London, UK
Head of Finance
at Piercy&Company
Piercy&Company is hiring a head of finance to join its team in Camden, London.
About Us
Piercy&Company is an award-winning Camden-based studio founded in 2002 by architect Stuart Piercy. Our interdisciplinary practice comprises 80+ architects, designers and researchers with a shared passion for materials, form, technology and craft. In December 2022, the studio became an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
Head of finance
We are seeking a qualified accountant to join our design-led studio as head of finance. As head of finance, you will oversee the finance team (currently two additional FT staff members) and report directly to the board and senior management team. Your responsibilities will include managing financial reporting for the practice, actively contributing to the development of short-, medium-, and long-term financial strategies, and maintaining regular collaboration with the senior management team.
We are an ambitious and busy studio and the head of finance will play a vital role in helping achieve our mid and long-term strategies.
Key responsibilities:
- preparation of all monthly financial and management accounts for monthly reporting to the board and senior management team
- management and mentoring of the two-person finance team
- management of company bank accounts and credit facilities
- cash flow and profit and loss forecasting and reporting
- preparing for, and leading the finance team through, the annual external audit
- preparing year-end information for preparation/lodging by external accountants
- leading the finance team in month-end reconciliations and reporting
- contributing financial information to other operational aspects of the practice such as PI renewals; ISO Audits; R&D claims and the like
- reporting on project profitability and project finances to the senior management team
- preparation and regular review of the cost rates linked to the budgeting process
- working with department heads across the business on the preparation of annual budgets and performing quarterly budget reviews
- analysis of the monthly actuals against budgets, forecasts and prior periods and preparation of financial commentary for review and discussion amongst the senior leadership team
- managing relationships with external parties – accountants, auditors, bank managers and other financial service providers
- contributing to the development of best practices and policy improvements around finance and financial reporting; proactively driving improvement of financial processes and systems
- ensuring the accurate completion of all HMRC tax reporting requirements including annual Corporation tax returns, quarterly UK VAT returns, annual P11Ds and PAYE Settlement Agreement (PSA) calculations within the required deadlines
- in collaboration with the HR manager, ensure the smooth running of the monthly payroll process
- attending external network meetings to gain insight of best practices and industry trends
Qualifications, experience, and skills:
- qualified accountant
- statutory accounting and audit experience
- previous senior experience in a services-based firm of a similar size (c.100 people) – ideally in architecture or the built environment; experience in an architectural practice with international presence is desirable in order to support the ambitions of the organisation
- inspires confidence in board members, job runners and the finance team and has a collaborative, problem-solving mindset
- strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively
- ability to review and continuously improve processes and systems
- can effectively showcase an in-depth comprehension of the business and financial complexities that emerge within a project-centric environment
- strong IT skills, in particular Excel and Xero and timesheet/project accounting software (we use CMAP)
- good team leadership and the ability to mentor and support the career development of the team
- an ability to represent financial information graphically and concisely
What we offer
Piercy&Company has an inclusive and collaborative culture and offers several benefits:
- annual profit share scheme
- 20 days annual leave plus bank holidays and bumped to 25 days after two years plus office closed during Christmas period
- enhanced paternity and maternity leave (after one year of employment)
- training and development opportunities
- studio outings and social events
- access to CPDs and internal talks
- health and wellbeing initiatives including cycle-to-work scheme, weekly fruit delivery, F45 classes plus various in-house workshops and activities
- TOIL policy
- We offer an enhanced benefit package for more senior employees, dependent upon experience
We annually benchmark salaries across the studio based on the d3 Group’s architecture industry survey, which provides insights from approximately 100 design and architecture practices across London.
How to apply
Please submit your cover letter and CV with ‘Head of Finance Application’ via the ‘apply for job’ as the subject heading and send your details in PDF format.
Salary
Remuneration is dependent upon experience.
Deadline
We are looking to fill the role as soon as possible.
We actively encourage applications from women, the LGBTQIA+ community and people from ethnic minorities as these groups are currently under-represented throughout the building industry.
Piercy&Company is an equal opportunities employer dedicated to closing this gap and aims to build a workforce of skilled professionals from a range of diverse backgrounds.