Buro Happold is recruiting for a Head of Finance UK on a fixed term contract in our Bath Office.

Why Buro Happold

Described by our clients as ‘passionate’, ‘innovative’, ‘collaborative’: BuroHappold Engineering is an independent, international engineering practice that over the last 40 years has become synonymous with the delivery of creative, value led building and city solutions for an ever changing world. Having worked on every continent, our clients include more than 90% of the world’s leading architectural practices and we have collaborated with global organisations such as the United Nations, The World Bank and UNESCO. Through our global community of driven, world leading engineering professionals we deliver elegant solutions for buildings and cities that seek to address the major problems facing societies today.

As an organisation we strive for progress and are committed to finding new and better ways to deliver elegant solutions. We recognise that this can only happen if our people can keep up with, create and implement the latest developments in technology and ideas. We offer learning and development opportunities at every level, to help shape exciting and personally satisfying careers and ensure our engineers stay at the cutting edge of industry thought.

The Role

A commercially focussed and autonomous finance leadership role, driving and controlling the financial performance of 3 of our units, Cities, Sustainability and Specialist Consulting. This includes tight financial & operational control, managing all aspects of the finance function along with full decision support to the leadership team. The role will involve;

• Driving all aspects of the commercial and financial performance of the units.
• Key business partner to the COO, driving strategy and formulating tactical plans.
• Control over all commercial aspects of our projects including: operational controls, cash, credit and risk management.
• Manage commercial risk to ensure that risks are identified, evaluated and mitigated or escalated where appropriate.
• Build Collaborative relationships with stakeholders including Project Principals, Group Directors, Partners to ensure financial alignment to the UK strategy and drive performance.
• Control and management of all commercial and financial aspects of running the UK.
• Management of the finance function includes the provision of:
• Monthly management and project information
• Quarterly financial reporting and the associated controls
• Financial and Commercial decision support for senior executives and engineering teams
• Control the integrity of financial data, particularly revenue recognition.
• Control of local finance systems and processes
• Preparation of budgets and forecasts.
• Preparing and delivering board reports
• Control of and management of regional office costs
• Compilation of any ad hoc reports and information requests
• Liaison with other Group and Regional finance teams

Candidate Profile

• Qualified accountant, minimum 5 years post qualification experience in highly commercial environment with at least 3 years operating at a similar level of responsibility
• Can demonstrate proactive commercial control over a wide range of situations
• Proven ability to effectively lead finance teams within multiple office environment
• Highly organised with the proven ability to prioritise and work to tight deadlines.
• Confident and proactive, with the ability to take the lead in challenging situations
• Resilient with excellent communication skills and demonstrate an attention to detail.
• Experience of professional services or the construction industry would be an advantage
• Intermediate Excel skills, (VLookups, Pivot Tables) required
• Experience of the following would be an advantage:
• Long Term project accounting
• Working as part of an international, matrix managed business
• Consulting Engineering or Professional Services business

A place for everyone

Buro Happold values an individual's flexible approaches to working patterns as an important part of how you work and achieve balance. We welcome applications from those who are seeking flexibility in their careers.

Our exceptional portfolio of projects is the result of the diversity of thought, identities, backgrounds, and experiences that shape us. Appreciating each other’s differences is key, we want employees to feel they don’t have to mask elements of their identity to thrive.

We are working to change the lack of representation of marginalised groups in the built environment. We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who feels they are underrepresented in the industry. We have much to learn from one another. Embracing differences allows us to develop the most innovative and elegant solutions.

Please let us know if there are any adjustments we could make to the application process to make it easier and more comfortable for you. Contact recruitment@burohappold.com so we can work with you to support you throughout your application.