Senior Principal - Tech Finance Manager

Business Introduction

GSK remains committed to achieving bold commercial ambitions for the future. By 2031, we aim to deliver £40 billion in annual sales, leveraging our existing strong performance momentum to significantly increase our positive impact on the health of billions of patients globally. Our Ahead Together strategy is centred on early intervention to prevent and alter the course of disease, thereby protecting people and supporting healthcare systems. Our diverse portfolio consists of vaccines, specialty medicines, and general medicines. Through continuous innovation and a dedicated focus on scientific and technical excellence, we strive to develop and launch new, groundbreaking treatments that address critical health challenges.

Job Purpose

Accountable for the financial management of [domain/platform team], applying the standards set by central Technology Business Operations. The role owns the budget, forecast, actuals and cost transparency, runs the day-to-day financial operations, and provides accurate, consistent financial inputs into the central DPTF reporting cycles. It gives leadership a clear view of spend, forecast and financial risk, and operates under a dotted line to the Director, Business Operations for financial governance and standards.

ROLE SCALE, COMPLEXITY AND IMPACT

This is a senior technology finance leadership role with end-to-end accountability for the financial position of the assigned technology domain or platform portfolio. The role integrates complex run, change, supplier, workforce, tooling, licence and investment cost drivers into a single decision-quality view for senior leadership.

The post holder manages and assures a complex annual cost base of approximately GBP 25 million, subject to confirmation through the Rewards and Finance calibration process. The role is accountable for forecast integrity, cost control, financial risk, investment insight and the quality of submissions feeding consolidated DPTF reporting and leadership decisions.

MARKET AND GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE

Global scope across the regions, countries and markets supported by the relevant technology services. The role consolidates financial inputs across geographically distributed teams and suppliers, while addressing differences in currency, local cost structures, market commitments, contractual arrangements and regulatory or control requirements.

Experience is required to operate as an independent financial authority for a material global portfolio, withstand senior challenge, identify second-order financial consequences and influence decisions where cost, service resilience, technology risk and strategic priorities compete.

Key Responsibilities

Budgeting, Forecasting and Performance

Own the budget, forecast and actuals, planning and tracking the cost base to the enterprise finance timetable.

Analyse variance, risk and opportunity against plan and provide clear commentary and recommendations to leadership.

Support business cases, funding requests and investment tracking, with spend decisions owned by the [domain/platform team].

Financial Operations

Run financial operations, including accruals, reclasses, cross-charges, purchase orders, invoices and payment follow-up.

Support month-end, quarter-end and year-end close for the enterprise finance timetable.

Ensure financial transactions and records are accurate, complete and processed within control requirements.

Cost Transparency and Reporting

Provide cost transparency, including vendor, contractor and unit-cost views at the level leadership needs.

Maintain a financial view of headcount, covering budgeted positions and vacancies.

Provide accurate, standardised financial inputs into the central DPTF reporting cycles run by Technology Business Operations.

Contract and Vendor Financial Management

Govern contract spend, renewals, extension pipelines and financial commitments.

Monitor service continuity and vendor financial risk, coordinating with Procurement and contract owners.

Governance and Standards

Apply the central Technology Business Operations financial standards, definitions and controls so data is consistent and comparable.

Ensure [domain/team] operates within GSK financial policy, including approval routes, purchase governance and audit readiness.

Escalate material financial risks, variances and control issues to [domain/team] leadership and to Technology Business Operations.

Identify and support automation and simplification of recurring financial processes.

Lead the annual plan, rolling forecast and multi-year financial outlook for an approximately GBP 25 million technology cost base, integrating demand, workforce, supplier, licence, consumption and transformation assumptions.

Act as the financial co-pilot to the domain leadership team, converting operational and technology strategy into affordability scenarios, investment choices, risk exposures and measurable value outcomes.

Challenge Directors and Senior Directors on forecast assumptions, commitments, resource choices, supplier economics and business cases; escalate material exposures and decision requirements to VP-level governance where appropriate.

Provide scenario modelling and sensitivity analysis for complex decisions, including service transformation, sourcing, contract renewal, platform investment, resilience and cost optimisation.

Govern the financial implications of cross-market and cross-region services, including currency, consumption, allocation and chargeback complexity, ensuring a transparent and defensible cost position.

Set improved financial management practices, controls and reporting standards for the domain, using automation and data-led insight to improve forecast accuracy, cycle efficiency and decision quality.

Professional Qualifications

• BS or MS degree in Finance, Business, Accounting, Technology Management, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

• Professionally qualified accountant (or qualified by experience) with a recognised accounting or cost-management credential e.g., [CA/CMA (India), CIMA/ACCA/ACA (UK), or CPA/CMA (US)] (desirable)

Area of Specialisation

• Technology financial management, budgeting, forecasting and cost transparency.

• Financial operations, period-end close and management reporting for a technology domain.

• Supplier, managed service and contract commercials and cost management.

• Hardware, software and license investment planning.

• Business cases, cost optimization and unit-cost reporting.

Experience Required

• Overall15 years and typically, 10+ years in finance, including substantial experience as a senior finance partner to a large, complex and globally distributed technology or infrastructure organisation.

• Owning budgets, forecasts, actuals and cost transparency for a technology function, domain or business unit.

• Running day-to-day financial operations - accruals, purchase orders, invoices and period-end close - against a fixed finance calendar.

• Turning vendor, contractor and unit-cost data into insight that explains and challenges spend.

• Handling supplier, managed service and contract spend, renewals and financial commitments.

• Building investment cases and delivering measurable cost reductions across supplier, licence and infrastructure spend.

• A demonstrable effect on forecast accuracy, unit costs, investment decisions or delivered savings.

• Working within financial standards and controls set by a central function.

• Demonstrated ownership or financial leadership of a material cost base, ideally around GBP 25 million or greater, covering multiple cost categories, suppliers, planning horizons and delivery locations.

• Proven ability to influence Directors, Senior Directors and VP-level stakeholders through concise financial narratives, scenario analysis, constructive challenge and clear re