Financial Controller, hospitality in London

This is a beloved London restaurant group with decades of history - seven sites that have been part of this city's dining fabric for a generation. The business is entering a critical rebuild phase - stripping back, re-stabilising, and building forward on solid foundations. This is not a plug-and-play Financial Controller role. They are not looking for someone to sit behind a desk and consolidate reports. They need a commercially sharp, hands-on operator who has lived through adversity in hospitality - someone who has been in the room when the hard decisions get made, asks the hard questions, and makes decisions that are right for the business. If you thrive in complexity, relish a challenge, and want to be part of a genuine turnaround story with a brand that has real heritage and real potential - read on.

What the role involves

• The successful candidate will sit at the commercial heart of the business. Alongside the CEO and leadership team, they will own the numbers, interpret them, and act on them.
• Financial Control & Reporting
• Own the full month-end close process across all seven sites, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Produce clear, insightful management accounts that the board can act on - not just read.
• Build weekly and daily flash reporting to give the business real-time visibility on performance.
• Manage cashflow with precision; forecast short and medium term with rigour.
• Oversee payroll, AP/AR, and all core finance operations.
• Ensure statutory compliance, VAT, and HMRC obligations are met without exception.
• Commercial & Operational
• Get onto the floor - understand how each site operates, where margin is lost, and where opportunity sits.
• Challenge food and beverage costs, labour models, and supplier terms relentlessly.
• Partner with site managers to drive accountability and financial literacy at unit level.
• Identify underperforming areas, model restructuring options, and present clear recommendations.
• Build and stress-test P&Ls for each site; know which sites stack up and which need hard decisions.
• Turnaround & Strategy
• Support the CEO in engaging with creditors, advisors, and banks as required.
• Lead the rebuild of financial processes, controls, and reporting infrastructure from the ground up.
• Be a trusted commercial sounding board - contributing to strategic decisions, not just reporting on them.
• Have tough conversations early - with suppliers, with the team, and with the board - when the numbers demand it.

What we are looking for

• The right person will tick most of these boxes. They care more about mindset and experience than a perfect CV.
• Essential
• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) - or QBE with exceptional hospitality track record.
• Proven Financial Controller or senior finance experience within hospitality, restaurants, or food & beverage.
• Experience operating in a distressed, turnaround, or high-pressure commercial environment.
• Hands-on and comfortable getting into the operational detail - this is not a purely desk-based role.
• Strong communicator who can translate financials for non-finance people and lead difficult conversations.
• London-based and able to commit fully on-site, five days per week.
• What Will Set You Apart
• Has worked through a restructure or CVA in a previous role.
• Understands multi-site hospitality P&L inside out - labour, COGS, covers, RevPASH.
• Builds trust quickly but does not shy away from holding the line when needed.
• Action-oriented - spots a problem, brings a solution.
• Wants more than a job title - wants to leave a mark on a business.

This role will not suit everyone. It is demanding, fast-moving, and unforgiving of complacency. But for the right person, it is an extraordinary opportunity to do meaningful work and make a real difference. If this sounds like you, please get in touch.

Diversity & Inclusion: ILMJ values diversity, equality and inclusion and encourages applicants from all backgrounds and identities.