with our Finance Plus (Shared Service Centre) Debtors Team to resolve any issues and prevent NWC provisions.
- Compliance & Best Practice:
- Ensure full compliance with ICFR (internal control) policies and regulations.
- Assist with internal and client audits, and champion adherence to all internal procedures and supplier PO policies.
- Promote best practice in the use of all systems, including supporting client teams with Workday training and ad hoc requests.
What You'll Bring:
- Experience:
- Preferred media industry experience, or a strong background in a service-oriented business with a clear commercial focus.
- Familiarity with Billing, WIP, and Net Working Capital (NWC) management is essential.
- Workday experience is advantageous.
- Skills & Attributes:
- Proactive, self-motivated, with a keen eye for process improvement.
- A confident, enthusiastic communicator (both written and verbal) with proven stakeholder management abilities.
- Exceptional attention to detail, coupled with strong organisational and time management skills to navigate multiple deadlines and priorities effectively.
- Strong Excel skills (e.g., SUMIFS, VLOOKUPS).
How We Help You Thrive:
We believe in supporting our people to do their best work and live their best lives.
- 25 days annual leave plus the option to buy up to 5 extra days leave + 1 volunteer day
- Bupa Healthcare
- Enhanced family friendly policies, including, adoption and shared parental leave
- Menopause support
- We have a Flexible Working Model with core working hours: 10am – 4pm
- A generous pension scheme - you pay in 4% we pay 6%, following probation contributions are matched up to 10.5% (17.5% in total
- A fantastic Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provided by Telus which offers brilliant support, expert advice and specialist counselling
- Help @ Hand - quick free access to a remote GP, mental health support, physio or a medical 2nd opinion
Our ambition is to attract the very best diverse talent to Ogilvy, and to be the employer of choice in the UK. We want everyone to feel welcome when they join us, and once they’re here, for them to want to stay with us, grow their career, and to feel they belong with us.
We are an equal opportunity employer and we’re committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone who wants to work at Ogilvy. For us, diversity, equity and inclusion is integrated into everything that we do. We believe that for creativity to flourish, everything about how we work must have diversity at its core. Your race, colour, ethnic, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, have no bearing on our hiring decisions, but we encourage everyone to feel free to express their true selves in an environment we are consistently striving to make as inclusive as possible.
We aim to facilitate an accessible and positive application experience for all candidates. If you require any adjustments from us to support you through the process or expect to require any adjustments to working conditions to be able to best perform in the role, please let us know. We are happy to consider all reasonable adjustments.
If you live with a disability and you would like to take advantage of our offer of a guaranteed interview under the Disability Confident Scheme, please ensure you fill out our voluntary Equal Opportunities Questionnaire when applying.
Ready to apply?
Apply to Ogilvy UK
About Ogilvy
Ogilvy, part of WPP, has been creating impact for brands through iconic, culture-changing, value-driving ideas since the company was founded by David Ogilvy 75 years ago. It builds on that rich legacy through Borderless Creativity – innovating at the intersections of its advertising, public relations, relationship design, consulting, and health capabilities with experts collaborating seamlessly across over 120 offices in nearly 90 countries.
About WPP
WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.
Ogilvy Health UK is made up of healthcare communication specialists across the disciplines of medical education and communications; brain sciences; brand promotion; digital and social; strategic planning; public relations; and creative/design. We believe we are like no other: we blaze new trails; we encourage a culture of creativity and innovation; we challenge, and we change; and we recognise and reward our team.
Department: Finance
Location: Sea Containers - hybrid working 3 days in office
Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week
Contract: 12 Month Fixed Term Contract
The Opportunity
At Ogilvy Health UK, we combine the science of health with the art of communications to make a real difference. As our Finance Assistant, you'll play a crucial role within our dedicated Finance team, based in the heart of London. You'll be instrumental in supporting the financial management of our client projects, from initial setup through to billing and reconciliation. This 12-month FTC offers a brilliant chance to develop your skills, work closely with diverse teams, and contribute directly to the smooth running of our agency's financial health and client success. If you thrive on precision and want to be part of a leading global agency, this is the role for you!
