Financial Control Manager

About Culinary Collective

Culinary Collective is a London-based multi-site hospitality group operating a portfolio of distinct food, drink and events venues, including Flat Iron Square, Pyro, Spring Street Pizza, Heard Borough and Rae's, with further venues in development.

We are building a best-in-class finance function to support the group's next phase of growth — combining rigorous financial control with commercial insight, automation and scalable processes. This role is a key hire within that build.

Role Purpose

The Financial Controller is responsible for ensuring the day-to-day finance function operates effectively, with strong financial controls, clean processes and disciplined outsourced provider management.

You will own the relationship with our outsourced accounting provider Williams Stanley, hold responsibility for AP, AR and compliance across the group, and act as the operational backbone of the finance function — freeing the CFO to focus on strategy, capital and board-level matters.

Key Responsibilities

Outsourced Provider Management — Williams Stanley

• Manage the day-to-day relationship with Williams Stanley, acting as the primary point of contact for all finance operations delivery.

• Hold WS accountable against agreed SLAs — month-end timing, reconciliation quality, filing deadlines and responsiveness.

• Maintain and review the monthly Williams Stanley Service Dashboard, escalating issues and tracking resolutions.

• Lead regular service review meetings and ensure the finance operations calendar is published and adhered to.

• Identify and drive scope improvements or process changes with WS as the group grows.

Financial Controls & Accounting Discipline

• Maintain and continuously improve the group's financial control framework across all entities.

• Ensure balance sheet reconciliations are completed, reviewed and signed off monthly to a high standard.

• Own the month-end close process in partnership with Williams Stanley, ensuring timely and accurate management accounts.

• Review and approve accounting adjustments, accruals and provisions across the group.

• Identify and remediate control weaknesses, document procedures and embed a culture of financial rigour.

Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable

• Own AP and AR processes across the group, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and appropriate authorisation controls.

• Manage payment run preparation and support the CFO on payment approvals.

• Oversee customer invoicing, debtor chasing and aged debt management.

• Maintain supplier relationships and resolve invoice queries in a timely manner.

• Monitor and report on working capital position including cash commitments and overdue balances.

Compliance — HMRC, Companies House & Statutory

• Maintain the group's compliance calendar covering VAT, PAYE, corporation tax and Companies House obligations across all entities.

• Ensure all statutory filings are prepared, reviewed and submitted on time in partnership with Williams Stanley.

• Act as the operational owner of compliance — tracking deadlines, monitoring status and escalating risks to the CFO.

• Support the CFO and parent company on entity governance matters including board minutes, director obligations and corporate secretarial tasks.

• Manage internal and external audit processes, liaising with auditors and coordinating information requests.

Finance Operations Governance & Reporting

• Prepare and maintain the Finance Operations reporting suite for CFO review, including the WS Service Dashboard, compliance tracker and issues log.

• Contribute to the Group Finance Control Tower — maintaining the cash, AP, AR, HMRC and compliance sections on a weekly basis.

• Develop and document standard operating procedures for all key finance operations processes.

• Drive continuous improvement across finance processes, identifying automation and efficiency opportunities.

• Support the onboarding of new venues into the finance function as the estate grows.

Person Specification

Essential — Qualifications & Experience

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with solid post-qualification experience in a hands-on finance operations or financial controller role.

• Proven experience managing or overseeing an outsourced finance provider, shared service centre or BPO relationship.

• Strong grounding in financial controls, balance sheet reconciliation and month-end close processes.

• Demonstrable ownership of AP and AR processes at a multi-entity or multi-site level.

• Experience maintaining a compliance calendar across HMRC obligations (VAT, PAYE, corporation tax) and Companies House filings.

• Track record of holding external providers accountable and driving service improvement.

Essential — Skills & Behaviours

• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail — comfortable owning deadlines and managing competing priorities.

• Process-driven mindset: able to design, document and improve finance operations procedures.

• Clear and confident communicator — able to manage upwards to the CFO and laterally with operational teams.

• Comfortable holding external parties to account in a professional and constructive manner.

• Proactive and self-sufficient — able to operate with a degree of autonomy in a lean finance function.

Desirable

• Experience in a hospitality, leisure, retail or multi-site consumer business.

• Familiarity with NetSuite, Nory, Toast or similar systems used across the Culinary Collective estate.

• Experience working alongside or managing Williams Stanley or a comparable outsourced accounting provider.

• Exposure to systems automation or finance technology implementation projects.

