Development Finance Manager

Salary: £55,000 per annum

Location:Dorset - within commutable distance to Wareham

Hours:37 hours per week

We're looking for an experienced and commercially astute Development Finance Manager to play a pivotal role in the delivery of our ambitious development programme. This is a fantastic opportunity for a qualified finance professional who thrives on combining technical accounting expertise with strategic business partnering to support the creation of high-quality homes and communities.

As Development Finance Manager, you will lead the financial accounting, control and reporting of our development activities, ensuring strong governance, robust financial management and insightful decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. Working closely with Development, Finance and operational teams, you'll provide expert guidance that helps bring new schemes to fruition while maintaining the highest standards of financial compliance and control.

In this influential role, you will

• Lead the accounting and financial control of development activities from inception through to completion.
• Oversee development work in progress (WIP), assets under construction and the timely transfer of completed schemes into fixed assets.
• Ensure all development costs are accurately accounted for, determining the appropriate treatment of expenditure, capitalisation, impairment and asset recognition.
• Lead impairment assessments across development programmes, including new build sales activity.
• Own and manage VAT and CIS compliance for development projects, ensuring regulatory compliance and robust controls.
• Manage the accounting, reconciliation and reporting of grant funding, ensuring compliance with funding requirements.
• Lead the reconciliation and control of development-related balance sheet accounts, including WIP, grants, accruals, provisions and fixed assets.
• Play a key role in month-end and year-end reporting, statutory accounts preparation and audit processes.
• Partner with project managers, budget holders and senior stakeholders, providing constructive challenge and financial insight to support decision-making.

We're seeking a qualified accountant with a strong technical background and a passion for supporting development and growth.

You'll bring:

• A professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent).
• Significant experience in development accounting, financial control or a similarly technical finance role.
• Strong knowledge of work in progress accounting, fixed assets, capitalisation, impairment and grant funding.
• Experience managing complex balance sheet reconciliations and financial controls.
• A solid understanding of accounting standards and their practical application within a development environment.
• Experience leading month-end, year-end and audit activities.
• The ability to influence, challenge and support operational stakeholders through effective business partnering.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex financial information into meaningful insights.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience working with integrated finance systems and reporting tools.
• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills.

Desirable experience

• Experience with in the social housing sector and knowledge of Homes England grant funding requirements.
• Experience developing or mentoring finance team members.
• Understanding of development and construction taxation, including VAT and CIS.

We invest in our colleagues because we know if they have a better day at work, the service our customers receive will be better. The Aster Offer is our offer to our colleagues to ensure they have a great day at work and includes things like:

• Flexible working – whilst some roles need to…