Financial Controller – Payroll & Operational Cost Control
Location: Welwyn Garden City Full-time | Permanent
A rapidly expanding, people‑focused service business is seeking a hands-on Financial Controller to lead its finance function and strengthen financial discipline across a large operational workforce.
With annual revenues approaching £40m and a nationwide team of around 3,000 employees, the organisation is continuing to scale and requires a commercially aware finance leader who thrives in fast‑paced, labour‑intensive environments.
Role Overview
This is a fully office‑based role, working closely with senior leadership and operational teams to ensure strong margin control, robust payroll oversight and high-quality financial reporting. The position is ideal for someone who enjoys being deeply involved in day‑to‑day operations while driving continuous improvement across finance processes.
Key Responsibilities
Payroll & Labour Cost Control
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Oversee high‑volume payroll operations across weekly, fortnightly and monthly cycles.
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Ensure payroll accuracy, compliance and efficient processing.
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Monitor labour costs across contracts, regions and operational teams.
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Produce regular labour cost analysis, variance reporting and margin insights.
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Investigate anomalies such as overtime, excess hours and margin erosion.
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Strengthen payroll approval workflows and internal controls.
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Track labour performance against contract budgets and pricing assumptions.
Financial Reporting
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Prepare monthly management accounts and financial reports.
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Provide clear insight into contract profitability and cost performance.
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Maintain strong financial controls, reconciliations and audit readiness.
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Lead year‑end processes and statutory reporting.
Finance Team Leadership
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Manage and develop the finance team, including payroll, purchase ledger and credit control.
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Drive efficiency, accountability and strong financial discipline across the department.
Fleet Cost Oversight
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Oversee financial management of the company’s vehicle fleet.
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Monitor leasing, fuel, insurance and maintenance costs.
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Work with operations to ensure efficient utilisation and cost control.
Systems & Process Improvement
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Identify opportunities to enhance financial systems, reporting and automation.
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Strengthen operational financial processes across the business.
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Support continuous improvement initiatives.
The ideal candidate will be:
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A qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or an experienced Financial Controller.
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Skilled in managing finance teams within operational, labour‑intensive businesses.
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Experienced in high‑volume, multi‑cycle payroll environments.
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Detail‑oriented with strong financial control discipline.
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Confident working closely with operational leaders and challenging cost performance.
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Commercially aware, proactive and comfortable in a fast‑growing environment.
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Approachable, collaborative and able to build strong cross‑functional relationships.
Experience in facilities management, cleaning, logistics, retail, hospitality or similar hourly‑workforce sectors is advantageous.