Head of Client Finance - PBSA / Real Estate - Harrogate

Location: Harrogate
Job Type: Permanent
Hours: 40 hours per week
Salary: Salary negotiable

Overview

We are recruiting for a Head of Client Finance to lead and scale finance operations within a service-led, multi-entity environment. This is a senior leadership role with full responsibility for driving performance, strengthening financial controls, and delivering consistent, high-quality reporting across the business.

Reporting to the Finance Director, you will lead a team of Finance Managers, setting clear direction, embedding accountability, and ensuring delivery against key financial and operational objectives. You will play a critical role in aligning finance operations with wider commercial strategy, improving efficiency, and enhancing overall business performance.

This position requires a confident, commercially focused leader who can operate at pace, influence stakeholders, and build a high-performing team capable of delivering accuracy, consistency, and continuous improvement.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead and manage Finance Managers, setting objectives, KPIs, and development plans
• Ensure accurate and timely delivery of management accounts, reconciliations, cashflow forecasts, and reporting outputs
• Drive a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Coach and develop team members to enhance capability and progression
• Maintain quality, consistency, and compliance across all reporting prior to escalation
• Embed strong financial controls, processes, and governance across the function
• Act as the first escalation point for operational finance matters
• Ensure adherence to reporting deadlines and accountability for delivery
• Plan and allocate workload effectively across the team
• Oversee compliance requirements including Client Money, VAT, and audit readiness
• Work cross-functionally to improve processes and service delivery
• Contribute to wider business strategy and continuous improvement initiatives
• Deputise for the Finance Director where required
• Support commercial performance and margin improvement initiatives
• Drive standardisation of processes across the department and wider business
• Use data, reporting, and feedback to improve departmental effectiveness
• Identify efficiencies through process improvement and automation
• Ensure scalable, compliant processes supported by clear procedures
• Build strong, trusted relationships across stakeholders
• Provide clear reporting on departmental performance and progress

Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in a senior finance role within a B2B environment
• Strong leadership experience managing and developing teams
• Excellent knowledge of management accounts and financial controls
• Confident communicator able to present complex data clearly
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capability
• Experience coaching and developing finance professionals
• High attention to detail with a process-driven mindset
• Strong organisational and project management skills
• Adaptable, resilient, and results-driven

Qualifications

• Qualified Accountant (ACCA, ACA, CIMA or QBE)
• Strong experience in management accounts and financial reporting
• Experience operating in service-led or multi-entity environments such as PBSA, real estate, or similar
• Experience working with corporate environments across varied business types
• Confident user of finance systems and reporting tools