Senior Finance Manager

Full job description
We are Company of Cooks, and we believe brilliant food and drink starts with brilliant people. For over 25 years, we’ve been part of some of the UK’s most loved cultural destinations, from historic palaces and botanical gardens to buzzing galleries and performance spaces, running the cafés, restaurants, bars and events that bring these incredible places to life.

Our values - Craft, Creativity and Community - guide everything we do. They shape how we work together, how we support our partners, and how we make each guest feel welcome. If you care about food, people and doing things properly, you’ll feel right at home here.

Wherever we are, we do more than serve. We bring places to life through food, service and creativity and we’re looking for a Senior Finance Manager to work across our Venues and Destinations business.

Location: London - working across a mix of London Venues, with flexibility to work from home 1-2 days per week

Salary: £55,000 - £65,000 per annum

Working Pattern: 40 hours per week - Monday - Friday

We are looking for a highly experienced Senior Finance Manager to take full ownership of the financial performance and governance of c.£50m worth of commercial contracts. This role is the final layer of financial control, ensuring financial integrity, optimising performance, and driving continuous improvements in cost control and processes.

Managing a team of up to five Finance Managers, the Senior Finance Manager will provide strategic financial leadership while ensuring robust financial oversight across multiple contracts. A key part of this role involves working closely with the Commercial Growth team, identifying issues and opportunities, and collaborating to establish better cost controls and financial processes.

This is a high-impact role requiring a fully qualified accountant (CIMA/ACCA/ACA) with significant experience in financial leadership within a multi-site commercial environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Leadership Control:

Act as the final layer of financial control, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and financial discipline across all contracts.
Oversee financial governance and integrity across a portfolio of c.£50m commercial contracts.
Provide financial challenge and scrutiny to Finance Managers and Location Accountants, ensuring all reporting and analysis are robust.
Lead the development and enforcement of cost control measures and financial processes to maximise efficiency and profitability.
Implement robust processes to monitor, manage, and reduce outstanding debt across multiple contracts. Proactively engage with clients to ensure timely collections and reduce aged debt exposure.
Develop strategies to optimise working capital, ensuring efficient cash flow management across all sites.
Strategic Business Partnering:

Work closely with General Managers and operational leadership to drive performance, providing insights and challenge on financial results.
Partner with the Commercial Growth team, highlighting financial issues and seeking their support in implementing cost control improvements.
Influence strategic decision-making by providing detailed financial analysis, forecasts, and performance reviews.
Identify opportunities for margin improvement, labour efficiencies, and cost reduction across all contracts.
Team Leadership Development:

Manage, mentor, and develop a team of Finance Managers, ensuring they are effectively supporting their Location Accountants and operational teams.
Ensure each Finance Manager receives direct support, spending at least one day per week on-site with each of them.
Provide training and development opportunities to enhance the commercial and financial acumen of the finance team.
Performance Monitoring Reporting:

Take responsibility for the financial reporting, forecasting, and budgeting process across all contracts.
Ensure all financial reports are delivered accurately and on time, with clear insights and recommendations.
Monitor key financial metrics, such as GP%, labour cost ratios, overhead spend, and revenue growth.
Ensure all pricing strategies, contractual obligations, and financial plans align with business objectives.
Process Improvement Compliance:

Lead the implementation of improved financial processes and controls in collaboration with the Commercial Growth team.
Ensure compliance with internal policies, financial regulations, and contractual obligations.
The Ideal Candidate:

Fully qualified accountant (CIMA/ACCA/ACA) with strong experience.
Significant experience in a senior financial leadership role, ideally in a multi-site commercial environment (contract catering, hospitality, retail, or similar).
Strong ability to challenge financial performance, ensuring cost control and profitability.
Excellent commercial awareness, with experience managing large financial portfolios.
Proven leadership skills, with experience in managing and developing finance teams.
Confident communicator, capable of influencing senior stakeholders and operational teams.
Strong analytical skills, with expertise in budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning.
Comfortable working with financial reporting systems and data analytics tools
Willing to travel frequently to multiple sites, spending at least a half day per week with each of the Finance Managers on site.
Desirable Skills:

Strong Excel skills, including advanced lookups and pivot tables
Experience with financial reporting tools such as Power BI and SAP.
Strong knowledge of contract catering or hospitality industry financial dynamics.
What’s in it for you?

A highly strategic finance leadership role, working closely with commercial and operational teams.
The opportunity to shape and develop financial processes across a £50m+ business portfolio.
Competitive salary, benefits, and career development opportunities.
A dynamic, data-driven environment that values financial excellence and commercial insight.
Working with Company of Cooks has its perks! People are at the heart of everything we do, so we've developed a range of benefits to keep you happy.


Personal Development and Training opportunities
Life assurance scheme
Pension scheme
Holiday allowance
Private medical eligibility
Eye care
A great wellbeing strategy – including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, salary finance
Family friendly support
Regular social events and communication with our leaders
A holiday purchase scheme
Volunteering days
Professional subscriptions
Recognition schemes and people awards
Long service awards
Access to some great high street discount vouchers Read more