Financial Control Manager

About Culinary Collective

Culinary Collective is a London-based multi-site hospitality group operating a portfolio of distinct food, drink and events venues, including Flat Iron Square, Pyro, Spring Street Pizza, Heard Borough and Rae's, with further venues in development.

We are building a best-in-class finance function to support the group's next phase of growth — combining rigorous financial control with commercial insight, automation and scalable processes. This role is a key hire within that build.

Role Purpose

The Financial Controller is responsible for ensuring the day-to-day finance function operates effectively, with strong financial controls, clean processes and disciplined outsourced provider management.

You will own the relationship with our outsourced accounting provider Williams Stanley, hold responsibility for AP, AR and compliance across the group, and act as the operational backbone of the finance function — freeing the CFO to focus on strategy, capital and board-level matters.

Key Responsibilities

Outsourced Provider Management — Williams Stanley

• Manage the day-to-day relationship with Williams Stanley, acting as the primary point of contact for all finance operations delivery.

• Hold WS accountable against agreed SLAs — month-end timing, reconciliation quality, filing deadlines and responsiveness.

• Maintain and review the monthly Williams Stanley Service Dashboard, escalating issues and tracking resolutions.

• Lead regular service review meetings and ensure the finance operations calendar is published and adhered to.

• Identify and drive scope improvements or process changes with WS as the group grows.

Financial Controls & Accounting Discipline

• Maintain and continuously improve the group's financial control framework across all entities.

• Ensure balance sheet reconciliations are completed, reviewed and signed off monthly to a high standard.

• Own the month-end close process in partnership with Williams Stanley, ensuring timely and accurate management accounts.

• Review and approve accounting adjustments, accruals and provisions across the group.

• Identify and remediate control weaknesses, document procedures and embed a culture of financial rigour.

Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable

• Own AP and AR processes across the group, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and appropriate authorisation controls.

• Manage payment run preparation and support the CFO on payment approvals.

• Oversee customer invoicing, debtor chasing and aged debt management.

• Maintain supplier relationships and resolve invoice queries in a timely manner.

• Monitor and report on working capital position including cash commitments and overdue balances.

Compliance — HMRC, Companies House & Statutory

• Maintain the group's compliance calendar covering VAT, PAYE, corporation tax and Companies House obligations across all entities.

• Ensure all statutory filings are prepared, reviewed and submitted on time in partnership with Williams Stanley.

• Act as the operational owner of compliance — tracking deadlines, monitoring status and escalating risks to the CFO.

• Support the CFO and parent company on entity governance matters including board minutes, director obligations and corporate secretarial tasks.

• Manage internal and external audit processes, liaising with auditors and coordinating information requests.

Finance Operations Governance & Reporting

• Prepare and maintain the Finance Operations reporting suite for CFO review, including the WS Service Dashboard, compliance tracker and issues log.

• Contribute to the Group Finance Control Tower — maintaining the cash, AP, AR, HMRC and compliance sections on a weekly basis.

• Develop and document standard operating procedures for all key finance operations processes.

• Drive continuous improvement across finance processes, identifying automation and efficiency opportunities.

• Support the onboarding of new venues into the finance function as the estate grows.

Person Specification

Essential — Qualifications & Experience

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with solid post-qualification experience in a hands-on finance operations or financial controller role.

• Proven experience managing or overseeing an outsourced finance provider, shared service centre or BPO relationship.

• Strong grounding in financial controls, balance sheet reconciliation and month-end close processes.

• Demonstrable ownership of AP and AR processes at a multi-entity or multi-site level.

• Experience maintaining a compliance calendar across HMRC obligations (VAT, PAYE, corporation tax) and Companies House filings.

• Track record of holding external providers accountable and driving service improvement.

Essential — Skills & Behaviours

• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail — comfortable owning deadlines and managing competing priorities.

• Process-driven mindset: able to design, document and improve finance operations procedures.

• Clear and confident communicator — able to manage upwards to the CFO and laterally with operational teams.

• Comfortable holding external parties to account in a professional and constructive manner.

• Proactive and self-sufficient — able to operate with a degree of autonomy in a lean finance function.

Desirable

• Experience in a hospitality, leisure, retail or multi-site consumer business.

• Familiarity with NetSuite, Nory, Toast or similar systems used across the Culinary Collective estate.

• Experience working alongside or managing Williams Stanley or a comparable outsourced accounting provider.

• Exposure to systems automation or finance technology implementation projects.