Role Purpose

We have partnered with a Contract Catering institution, and we are working on several Finance Manager positions at all levels, from Commercial, to Senior, and Regional.

To act as the key finance business partner for a portfolio of catering and soft FM contracts.

Drive profitable growth through robust financial control, commercial analysis, and operational support.

Key Responsibilities (common to all levels)

• Financial control & compliance
  Own monthly P&L for assigned contracts, ensuring accurate accruals, prepayments, and cost allocations in line with UK GAAP.
  
  Manage cash flow and working capital (stock, debtors).
• Commercial decision support
  Partner with operational General Managers to optimise menu pricing, labour scheduling, and event margins.
  
  Challenge waste and supply chain costs using real‑time data.
• Budgeting & forecasting
  Lead annual budget cycles and monthly re‑forecasts.
  
  Provide variance analysis with actionable insights (e.g.
  
  “sales mix shift lowered gross margin by 1.2%”).
• Client & contract governance
  Attend client review meetings to present financial performance.
  
  Manage contract price indexation (CPI/RPI) and variation orders.
• Mobilisation & bids
  Support contract mobilisations and re‑tenders by building financial models for new business or contract extensions.
• Team leadership (Senior Manager only)
  Mentor a small team (2‑4 analysts / site accountants).
  
  Drive a culture of commercial curiosity.

Additional Responsibilities by Level

-            Contract value:

• £2m £10m p.a.
• £10m £25m p.a.            
• £25m+ or multi contract cluster

-            Stakeholders:

• Site GMs, Regional Ops             
• Regional Directors, Client procurement             
• Divisional MD, Key strategic clients

-            Complexity      

• Single site or small cluster        
• Multi site, complex volume swings       
• High risk turnarounds, large bids

-            Team   

• No direct reports           
• May mentor an analyst
• Manages 2-4 finance staff

Experience Required

• Finance Manager: 2‑3 years PQE (or qualified by experience) in contract catering / retail / hospitality finance.
• Commercial Finance Manager: Fully qualified (CIMA/ACCA/ACA) with 4‑6 years PQE, strong commercial modelling.
• Senior Finance Manager: 8+ years PQE, proven ability to influence at board level, previous people management.

Key Competencies

• Deep understanding of high‑volume, low‑margin operations.
• Advanced Excel (Power Query / Power BI desirable).
• Ability to translate complex finance into operational actions.