Team Leader

CIH International Housing Group; Basingstoke; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Annual Mears Fun Day

Volunteering Leave

Staff perks with Mears Rewards

Family friendly policies

Company Vehicle and Fuel Card

Access to EAP Counselling sessions

Job summary

Mears Group in Basingstoke is seeking a Finance Team Leader to take ownership of team performance, financial accuracy, and stakeholder relationships, ensuring a compliant, customer‑focussed service. You will lead a team of finance professionals, oversee purchase and sales ledgers, reconciliations, and reporting, and drive improvement across end‑to‑end processes in a housing context.

The role requires accounting qualifications (AAT/ACCA or equivalent), strong Excel skills, and proven leadership,

Qualifications

• Experience in a finance department, ideally within housing, property services, or a similar environment.
• Proven leadership experience with the ability to motivate, influence, and drive change.
• Strong analytical skills and experience producing accurate reports and statistical analysis.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Advanced Excel skills and confidence using Microsoft Office and financial systems.
• Knowledge of compliance, risk management, and accurate record-keeping.
• Accounting qualifications (AAT, ACCA, or equivalent) or substantial relevant experience.
• Highly organised, resilient, and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong problem-solving skills and experience managing escalations.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate, and support a team of finance professionals including Finance Assistants, Administrators and a Business Apprentice.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and provide coaching, feedback, and development opportunities.
• Foster a high-performance culture built on communication, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee daily financial processes including purchase ledger, sales ledger, and reconciliations.
• Ensure all transactions are processed accurately and in line with contractual and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor KPIs and take action to ensure financial and operational targets are met.
• Maintain accurate financial data and ensure compliance with audit, contractual, and regulatory standards.
• Implement effective escalation processes to resolve discrepancies or issues.
• Lead by example to deliver excellent customer service.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, landlords, suppliers, and contractors.
• Encourage innovation and process improvement within the team.
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to enhance end-to-end processes.
• Support ad hoc projects and provide cover for colleagues when required.

Skills

Leadership

Finance

Excel

Analytical

Communication

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder management

Education

Accounting qualifications (AAT/ACCA)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Financial systems

Job description

Annual salary: up to £50,000.00

Finance Team Leader

Location: Basingstoke - Office based

Salary up to £50,000 per annum

Contract: Full time, Permanent

Hours: Standard working hours for this role is full time, 37.5 hours, Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 5pm. However, Flexible working arrangements including reduced hours or alternative working patterns can be considered.

We provide Housing Management services right across the UK. We work in partnership with Central and Local Government, registered providers, tenants, landlords and investors to find solutions to homelessness, provide more social and affordable housing and create specialist housing for people with care needs.

About the Role:

As a Finance Team Leader in our Basingstoke branch, you will take ownership of team performance, financial accuracy, and stakeholder relationships, ensuring we continue to deliver a high‑quality, compliant, and customer‑focused service.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, motivate, and support a team of finance professionals including Finance Assistants, Administrators and a Business Apprentice.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and provide coaching, feedback, and development opportunities.
• Foster a high‑performance culture built on communication, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Financial Operations

• Oversee daily financial processes including purchase ledger, sales ledger, and reconciliations.
• Ensure all transactions are processed accurately and in line with contractual and regulatory requirements.

Performance & Compliance

• Monitor KPIs and take action to ensure financial and operational targets are met.
• Maintain accurate financial data and ensure compliance with audit, contractual, and regulatory standards.
• Implement effective escalation processes to resolve discrepancies or issues.

Stakeholder & Customer Management

• Lead by example to deliver excellent customer service.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, landlords, suppliers, and contractors.

Continuous Improvement & Projects

• Encourage innovation and process improvement within the team.
• Work collaboratively with cross‑functional teams to enhance end‑to‑end processes.
• Support ad hoc projects and provide cover for colleagues when required.

Role Criteria:

• Experience in a finance department, ideally within housing, property services, or a similar environment
• Proven leadership experience with the ability to motivate, influence, and drive change
• Strong analytical skills and experience producing accurate reports and statistical analysis
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Advanced Excel skills and confidence using Microsoft Office and financial systems
• Knowledge of compliance, risk management, and accurate record‑keeping
• Accounting qualifications (AAT, ACCA, or equivalent) or substantial relevant experience
• Highly organised, resilient, and able to manage multiple priorities
• Strong problem‑solving skills and experience managing escalations

Benefits we can offer you

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Annual Mears Fun Day - Our annual Fun Day is organised as a massive thank you from the Executive team for all the hard work!
• Volunteering Leave - Mears supports employees to undertake paid volunteering in the community, in support of our social value commitment.
• Staff perks with Mears Rewards - discounts of up to 10% weekly groceries, holidays, eye test vouchers, Share save scheme, plus much more
• Family friendly policies
• Company Vehicle and Fuel Card
• Access to EAP Counselling sessions

All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship.

As part of the recruitment process for this role, we will carry out a Background, Identity, Security clearance & BPSS check. For these checks to be completed, we will require from you the relevant identification, including Proof of Address, References, a valid passport and proof that you have lived in the UK for the last 5 years.

Required Qualifications:
Accounting Level 4 - AAT

At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, we are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this, we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.

In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility. We use the Social Mobility Index to assess and enhance opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These questions are optional and will not impact your ability to apply.