Head of Finance, Operational Hubs

Clifford Chance is one of the world's leading law firms. The Firm's vision is to be the leader of the elite global law firms and aims to achieve this through its focus on client service excellence.  The firm has unrivalled scale and depth of legal resources across the key markets of the Americas, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe. 

Clifford Chance is dedicated to creating advantage for our clients - on every matter, every time. Our Warsaw Hub exemplifies this commitment. We offer a competitive edge and empower the right people to be at the forefront of technological innovation, such as AI investment, legal automation, bespoke tools, to drive transformation at Clifford Chance and create more added-value, efficient solutions for clients and the wider industry.

Joining our team means you will be part of a high-performing culture, globally recognised for the work we do and the advantage we create for world-leading clients. You’ll collaborate with the sharpest minds in the industry, working on some of the most critical legal and commercial business challenges and driving business support processes.

We focus on delivering operational excellence with specialist infrastructure and dedicated support such as, Finance, Legal and Executive administration support, , Risk and Compliance, Business Development, Branding, Marketing and Communications.

We are seeking a Head of Finance, Operational Hubs, to provide financial business partnership to our global Operational Hubs in Delhi, Newcastle and Warsaw, and finance management for our hub in Warsaw.

Our Legal teams are supported by excellent Business Professionals who have a significant footprint within our Operational Hubs. The role will be responsible for providing expert financial modelling, decision support, and management information to ensure cost transparency, as well as maintaining robust inter-office charging processes. This role partners closely with Hubs leadership and senior stakeholders to drive operational excellence, support business growth, and deliver financial insight across multiple jurisdictions. The role also includes responsibility for overseeing the accounting and financial reporting activities of the Warsaw Hub, in collaboration with a local vendor.

What you will do:

Management Reporting & Decision Support

• Develop management information reporting to support operational hub financial performance, leveraging standard KPIs and cost metrics.
• Provide actionable cost management and performance insights to Hub Leads and senior stakeholders to support strategic and operational decisions.
• Partner with hub leadership to identify efficiency opportunities and track delivery of financial benefits.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Controlling Alignment

• Drive standardisation of budget structures, reporting formats, and planning processes across hubs to ensure comparability and transparency and alignment with Clifford Chance processes.
• Support hub finance teams in addressing variances, cost drivers, and productivity metrics.

Intercompany Charging & Cost Allocation

• Maintain a globally consistent and tax‑compliant intercompany recharge framework across all operational hubs.
• Ensure alignment of recharge methodologies with transfer pricing principles, local statutory requirements, and Group finance policies, liaising closely with Clifford Chance group tax team.
• Together with Clifford Chance tax team, act as the global owner of operational hub recharges, governance, and documentation, including ongoing reviews and enhancements.

Cost Transparency & Benchmarking

• Establish and maintain a single source of truth for hub role placement cost models, enabling consistent cost comparison and decision‑making across locations.
• Own cost benchmarking methodologies, assumptions, and data integrity to support location strategy, workforce planning, and investment cases.

Pricing & Financial Modelling Expertise

• Serve as Subject Matter Expert (SME) and trusted advisor to functional leaders on the development of recharge, pricing, and cost‑to‑serve models.
• Ensure models reflect current GBS/SSC industry best practices and evolving operating model requirements.
• Provide guidance on scenario analysis, sensitivity modelling, and value‑based pricing approaches where applicable.

Warsaw Hub Accounting (supported by the local vendor)

• Preparation of monthly accounts for group reporting within group accounting system (Oracle)
• Preparation of monthly and annual accounts under Polish GAAP
• Calculation of Corporate Income Tax (CIT)
• Payroll and Social Fund calculations
• Preparation and submission of monthly VAT calculations and declarations
• Preparation of financial statements under local GAAP, including reconciliation between GPMS and statutory accounts.

Knowledge:

You are fluent both in Polish and English

Strong understanding of SSC/operational hubs recharging models

Good understanding of Polish Accounting Act, the Corporate Income Tax Act and management reporting within global organisation

You have very good knowledge and command of Microsoft Office tools (especially Excel) and have a certain affinity for IT systems.

You have knowledge of financial and accounting systems and applications.

Qualifications/Experience:

Bachelor's degree in business/ accounting/ finance.

Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in a leadership role within Shared Services Centers (SSCs) or similar environments is required.

Skills:

You have good planning and organizational skills, with the ability to adapt to changing environment and work with people at different levels.

You have highly developed problem-solving skills including the ability to resolve issues impacting different interconnected systems.

Your project management experience will be an asset.

You demonstrate attention to detail, commitment, high level of accuracy and diligence.

The Warsaw Hub is designed to help clients move faster, smarter, and with confidence. Joining us means becoming part of a dynamic and interconnected global network. Every day and on each project, you will connect with your colleagues across the world. You will learn, you will grow, and you will take your career in the direction you want.

We are closely integrated with the core business of Clifford Chance. This means frequent interactions with senior stakeholders, providing our team with invaluable insights. This close integration ensures that our work is aligned with the firm's overall goals and vision.

The Warsaw Hub requires individuals with advanced capabilities and the ability to engage in thought-partnering with Clifford Chance's lawyers and partners. This means that our team members are not just executing tasks but are actively contributing to the development of innovative legal solutions. This collaborative environment fosters professional growth and ensures that our team is always at the cutting edge of the legal industry.

You will work in the heart of the city. Warsaw is a friendly place to live and to work and has a cosmopolitan environment.

Equal opportunities

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.