Finance Director

Housing is a major growth area for the Legal & General Group and is strongly supported by the Board. L&G Affordable Homes is a wholly owned subsidiary of Legal & General, tasked with bringing much needed volume institutional capital to the sector, alongside delivering a sector-leading customer service experience. 

Working alongside the Chief Executive, the Finance Director will be an exceptional commercially aware finance professional, advising on the best path of growth for the business. The Finance Director will be actively involved in all material business decisions to drive the long-term success of the business, whilst taking a leading role in risk management to ensure the business is appropriately controlled and managed.

As a member of the Executive Management Team, the Finance Director will contribute to ensuring the successful management, strategy, and leadership of the business.  The role will involve the leadership of all financial aspects of the business, developing, testing, and implementing the control processes which support the delivery of the strategy that is set out in the L&G Affordable Homes company business plans.

Your responsibilities will include: 

• Taking overall responsibility for ensuring the financial health of the business including full compliance with statutory, regulatory and lender obligation and requirements.
• Along with the Chief Executive of L&G Affordable Homes, be accountable for the delivery of the P&L, cash flow and balance sheet targets in accordance with approved plans and business objectives, policies, and risk appetite.
• Direct the development, production and delivery of regular financial management and business management, ensuring sufficient frequency, accuracy, and insight to facilitate effective decision-making.
• Ensure that company financial systems are robust, compliant and support all the business activities and are fit for purpose to support the growth plans.
• Work with the CIO to manage the financial strategy of the business as it grows, ensuring appropriate liquidity and operational headroom always exists and carefully forward planning the financing of the business to ensure forward growth, whilst seeking to minimise the costs and risks.
• Oversee the timely and accurate business planning, financial planning and analysis and budget processes, making recommendations to the Board for approval.
• Establish the cost management and income management frameworks for the business and oversee effective financial planning and forecasting processes. Using commercial knowledge and experience, challenge business functions to ensure they are affordable and deliver value for money, deliver the anticipated business benefits and are consistent with business and the wider L&G Group strategy.
• Pro-actively monitoring the acquisition financial parameters and propose any updates to investment policy as appropriate utilising in-depth analysis of the competitive landscape.
• Overseeing and coordinating internal and external audit work, and the careful and constructive appraisal of all L&G Affordable Homes' growth and investment activities.
• Reporting financial performance and advising on strategic financial matters to the Executive team and the Board.
• Provide ambitious leadership and direction to the finance team, setting high standards, emphasising importance of meeting targets and supporting the team as necessary.

For such a critical position we require you to have the following: 

Qualifications:

• You will be a qualified accountant or equivalent 
• Have an excellent academic background, with a deep numerical aptitude

Experience

• Have extensive, deep technical knowledge and experience in the residential development, residential investment and operations industry including business models, products, distribution, operations, and compliance regimes.
• Significant fundraising and reporting experience within the institutional investment sector, ideally of large-scale asset management and or development businesses
• Ideally, detailed specific knowledge of the affordable housing sector
• Establishment, growth, and leadership of successful and high performing teams
• The development and evolution of effective business management reporting processes
• Delivery focussed, with an attention to detail and ability to plan and execute successful change projects across multi-disciplinary teams

Knowledge & Skills:

• Have expert-level knowledge of financial reporting
• Detailed understanding of the short and long-term drivers of profitability
• Energetic, highly motivated, with an enquiring mind and passion for excellence and innovation in pursuit of business growth and success.
• Ability to set out and communicate the right culture and vision and to build successful, high performing teams
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills
• Commercial focus and ability to translate ideas into competitive advantage
• A self-driven spirit that embraces change and is comfortable making decisions in ambiguous environment
• A highly commercial team leader that works collaboratively with colleagues within and across the Group with the capability of being highly effective in a large corporate environment
• Decisive whilst working at a quick pace

#EXEC-L

Legal & General is a leading financial services organisation, named Britain’s Most Admired Company in 2023, for the second year running. Rated top in our sector and top for inspirational leadership, we have a strong heritage and an exciting future.  

We’re one of the world's largest asset managers, homebuilders, pension providers and insurers. Connecting to form a unique business model which drives value for our customers and society. And enabling our people to create impact through work that is meaningful and valued.  

If you join us, you’ll be part of a welcoming, inclusive culture, with opportunities to collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds, views, and experiences. Guided by leaders with integrity who care about your future and wellbeing. Empowered through initiatives which support people to develop their careers and excel.  

We strive to be open, mindful, and inclusive, so are always willing to discussing flexible working arrangements and reasonable accommodations for candidates with specific needs. It doesn’t matter if you don’t meet every single criterion in this advert. Instead, think about what you excel at and what else you can bring in terms of strengths, potential and connection to our purpose. 

If you’re open to find out more, we'd love to hear from you.  

Legal & General is a leading financial services group and major global investor, named Britain’s Most Admired Company in 2023, for the second year running. Rated top in our sector and top for inspirational leadership, we have a strong heritage and an exciting future.

We aim to build a better society for the long term by investing our customers’ money in things that make life better for everyone.

If you join us, you’ll be part of a welcoming culture, with opportunities to collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds, views and experiences. Guided by leaders with integrity who care about your future and wellbeing. Empowered through initiatives which support people to develop their careers and excel.

We strive to be open, mindful and inclusive, so are always willing to discussing flexible working arrangements and reasonable accommodations for candidates with specific needs.

If you’re open to find out more, we'd love to hear from you.