Harper May is working with an independent, founder-led restaurant operator with a strong presence across London and the South East.

The business has grown organically over the past decade, combining a reputation for quality food and service with tight operational discipline.

Recent investment has enabled the launch of a new site and the development of a central support function.

The group now has the scale and ambition to strengthen its finance capability and is seeking a Finance Director to build commercial rigour into decision-making and support the next phase of expansion.

The Role
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will lead a small finance team and provide strategic commercial input to the leadership group.

The role sits between operational delivery and Board-level oversight, with responsibility for financial planning, site-level performance management, and the controls infrastructure needed to support growth without losing agility.

• Develop and maintain rolling forecasts and variance analysis across all trading units
• Partner with operations on labour cost management, procurement, and waste reduction
• Drive site profitability analysis and help identify operational and pricing levers
• Oversee cash flow planning and working capital management as the group scales
• Build financial reporting and KPI dashboards to inform weekly and monthly reviews
• Lead budgeting cycles and support investment appraisal for new openings
• Manage relationships with the group's accountants and external advisors

What we are looking for

• ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified with at least five years in a senior finance role
• Direct experience in restaurants, hospitality, or multi-unit retail businesses
• Comfortable with P&L ownership and hands-on financial analysis
• Proven ability to communicate financial insight to non-finance stakeholders
• Strong Excel and accounting systems skills; willingness to invest time in reporting infrastructure
• Collaborative mindset and appetite to work in an informal, fast-moving environment