Group Financial Controller

Standalone senior finance role with full ownership of a group finance function, direct board exposure and real influence over how the business is run. Ideal for a hands-on Financial Controller who wants ownership rather than a big team to manage.

We’re an established multi-trade property maintenance and construction contractor, turnover approaching £10m, around 80 staff, working on long-term frameworks with local authorities, housing associations and national institutional clients. Purchase invoice capture and bank reconciliation run through AI-driven systems integrated with Xero, so this role is about oversight, exception handling and analysis, not data entry.

You’ll produce all management and statutory reporting across the group, run payroll and payments, work alongside our Accounts Assistant on credit control, and act as the primary finance contact for the board, our lender and our external accountants. We retain an external practice for year-end review and tax sign-off. Everything else is prepared in-house.

• Own Xero across all group companies and produce monthly management accounts and a consolidated group pack within 10 working days of month end
• Oversee AI-driven invoice capture and reconciliation, resolving exceptions and refining coding rules
• Manage intercompany balances, recharges and licensing arrangements between group entities
• Handle escalated credit control personally, own aged debt reporting and drive down debtor days
• Reconcile applications for payment, certified values and retentions
• Run monthly payroll in full for c.80 employees, including pensions, auto-enrolment and P11
  
  Ds
• Produce contract and department level margin reporting alongside contract managers and surveyors
• Manage WIP, accruals, retentions and revenue recognition on long-term contracts
• Maintain a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast and the annual budget
• Manage CIS end to end, VAT returns including the domestic reverse charge, and statutory accounts and corporation tax computations for external review

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA), or exceptionally strong qualified-by-experience at Financial Controller level
• Construction or contracting sector experience, specifically CIS, VAT domestic reverse charge, retentions and applications for payment
• Genuine hands-on credit control experience, not delegated and forgotten
• Comfortable as the only qualified finance person in the business, confident challenging directors and operational managers

• Advanced Xero across multiple entities, and experience preparing consolidated group accounts
• End-to-end in-house payroll experience
• Experience with invoice finance or asset-based lending facilities
• Experience with job costing or contract management ERP systems
• Exposure to transaction work such as refinancing, acquisitions or due diligence
• Experience of public sector or housing association frameworks

• A broad role with direct board exposure and real influence
• A modern, automated finance function where your time goes on analysis, not processing
• A stable, long-established business with a strong forward order book
• Pension, holiday entitlement and on-site parking