Financial Controller | Real Estate Development | Central London (Hybrid Working) | £140,000 | Permanent Role
Robert Half are recruiting for a Financial Controller to join a growing, international real estate development business on a permanent basis, based in Central London.
This is a senior leadership role within a growing EMEA business, offering the opportunity to lead a multi-country controllership function, partner directly with executive leadership, and shape financial reporting, governance, and controls across a complex international structure.
The business operates across large-scale real estate development and investment projects throughout Europe, with a focus on high-value commercial and logistics assets. Backed by a major global organisation, the platform combines the pace and entrepreneurial culture of a growing business with the technical rigour and reporting standards of a US-listed environment. This role sits at the centre of that balance, requiring both exceptional technical capability and the confidence to influence at the highest levels.
📊 About the Position
Reporting into senior leadership, you will play a key role in supporting the business through:
• Leading the month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close process across the EMEA region, ensuring timely and accurate reporting under US GAAP.
• Overseeing statutory reporting and tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions, working closely with external providers and advisors.
• Managing complex consolidations, intercompany reporting, and regional financial controls within a large multinational structure.
• Acting as the key finance business partner to senior stakeholders across Operations, Legal, Tax, Treasury, and executive leadership.
• Reviewing and challenging accounting treatment across development transactions, management contracts, joint ventures, and equity arrangements.
• Supporting technical accounting matters including revenue recognition, impairments, carried interest, incentive structures, and IFRS 15 considerations.
• Leading audit relationships across multiple entities and ensuring compliance within a SOX-controlled environment.
• Interpreting complex legal and commercial agreements and translating them into clear accounting conclusions and reporting outcomes.
• Driving process improvements, automation initiatives, and finance transformation projects across the controllership function.
• Enhancing the control environment and helping establish scalable processes within a growing and evolving business.
• Managing competing priorities across US group reporting requirements and local statutory obligations across EMEA.
• Leading and developing a high-performing finance team while promoting accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
📋 What We’re Looking For
• ACA qualified, ideally trained within a Big 4 environment.
• Approximately 15+ years of progressive accounting and financial reporting experience within large multinational businesses.
• Prior experience operating within a US-listed or highly regulated public-company environment with exposure to SOX controls and rigorous reporting deadlines.
• Strong technical accounting expertise across US GAAP, IFRS, and multi-jurisdiction statutory reporting.
• Proven experience leading controllership, financial reporting, or group finance functions within complex international organisations.
• Strong consolidations experience within complex corporate structures.
• Demonstrable ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders across both finance and non-finance functions.
• Commercially minded with strong presence, credibility, and business partnering capability at executive level.
• Experience operating within fast-paced, evolving environments where processes and controls continue to mature.
• Strong analytical mindset with the confidence and curiosity to challenge information, investigate issues, and drive accountability.
🤝 Here’s What’s Waiting for You
• A highly visible leadership role within an internationally backed real estate platform experiencing continued growth across EMEA.
• Significant exposure to senior executives and the opportunity to influence key operational and strategic decisions.
• Ownership of a broad and complex controllership remit across multiple countries and reporting frameworks.
• The opportunity to shape and strengthen processes, controls, and finance infrastructure within an entrepreneurial environment.
• A dynamic and collaborative culture where finance plays a central role in commercial decision-making.
• A genuine opportunity to combine technical excellence, leadership, and strategic business partnering in one role.
💼 Why This Role Could Be Your Next Move
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance leader to step into an FD-grade controllership role within a highly commercial and technically challenging environment. You’ll work closely with senior leadership across Europe and the US, lead a critical finance function through its next phase of growth, and play a key role in building a scalable, best-in-class control environment.
If you’re looking for a role that combines complex technical accounting, international exposure, senior stakeholder management, and the opportunity to influence a growing business, this position offers an outstanding platform for long-term progression.