Finance Director

Harper May is working with an independent restaurant operator building a multi-site presence across central London. The business has grown organically from a single flagship venue to a small but high-performing portfolio, underpinned by a reputation for consistent food quality and disciplined unit economics. The ownership is reinvesting cash into new site development and operational infrastructure, and the business is now seeking a Finance Director to embed robust financial systems, lead capital planning, and provide the commercial rigour needed to scale sustainably.

The Role Reporting to the founder-owner, you will build and lead the finance function from the ground up. This is a hands-on role combining strategic planning with day-to-day financial management, where you will act as commercial partner to the operations and development teams, translating financial data into actionable insight. Establish financial strategy and reporting frameworks to support planned site rollout and acquisition Drive monthly management accounts, forecasting, and variance analysis across all trading sites Build site-level P&L accountability, working with operations on labour, food cost, and margin performance Lead capital expenditure planning, funding negotiations, and investor relations Oversee cash flow, working capital management, and banking relationships Design scalable finance processes and systems as the business expands Manage compliance, statutory reporting, audit, and tax planning What we are looking for ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified with 8 years in senior finance roles Proven experience in hospitality, restaurants, or multi-unit consumer retail Demonstrable success in leading finance functions through growth or expansion Comfort with hands-on financial modelling, forecasting, and systems implementation Strong commercial instinct and ability to influence operational teams on cost and performance Track record of building and developing finance teams in growing businesses