Financial Controller

Description

The Financial Controller will report to the Head of Finance and take a lead role in maintaining a strong financial control environment across one of our divisions, based in Taplow. The role will combine robust controllership with commercial insight, ensuring the accuracy, integrity and timely delivery of reporting, statutory and tax compliance, cash management and financial governance. We are looking for a proactive, technically strong and commercially minded qualified accountant who can take ownership of the finance cycle, strengthen processes and controls, lead key reporting activities and provide clear, constructive challenge to project and operational teams. The Financial Controller will work closely with the Head of Finance, Finance Director and wider business to ensure financial information is reliable, risks and opportunities are understood, and decisions are supported by high-quality analysis.

What you'll be doing

• Lead the month-end and year-end close processes, ensuring accurate, timely and well-supported reporting.

• Maintain a robust financial control environment through effective policies, reconciliations, review controls and governance.

• Take ownership of the accuracy, integrity and completeness of financial systems and source data.

• Ensure project assumptions, revenues, margins, cost forecasts, provisions and cash-flow movements are accurately reflected in financial reporting.

• Review balance sheet, profit, cash-flow and working capital positions, ensuring supporting schedules are complete and appropriately challenged.

• Review accounting judgements, provisions, accruals, revenue and margin recognition in line with Group policies.

• Monitor build programme movements and development milestones, assessing their potential impact on revenue, profit, cash flow and business-plan delivery.

• Identify accounting, financial-control and compliance risks at an early stage, agreeing clear actions and ownership with relevant stakeholders.

• Oversee finance-system controls, master data, data cleansing and issue resolution.

• Coordinate internal, external and Group audit activity, ensuring information is accurate and delivered to agreed deadlines.

• Support the appropriate accounting treatment and compliance requirements for VAT, CIS, SDLT and other relevant tax matters.

• Contribute to finance-related anti-money laundering controls within the sales process.

• You will build trusted relationships across Finance, Commercial, Sales, Technical and Build teams, as well as with Project Directors, senior management and Group functions.

• A key part of the role will be translating complex financial, accounting and tax matters into clear, practical advice. You will support business planning, Board reporting, pricing analysis and other projects while maintaining appropriate financial discipline, independence and constructive challenge.

• You will provide day-to-day leadership, coaching and technical support to colleagues within the Finance team, helping to strengthen capability and accountability.

• You will also lead improvements to financial processes, controls, reporting standards and systems, finding practical ways to increase consistency, accuracy and efficiency.

What you'll bring

You will be an ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalently qualified accountant, with strong experience in financial control, reporting or commercially focused finance.

• A strong technical understanding of management and statutory reporting, forecasting, balance-sheet control, cash flow, financial systems and audit requirements.
• Experience of working in a complex, commercially driven organisation, gained in practice, advisory or industry.
• The ability to take ownership of financial data, reporting processes, reconciliations and control activities.
• Experience of presenting financial performance, risks and recommendations to senior and non-financial stakeholders.
• The confidence to challenge constructively, influence decisions and maintain high professional standards.
• Strong organisation and attention to detail, alongside the ability to identify the commercial and control issues requiring management attention.
• A proactive and improvement-focused approach, with the judgement to investigate issues and implement practical solutions.
• The ability to lead multiple priorities and deliver accurately in a fast-paced environment.

Experience within development, construction, housebuilding or another project-based environment would be valuable but is not essential. Experience of VAT, CIS, SDLT or other tax-related compliance work would also be advantageous.

Why join us?

• 25 days annual leave, increasing with service to 33 days.
• Health and wellbeing benefits including Private Medical Insurance.
• Lifestyle benefits including access to an online discount platform.
• Berkeley Foundation volunteer day.
• Private pension plan.
• Group life assurance.

The standard default full-time working hours in the office are 8am-5pm with core working hours 9am-4pm.

Internal applicants:
If you’re an internal applicant, please ensure you’ve informed your line manager of your intention to apply for this position.

About Berkeley Group

Berkeley Group builds homes and neighbourhoods across London, Birmingham and the South of England. We revive underused land, creating welcoming, sustainable and nature-rich places where communities thrive and where people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy a great quality of life.

We specialise in long-term brownfield regeneration, focusing on challenging and complex sites that are beyond the scope of conventional homebuilders. We are highly collaborative, working with councils and communities to create a shared vision and to unlock a mix of social, environmental, economic and commercial value that benefits all of our stakeholders.

Our passion for quality and design underpins everything we do. All Berkeley homes are created with care, expertise and relentless attention to detail.

We have a diverse workforce and culture rooted in attention to detail, effective communication, a sense of fun and a huge feeling of ownership and pride. With a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and customer satisfaction, we have become synonymous with exceptional design and meticulous attention to detail.