The Opportunity
We're recruiting on behalf of a business with a substantial development and construction portfolio, who are looking to appoint an Analyst, Commercial Finance (Development & Construction) to join their Commercial Finance team.
This is a great opportunity for a finance professional who wants broad exposure across the development life cycle, working closely with a Senior Finance Business Partner and Senior Manager to support forecasting, business planning, cash flow reporting, valuations, funding activities and Board reporting across a live portfolio.
The role has been designed with a clear progression path in mind, offering a route through to Finance Business Partner and, ultimately, Senior Finance Business Partner. It would suit someone early-to-mid career in finance who wants genuine variety and a defined next step rather than a static analyst role.
What the Role Involves
Forecasting & Financial Reporting
- Supporting the preparation and maintenance of project forecasts, including budgets, actual costs and forecast costs to complete
- Updating and reconciling quarterly development cashflows, and assisting with quarterly reforecasting and annual business planning
- Performing variance analysis against budgets and prior forecasts, highlighting key movements and risks
- Helping prepare Development and Construction slides for the Board Pack
Valuations, Funding & Liquidity
- Supporting the preparation of valuation inputs, including capex to date and forecast costs to complete
- Assisting with lender reporting, debt drawdown requests and funding reconciliations
- Supporting liquidity forecasting by maintaining accurate project cashflow information in Anaplan
- Preparing analysis on debt, equity funding requirements and project returns
Governance & Controls
- Maintaining reconciliations between development models, project forecasts and accounting records
- Supporting reviews of development expenditure approvals and budget revisions
- Helping ensure financial data is accurate, complete and consistent across all systems and reports
- Identifying discrepancies and escalating issues to the Senior Manager as needed
Systems & Process Improvement
- Supporting the maintenance and development of Anaplan, Yardi and other reporting tools
- Assisting with data uploads, downloads, reconciliations and reporting processes
- Contributing to process improvement initiatives that increase efficiency and automation (e.g. Anaplan forecasting, DEX and drawdown process automation in Yardi)
- Developing reporting dashboards and analysis tools where appropriate
Business Partnering & Stakeholder Support
- Building strong working relationships with Development Managers, Construction Managers, Financial Accounts, Treasury, FP&A and Development Finance teams
- Supporting the preparation of information for Boards, Shareholders, JV partners and lenders
- Responding to stakeholder requests for financial information and analysis
- Providing ad-hoc commercial analysis and decision support to the wider Commercial Finance team
What Our Client Is Looking For
- Strong numerical, logical and analytical reasoning skills
- Strong Excel skills, with exposure to P&L, cashflow and balance sheet forecasts
- A solid understanding of accounting principles
- A problem-solving mindset, comfortable diagnosing issues that aren't immediately obvious
- A continuous improvement mindset, with experience driving process improvements a plus
- Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage complex datasets
- Great relationship-building skills across a range of stakeholders
- Experience building financial models is advantageous
- Experience with Anaplan, Yardi or similar finance systems is advantageous
Why Apply
This is a chance to join a well-regarded development and construction finance function with genuine breadth across forecasting, valuations, funding and governance, plus a clearly defined progression route. If this sounds like a good fit for your background, we'd love to hear from you.
Commercial Finance Analyst - Real Estate in London employer: deverellsmith Careers
As a leading Build to Rent operator in Cambridge, we pride ourselves on fostering a supportive and dynamic work environment where our Maintenance Operatives can thrive. With competitive salaries, a generous bonus structure, and a commitment to employee development, we offer unique opportunities for growth within a vibrant residential community. Join us to make a meaningful impact while enjoying the flexibility and camaraderie of a dedicated team focused on delivering exceptional living experiences for our residents.
