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

Oversee high‑volume payroll operations across weekly, fortnightly and monthly cycles.

Ensure payroll accuracy, compliance and efficient processing.

Monitor labour costs across contracts, regions and operational teams.

Produce regular labour cost analysis, variance reporting and margin insights.

Investigate anomalies such as overtime, excess hours and margin erosion.

Strengthen payroll approval workflows and internal controls.

Track labour performance against contract budgets and pricing assumptions.

Financial Reporting

Prepare monthly management accounts and financial reports.

Provide clear insight into contract profitability and cost performance.

Maintain strong financial controls, reconciliations and audit readiness.

Lead year‑end processes and statutory reporting.

Finance Team Leadership

Manage and develop the finance team, including payroll, purchase ledger and credit control.

Drive efficiency, accountability and strong financial discipline across the department.

Fleet Cost Oversight

Oversee financial management of the company’s vehicle fleet.

Monitor leasing, fuel, insurance and maintenance costs.

Work with operations to ensure efficient utilisation and cost control.

Systems & Process Improvement

Identify opportunities to enhance financial systems, reporting and automation.

Strengthen operational financial processes across the business.

Support continuous improvement initiatives.

The ideal candidate will be:

A qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or an experienced Financial Controller.

Skilled in managing finance teams within operational, labour‑intensive businesses.

Experienced in high‑volume, multi‑cycle payroll environments.

Detail‑oriented with strong financial control discipline.

Confident working closely with operational leaders and challenging cost performance.

Commercially aware, proactive and comfortable in a fast‑growing environment.

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