Finance Manager in London - Harper May Ltd

Harper May is working with a growth-stage property and construction firm that develops mixed-use and residential schemes across London and the South East. The business has expanded its site portfolio significantly over the past two years and is now scaling its finance infrastructure to support delivery. With projects at various stages of completion and a strengthened development pipeline, the business needs sharper financial visibility and tighter cost management across the estate. They are now seeking a Finance Manager to build and lead this capability.

The Role

Reporting to the Finance Director, you will manage day-to-day financial operations and own the reporting relationship between finance and project delivery teams. This is a hands-on role combining statutory compliance, project-level accounting, and commercial support to site and senior leadership. You will be the voice of financial rigour across the business, translating data into insight that shapes commercial decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead monthly close cycles and prepare management accounts and board-level reporting
• Manage project-based accounting, cost capture, and variance analysis across all active developments
• Develop and maintain cash flow forecasts, capital deployment schedules, and profitability tracking
• Work directly with site and project teams to monitor contract performance, claims, and margin protection
• Oversee fixed asset registers, balance sheet reconciliations, and financial control frameworks
• Support external audit, tax planning, and statutory filing requirements
• Identify and drive improvements to accounting processes and reporting systems

What we are looking for

• ACA, ACCA, CIMA qualified, or demonstrable equivalent professional experience
• Proven track record in property development, construction, or contract-based project accounting
• Solid grasp of project costing, margin analysis, and cash flow forecasting in complex environments
• Excel proficiency and comfort working with multiple data sets and reporting schedules
• Ability to communicate financial findings clearly to non-finance audiences
• Organised, commercially aware, and comfortable in a fast-moving operational setting