Full job descriptionHarper May is working with an independent restaurant operator building a multi-site presence across central London. The business has grown organically from a single flagship venue to a small but high-performing portfolio, underpinned by a reputation for consistent food quality and disciplined unit economics. The ownership is reinvesting cash into new site development and operational infrastructure, and the business is now seeking a Finance Director to embed robust financial systems, lead capital planning, and provide the commercial rigour needed to scale sustainably.
The Role
Reporting to the founder-owner, you will build and lead the finance function from the ground up. This is a hands-on role combining strategic planning with day-to-day financial management, where you will act as commercial partner to the operations and development teams, translating financial data into actionable insight.
*Establish financial strategy and reporting frameworks to support planned site rollout and acquisition
*Drive monthly management accounts, forecasting, and variance analysis across all trading sites
*Build site-level P&L accountability, working with operations on labour, food cost, and margin performance
*Lead capital expenditure planning, funding negotiations, and investor relations
*Oversee cash flow, working capital management, and banking relationships
*Design scalable finance processes and systems as the business expands
*Manage compliance, statutory reporting, audit, and tax planning
What we are looking for
*ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified with 8+ years in senior finance roles
*Proven experience in hospitality, restaurants, or multi-unit consumer retail
*Demonstrable success in leading finance functions through growth or expansion
*Comfort with hands-on financial modelling, forecasting, and systems implementation
*Strong commercial instinct and ability to influence operational teams on cost and performance
*Track record of building and developing finance teams in growing businesses