Job Description
Job Title: Financial Controller
Location: Essex
Type: Permanent, Full-Time
Sector: Housebuilding / Residential Construction
About the Company:
This is an opportunity to join a well-established, award-winning housebuilder with a strong reputation for delivering high-quality residential developments across the South East. The business is part of a larger group, listed on the London Stock Exchange, and continues to grow with a healthy land pipeline and multiple live sites across the region.
The Role:
As Financial Controller, you will take ownership of the financial management and control for the company’s Eastern Division. You’ll play a pivotal role in ensuring strong financial governance, insightful reporting, and effective decision support to senior operational leaders. This role blends hands-on financial management with strategic involvement in the division’s performance.
Key Responsibilities:
Financial Reporting & Control
- Prepare and oversee monthly management accounts and variance analysis
- Deliver accurate, timely month-end, quarter-end and year-end reports
- Own the P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow forecasts for the division
- Ensure adherence to internal controls, policies, and audit requirements
Budgeting & Forecasting
- Lead annual budgeting and regular reforecasting processes
- Collaborate with commercial, land, and operational teams to model financial scenarios
- Track performance against forecasts, highlighting risks and opportunities
Business Partnering
- Act as a key advisor to the Divisional MD and senior leadership team
- Provide commercial insight on site appraisals, land bids, and investment cases
- Support procurement, construction, and sales teams with financial analysis
Team Management & Development
- Supervise a small team of qualified and part-qualified finance staff
- Review and approve journals, reconciliations, and ledger entries
- Develop and coach team members to improve performance and accuracy
Systems & Processes
- Use financial systems (e.g., COINS or similar) to manage and streamline reporting
- Champion continuous improvement across finance processes
- Liaise with group finance, IT, and external auditors when needed
Key Requirements:
- Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA)
- 5–10 years’ post-qualified experience, ideally within housebuilding or construction
- Proven experience in financial leadership roles, preferably at divisional level
- Strong knowledge of management accounts, cash flow forecasting, and controls
- Advanced Excel and good working knowledge of financial systems
- Commercially aware, analytical, and confident working with non-finance stakeholders
- Able to operate both strategically and hands-on in a fast-paced environment
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