Group Finance Director

Sewell Wallis are proud to be partnering with a long-established, privately owned property group to identify an exceptional Group Finance Director to join the business at an important stage of its evolution.

The Group has a diverse portfolio spanning commercial property investment, strategic asset management, hotels, retail, industrial property, development and regeneration opportunities, with its principal assets located across the Midlands.

This is not a conventional Finance Director appointment. This Chesterfield business is entering a period of transition and is looking for a commercially minded finance leader who can go beyond traditional financial stewardship. The successful individual will take the time to understand the business, challenge established thinking where appropriate, and help shape the financial, organisational and governance framework required to support its next phase of growth.

What will you be doing?

Reporting into the ownership, you will take broad responsibility for the Group's finance function, combining hands-on financial leadership with strategic commercial input.

Key areas of responsibility will include:

• Overall leadership of the Group's finance function and financial reporting.
• Preparation and oversight of monthly, quarterly and annual management accounts across a diverse portfolio of property and operating businesses.
• Statutory accounts and year-end reporting.
• Preparation and oversight of tax returns, tax computations and associated compliance.
• Cash flow management, forecasting and financial planning.
• Development and improvement of financial controls, processes and reporting structures.
• Management of the Group's banking relationships, including day-to-day banking requirements and lender relationships.
• Oversight of Companies House compliance, confirmation statements, statutory books and company secretarial matters.
• Oversight of property-related financial matters, including service charges, distributions and operational expenditure.
• Quarterly management meetings relating to the Group's hotel operations.
• Oversight of the Group's insurance arrangements, including general, medical and life insurance.
• P11D and associated employee-related financial compliance.
• Management and review of electricity and other key commercial contracts.
• Working closely with ownership and operational stakeholders to identify opportunities, manage risk and improve commercial performance.

This role offers the opportunity to become a key member of the leadership team within an entrepreneurial, owner-managed environment, with genuine influence over how the business develops.

What skills do we need?

We are particularly interested in individuals who can demonstrate:

• Significant senior-level finance experience, ideally within property, real estate, investment, development, hospitality or another asset-backed environment.
• Strong technical accounting and statutory reporting capability.
• Commercial acumen and the confidence to operate close to ownership.
• Experience overseeing multiple entities and complex group structures.
• Strong understanding of banking, taxation, compliance and financial governance.
• The ability to build robust processes and controls without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
• A willingness to be hands-on when required, while also thinking strategically.
• The confidence to challenge constructively and bring fresh thinking to an established organisation.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively with both financial and non-financial stakeholders.

What’s on offer?

• For the right person, this is an opportunity to do considerably more than manage a finance function.
• You will have the opportunity to influence the future structure and direction of an established property group, working closely with ownership and playing a central role in strengthening the organisation for its next stage of development.
• The combination of significant underlying assets, an entrepreneurial ownership structure, a diverse portfolio and a genuine transformation agenda makes this a particularly interesting appointment.

Apply below or, for more information, contact Kayley.

To apply please send your CV, quoting our reference and specifying which website you saw this position advertised on. Due to the high volume of applications please accept that if we have not responded to your application within seven days, your application has not been successful. Sewell Wallis is a specialist recruitment company with a vast amount of experience in our industry we offer permanent, temporary and interim recruitment support for accounting and finance, human resources and business support positions. We recruit at all levels within finance from Purchase Ledger Administrator and Credit Controller level through to Financial Controller and Director positions. With offices in Sheffield and Leeds, we are well situated to cover all of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Manchester. Please visit our website for more information on accountancy and finance jobs and human resources or business support positions.