Commercial Finance Manager in Watford

Berkeley Group builds homes and neighbourhoods across London, Birmingham and the South of England. We specialise in brownfield regeneration, reviving underused land to create unique, sustainable and nature-rich places where communities thrive and people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy a great quality of life.

Berkeley St Edward London is a key part of the Berkeley Group, and we deliver projects under both the Berkeley and St Edward brands. St Edward is a Joint Venture with M&G Investments. Our central London projects include 9 Millbank, West End Gate and Trillium in Marylebone, Oval Village, and Parkside at Chelsea Bridge. The Outer London projects include Eden Grove in Staines and The Exchange Watford, Syon Lane in Osterley and North Street in Guildford.

The role is to deliver properties that leave a legacy for Berkeley St Edward and our customers. We are responsible for more than just building. Our focus is on delivering the best possible product for our customers, and doing it in a way that meets the core business objectives of managing safety, quality, time, cost and sustainability. In Finance, our role is to understand how the business makes money, and provide input on every decision to drive profitability.

The Commercial Finance Manager partners with the Project Director in leading and challenging across all aspects of the project, to ensure successful delivery against the business plan. This is achieved through:

• Providing a strong financial counterpoint in all site-based decisions, both strategic and operational.
• Ensuring complete and accurate profit and cashflow forecasting for the whole project, working with various departments, challenging assumptions and reporting to business stakeholders.
• Producing clear, accurate, monthly and weekly reports on site progress.
• Ensuring requested system changes are completed, by delegating to, educating and coaching Management Accountants, then reviewing their work.
• Influencing a range of stakeholders, across levels of seniority and departments, building relationships and responding at speed to queries.
• Managing the reporting of over/underspend and the appropriate reserves.
• Review payments monthly to ensure correct VAT treatment and recording in financial systems.
• Taking ownership of all tax-related items for the Project including SDLT and VAT, ensuring an efficient structure for the project and maintaining a tax plan for internal reporting.
• Managing the Commencement Appraisal, when involved in the early stages of a project.
• Carrying out financial risk-assessments of potential tendering subcontractors.
• Risk-managing project stacks, advising key stakeholders early of potential risks and planning contingencies.
• Providing commercial recommendations based on a deep understanding of the project, awareness of construction industry trends and accurate analysis of development options.
• Constantly monitor the project stack from a commercial perspective, proposing options to minimise costs and maximise revenue wherever possible.
• Analysing and benchmarking sales, advising on pricing and mix where appropriate.
• Giving regular clear, concise presentations to all levels of management, the finance team, FDs, chairing or contributing to meetings with the OpCo Board and Divisional Board, explaining finance to non-finance professionals and exercising tact in sharing risks and concerns.
• Business Partnering with FDs, being the connection between the finance team and the projects, raising risks early and communicating the story of what is happening on-site.
• Monitor the build programme, working closely with the project planner and Finance Director to provide analysis and reporting off the back of programme movements.
• Coaching site teams on processes and controls, reminding them how financial processes should be completed and why this is important.
• Prioritising a complex range of queries and tasks under pressure, to deliver what is needed for the project.
• Co-ordinating and completing Divisional and Group requests, maintaining relationships and supporting with adhoc queries under pressure, such as pricing, producing clear and concise memos, tax issues etc.

This role will be split between the divisional Head Office in Battersea and the Watford development you will oversee.

Experience required:

• Qualified Accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) with post qualification experience gained in a commercial finance setting.
• Strong business partnering skillset.
• UK Driving Licence and access to a vehicle advantageous, although the development is accessible via public transport.
• Highly IT literate, including excellent knowledge of Microsoft Excel, fast learning of systems.
• Interest in construction industry.

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.