Finance Manager

Responsibilities:

Payments and Cash Management:

• Manage all contractor and supplier payment runs — verifying payment applications against Quantity Surveyor (QS) interim valuations before any release; nothing is paid without your review and the Managing Director's approval
• Process all consultant fee invoices — checking against agreed scopes and milestone schedules before payment
• Run bi-weekly salary payments accurately and on time for all permanent staff and retained consultants
• Maintain a live cash flow forecast at all times — projecting inflows and outflows across the full construction and sales programme and flagging pressures to the Managing Director in advance
• Manage petty cash, operational expenses, and company credit card reconciliation

Escrow and Construction Finance:

• Manage all buyer escrow accounts — tracking reservation deposits, construction milestone payments, and drawdown releases against QS certification
• Prepare all drawdown documentation for the bank at each certified milestone
• Reconcile escrow accounts monthly against buyer payment schedules, construction progress, and bank records
• Liaise directly with the escrow bank on all account transactions, queries, and reporting requirements

Management Accounts and Financial Reporting:

• Produce monthly management accounts — P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statement within 5 working days of the month end
• Maintain a live project cost report showing committed costs, forecast final costs, and variance against approved budget — available to the Managing Director at all times
• Produce quarterly financial reports for the Managing Director covering the overall company and project financial position
• Prepare financial information for lender reporting — loan progress reports, cost-to- complete statements, and bank covenant compliance
• Support investor and buyer due diligence requests — financial summaries, project cost reports, and escrow account statements as required

Compliance & Audit:

• Manage all tax compliance — VAT, withholding tax deductions and remittances, and company income tax
• Maintain all financial records in audit-ready condition at all times — clean, documented, and reconciled
• Liaise with external auditors at year-end and provide all requested schedules, reconciliations, and supporting documentation
• Ensure all statutory obligations — pension contributions, PAYE remittances, and statutory filings — are met accurately and on time

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Economics — Second Class Upper preferred.
• ACA or ACCA qualified, or finalist with substantial relevant experience.
• Minimum 4 years of finance experience in Nigeria — construction, real estate, or project-based experience is strongly preferred; candidates from well-structured corporate or professional services backgrounds with strong fundamentals will also be considered
• Direct experience managing construction draw schedules, contractor payment certification, and project cost plans is a significant advantage
• Experience with real estate escrow accounts and milestone-based buyer payment structures
• Demonstrable experience producing management accounts, cash flow forecasts, and financial reports for senior leadership and external parties
• Proficiency in accounting software — QuickBooks, Sage, Xero, or equivalent — at a level sufficient to manage the full accounts function independently
• Advanced Microsoft Excel — financial modelling, cash flow forecasting, and cost reporting
• Ability to read and interrogate a Bill of Quantities, a contractor payment application, and a QS interim valuation
• Understanding of Nigerian tax law as it applies to real estate transactions — VAT, WHT, CGT, and stamp duty
• Precise and extremely detail-oriented — an error in a contractor payment or a missed tax filing has direct consequences
• Proactive — you flag cash flow pressures and compliance issues before they become problems, not after
• Discreet and trustworthy — you will have full visibility of comp any finances, buyer payment details, and investor information from day one
• Commercially aware — you understand that every naira of cost overrun directly impacts margin

Location: Victoria Island, Lagos