Head of Finance

Role overview

Arachas, Ireland’s largest nationwide insurance broker, is part of the wider Ardonagh Group, a global insurance distribution platform with operations across the UK, Europe, APAC, LATAM, and its specialist London Wholesale market business. The group places $18Bn of insurance premium annually and generates approximately £2.0Bn in income. The business is backed by funds managed by HPS Investment Partners, Madison Dearborn Partners, Stonepoint Capital Partners, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, as well as management and employees. Arachas operates within the Europe platform.

The Head of Finance is a senior leadership role based in Sandyford, Dublin 18, reporting to the CFO. The role leads the reporting and controllership agenda for the Arachas Group entities, with responsibility for establishing strong controls, ensuring accurate internal and external reporting, and supporting financial governance across the business.

This position suits an experienced finance leader with a background in senior financial management, team leadership, control improvement, reporting enhancement, and executive partnership. The role also plays a major part in integrating acquired businesses, including acquisition accounting and alignment of reporting and compliance processes. It offers the chance to contribute to a large international group with a growing European footprint.

Reporting and controllership leadership

• Set and execute finance strategies that support wider business objectives.
• Own the financial reporting, tax, and statutory compliance processes.
• Manage monthly and quarterly reporting cycles to ensure all deadlines are met.
• Maintain compliance with IFRS and relevant regulatory standards.
• Improve the internal control environment and strengthen risk governance.
• Oversee external audit activity and statutory reporting deliverables.
• Support finance transformation initiatives and continuous process improvement.

Integration and cross-functional support

• Coordinate finance integration work for newly acquired entities, covering reporting, compliance, and operational alignment.
• Work closely with M&A and FP&A teams to deliver the milestones in the integration plan.
• Partner with internal teams across the business to resolve accounting-related matters.
• Collaborate with external advisors, Group tax specialists, technical accounting teams, and reporting teams.
• Build strong working relationships with senior leaders, internal stakeholders, and external partners.

Team leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop the finance team.
• Create a high-performance culture with a focus on ongoing professional development.
• Promote accountability, adaptability, and effective collaboration across the function.

Qualifications and experience

• Degree-level education or an equivalent qualification.
• Professional accountancy certification such as ACA, ACCA, or CIMA, supported by industry experience.
• More than 5 years of experience in a senior financial management position.
• Experience with reporting under FRS 101.
• Working knowledge of IFRS, UK GAAP, Dynamics 365, and Tagetik.
• Intermediate-level Microsoft Office skills.

Personal attributes and working style

• Strong analytical, investigative, and problem-solving ability.
• Sound project management skills and the ability to handle competing priorities.
• Good understanding of regulatory and audit requirements.
• Clear written and verbal communication, including the ability to explain complex matters simply.
• Confidence in presenting concise, professional updates to senior management.
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and an enquiring mindset.
• Integrity, assertiveness, and flexibility when dealing with complex or business-critical issues.
• Willingness to adapt working practices, priorities, and hours to meet business needs.

Work location

This role is based onsite in Sandyford, Dublin 18, Ireland.