Head of Development & Estates Finance - Houghton Regis

Whitbread - Head Office; Bedford; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hospitality company is seeking a Head of Development & Estates Finance in Bedford. This role involves overseeing significant property costs and strategic financial management within a high-pressure environment. The ideal candidate will be an experienced finance professional with strong analytical and leadership skills, committed to driving value and operational excellence across a complex portfolio over a 15-month fixed term. Competitive benefits include a bonus and pension plan.

Benefits

Bonus: Up to 30%

Pension: Up to 10% Contributory

Holiday: 25 Days

Healthcare for you and your family

Car Allowance

Qualifications

• Accountancy qualified with minimum 4 years PQE.
• Experience working in a high-pressured environment.
• Comfort with large data volumes and analysis.
• Managing and developing a large team independently.
• Exposure to finance partnering and strategic opportunities.
• Experience of analysing complex financial situations.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Development and Estates Directors.
• Drive decision-making through insightful reporting.
• Oversee financial control of site projects.
• Manage non-expansionary investments.
• Deliver weekly/monthly reporting and annual budgets.
• Ensure governance compliance across property functions.
• Deliver commercial appraisals for lease re-gears.
• Lead post-completion reviews of capital investments.

Skills

Accountancy qualification

Experience in high-pressure environments

Data analysis skills

Team management

Strategic partner experience

Financial recommendation analysis

Judgment and leadership

Education

Qualified accountant with minimum 4 years PQE

Job description

Head of Development & Estates Finance - Houghton Regis

Location: Dunstable 3 days a week

Role length: 15 months Fixed Term Contract

This is a high-impact finance leadership role offering exceptional exposure across our senior property team. You’ll work closely with the MD for Property & International, the Estates Director & Development Director, reporting directly into the Finance Director for the area. Responsible for all property costs across the business including our construction pipeline of new sites and extensions with up to £0.8bn in spend over the next 3 years.

In addition to ownership of the BAU costs, this individual will also play a key role in defining and landing the financial benefits of the Repairs & Maintenance strategy over the next 18 months, as well as supporting the execution of the broader Property Strategy components linked to our existing estate, including the complexity surrounding the accelerated growth programme.

This role is ideal for a commercially astute finance professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about driving value across a complex property portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with Development and Estates Directors, and external advisors (Newmark, Ostara).
• Influence strategic agendas and drive decision-making through insightful, forward-looking reporting.
• Oversee financial control of 200+ site projects managed by external Quantity Surveyors.
• Manage non-expansionary investments including refurbishments, breakfast room rollouts, and integrated ground floor concepts.
• Own bottom-up planning and analysis across construction capital, R&M, rent (IFRS16), rates, insurance, and overheads.
• Deliver weekly / monthly reporting, annual budgets, forecasts, and business plans.
• Ensure governance compliance across property functions, support audits and risk reviews, and maintain tenure data with embedded controls reporting.
• Deliver commercial appraisals for lease re-gears, freehold buy-ins, sale & leasebacks, and disposals.
• Lead post-completion reviews of capital investments to inform future strategy.

What you’ll get

• Bonus: Up to 30%
• Pension: Up to 10% Contributory
• Holiday: 25 Days
• Healthcare: For you and your family
• Car Allowance

What you’ll need

• Accountancy qualified with minimum 4 years PQE
• Experience working in a high-pressured environment, meeting deadlines consistently whilst maintaining accuracy.
• Comfort with large data volumes and be able to analyse, join dots at speed and identify key drivers of performance
• Managing and developing a large team independently
• Exposure to roles where finance acts as a key partner in driving business success and proactively initiating strategic opportunities
• Experience of analysing complex financial situations, and turning these into recommendations / communicated outcomes
• Demonstrative experience of applying judgement and ability to own and lead processes with senior stakeholders

We believe that everyone is unique and there should be no barriers to entry and no limits to ambition. We are committed to being an inclusive organisation that values diversity and welcomes your application whatever your background or situation.

Under-represented groups such as women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities & members of the LGBTQIA+ community (those who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans and non-binary or those who use a different LGBTQIA+ term), are strongly encouraged to build a career with us. Speak to us about workplace adjustments, part-time and flexible working. Where possible we will support this.