Job Description
Financial Controller | Future Finance Director
📍 London (Hybrid Working)
💰 £80,000–£100,000 + Benefits
A high-growth, private equity-backed international professional services business is seeking an ambitious Financial Controller to join its leadership team.
This is an outstanding opportunity for a commercially minded finance professional looking to move beyond traditional financial control and take on a broad leadership role with exposure to strategic decision-making, commercial finance, project delivery and business growth.
Reporting directly to the CFO, the successful candidate will play a key role in supporting the next phase of the organisation's expansion. The position offers a genuine and clearly defined progression pathway to Finance Director and ultimately CFO within a growing international business.
This role would particularly suit a high-performing Senior Finance Manager seeking their first Financial Controller position, or an existing Financial Controller looking for greater commercial exposure and long-term leadership opportunities.
The Opportunity
Operating within a complex international environment, the Financial Controller will have responsibility for financial reporting, business partnering, project accounting, forecasting, systems improvement and team leadership.
Working closely with the CFO and senior operational leaders, the role combines strong technical finance capability with commercial insight and strategic influence.
Finance is viewed as a key business partner across the organisation, and this position will work extensively with project delivery, operational leadership and business development teams to drive financial performance, support growth initiatives and improve decision-making.
As a private equity-backed business, there will also be exposure to value creation initiatives, strategic growth projects and potential acquisition activity as the organisation continues to scale.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, develop and mentor a high-performing finance team
- Own the monthly management reporting process, including management accounts, cashflow reporting and variance analysis
- Deliver accurate, timely and insightful financial information to support business performance
- Partner closely with operational and programme leadership teams to drive financial discipline and commercial performance
- Act as a trusted finance business partner across projects, contracts and client engagements
- Support bid and business development teams with pricing, financial modelling, commercial analysis and proposal development
- Drive excellence in project accounting and contract-level financial management
- Lead annual budgeting, forecasting and reforecasting processes
- Manage cashflow forecasting and working capital performance
- Oversee year-end reporting and act as the primary contact for external auditors and advisors
- Enhance financial controls, processes and reporting capabilities to support future growth
- Support strategic initiatives, acquisition activity and value creation projects where appropriate
- Work closely with the CFO on board-level reporting and key commercial decisions
About You
You are an ambitious and commercially minded qualified accountant who enjoys partnering with the business and influencing outcomes.
You will be equally comfortable operating at both a strategic and operational level, with the ability to translate financial information into meaningful commercial insight.
You will likely possess:
- ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualification
- Strong post-qualified experience within a professional services, consulting, project-based, engineering, outsourcing or programme-delivery environment
- Experience of project accounting, contract accounting or engagement-level financial management
- Strong finance business partnering experience with operational and commercial stakeholders
- Experience supporting bid, tender, pricing or proposal activity would be highly advantageous
- Experience operating within a multi-entity and/or international organisation
- Strong forecasting, budgeting and financial modelling capability
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Experience within a private equity-backed or high-growth environment would be advantageous
- The ambition and capability to progress towards Finance Director and CFO responsibility in the future
Why Join?
- Clear and realistic progression route to Finance Director and CFO
- Direct mentorship and exposure to an experienced CFO
- Opportunity to play a key role within a private equity-backed growth business
- Significant commercial exposure across operations, project delivery and business development
- Involvement in strategic growth initiatives and potential M&A activity
- Broad role with influence across the entire organisation
- Opportunity to shape and modernise the finance function as the business scales
- International exposure within a complex and dynamic operating environment
- Hybrid working and a collaborative leadership culture
This is a rare opportunity for an ambitious finance leader to accelerate their career within a growing business where finance is at the centre of decision-making and long-term value creation.