What You'll Do
As our Finance Assistant, you'll be at the heart of our project financial lifecycle. Your key responsibilities will include:
- Project Setup & Maintenance: Setting up new client projects in our ERP system (Workday) with accurate budgets, rates, and documentation. You’ll also assist with ongoing project updates, ensuring financial records are precise and audit-ready.
- Billing & Invoicing: Taking ownership of processing client invoices accurately and ensuring they align with contracts and internal policies. You'll maintain billing logs, gather necessary details, and coordinate approvals.
- Credit Control Support: Liaising with shared service teams on invoice finalisation and credit control matters, and efficiently resolving billing queries from both clients and internal stakeholders.
- Revenue & Reconciliation: Supporting our month-end and year-end processes by assisting with reconciliations of Work In Progress (WIP), accrued revenue, and debtors.
- Reporting & Analysis: Producing key revenue and project-related reports from our ERP system and providing ad hoc financial analysis to support the team.
- Compliance & Documentation: Maintaining meticulous financial records, ensuring compliance with internal policies, SOX controls, and accounting standards. You’ll take full ownership of your tasks, seeing them through to completion.
What You'll Need
We're looking for someone who is not only excellent with numbers but also a great team player:
- Experience: Previous experience using an ERP system is essential (Workday experience is a plus!). Billing or finance experience, especially within an agency environment, would be highly beneficial.
- Technical Skills: Strong proficiency in Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, and data cleaning techniques.
- Communication: Excellent communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and work effectively with multiple stakeholders across different teams.
- Attention to Detail: An exceptional eye for detail and a commitment to accuracy, coupled with the ability to manage your workload efficiently to meet tight deadlines.
- Proactivity: A self-starter who takes initiative and ownership of tasks, ensuring they are completed to a high standard.
Benefits & Culture
At Ogilvy Health, you'll be part of a non-hierarchical, eclectic team united by a shared commitment to doing the best work of our lives (its one of our values!). Beyond client work, you'll have opportunities to engage with our vibrant culture and social teams, and contribute to our fantastic DEI initiatives, championing diversity across our agency and industry.
We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package, including:
- 25 days annual leave, with the option to purchase up to an extra 5 days per year, plus your birthday off and a paid volunteering day
- Generous enhanced parental leave policies
- A robust pension scheme (up to 17.5% total contributions after probation)
- Choice of Private Medical Cover (Bupa from day one), Dental cover, or a monthly £45 leisure allowance for your health & wellbeing
- A fantastic Employee Assistance Programme (Telus) offering support, advice, and specialist counselling
- Help at Hand: quick, free access to a remote GP, mental health support, physio, or a medical second opinion
- Free 1-2-1 Coaching through Thrive Partners for professional or personal growth
- A comprehensive Learning & Development programme to support your career trajectory
Our ambition is to attract the very best diverse talent to Ogilvy, and to be the employer of choice in the UK. We want everyone to feel welcome when they join us, and once they’re here, for them to want to stay with us, grow their career, and to feel they belong with us.
We are an equal opportunity employer and we’re committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone who wants to work at Ogilvy. For us, diversity, equity and inclusion is integrated into everything that we do. We believe that for creativity to flourish, everything about how we work must have diversity at its core. Your race, colour, ethnic, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, have no bearing on our hiring decisions, but we encourage everyone to feel free to express their true selves in an environment we are consistently striving to make as inclusive as possible.
We aim to facilitate an accessible and positive application experience for all candidates. If you require any adjustments from us to support you through the process or expect to require any adjustments to working conditions to be able to best perform in the role, please let us know. We are happy to consider all reasonable adjustments.
If you live with a disability and you would like to take advantage of our offer of a guaranteed interview under the Disability Confident Scheme, please ensure you fill out our voluntary Equal Opportunities Questionnaire when applying.
Ready to apply?
Apply to Ogilvy UK