Finance Director

Harper May is working with a founder-led property and construction business operating across residential and commercial development. The group has doubled in size over the past three years and now manages a substantial project portfolio across London and the South East. Recent capital investment has accelerated expansion plans, and the business requires strengthened financial leadership to support this trajectory. The company is now recruiting a Finance Director to build the finance function and drive financial discipline across the organisation.

The Role
Reporting to the Chief Executive and the Board, you will establish and lead the finance capability end-to-end. This is a founding finance director role in a business that is moving beyond entrepreneurial management into structured governance. You will own financial reporting, control frameworks, funding relationships, and the day-to-day performance visibility the business needs to scale.

• Build and lead a finance team from the ground up, recruiting and developing staff to match business growth
• Establish robust management accounts, project profitability reporting, and variance analysis across all developments
• Manage working capital, cash flow forecasting, and funding structures in a capital-intensive, project-driven environment
• Design and implement financial controls, compliance procedures, and risk reporting aligned with Board expectations
• Drive statutory reporting, tax planning, and audit liaison; ensure regulatory and lending covenant compliance
• Support acquisition and funding discussions; develop and maintain relationships with lenders and professional advisers

What we are looking for

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA)
• Demonstrated senior finance leadership in property, construction, or a multi-site project environment
• Hands-on experience with project accounting, work-in-progress, and development cash flow management
• Comfortable building processes and systems; track record of scaling finance capability in a growing business
• Stakeholder-facing and commercially astute; able to advise the board on funding options and financial strategy
• Collaborative and detail-oriented; capable of balancing strategic planning with operational execution