Job
Finance Director
- Department
- Finance
- Earning potential
- £75,000–£130,000
- Training time
- Extensive finance leadership experience; often professional qualification
Finance directors work on the management board leading the financial strategy that helps a house builder invest wisely, manage risk and deliver sustainable growth.
Matt graduated in 2012 with a 2:1 BA (Hons) Business Management and Finance degree from Nottingham Trent University. During the sandwich course Matt completed an industrial placement for one year with the NHS, spending time in China after this as a volunteer teaching assistant. He is now based at his company in the Finance department.
Matt
Finance Director introduction
Finance directors work on the management board leading the financial strategy that helps a house builder invest wisely, manage risk and deliver sustainable growth.
The role of a finance director in house building
A finance director leads financial planning, governance and performance across a house building business or major division. They help decide how the organisation funds land purchases and construction, manages cash flow and balances investment with risk. Working closely with the managing director and senior leaders, they provide insight into development profitability, financial commitments and longer-term business plans. They also oversee financial reporting, controls and the teams responsible for producing dependable information.
A day in the life of a finance director
A day might involve reviewing cash-flow projections for future land acquisitions, discussing divisional performance with commercial and construction directors, and presenting financial risks to the leadership team. You may also meet lenders or auditors, approve major financial plans and support managers making investment decisions.
Skills for a finance director
At director level, financial expertise must translate into sound investment choices and clear leadership across the business.
- Financial strategy — Connects funding, land investment and business objectives.
- Cash-flow management — Plans around the timing of land payments, build costs and home sales.
- Risk and governance — Ensures financial controls and decisions are appropriately scrutinised.
- Commercial judgement — Assesses development performance and investment trade-offs.
- Leadership — Builds capable finance teams and supports wider business decisions.
- Stakeholder communication — Explains complex financial issues to boards, lenders and operational leaders.
Routes into finance director work
Finance directors usually build their careers through accountancy, financial planning and finance-management positions. Experience leading teams, managing significant budgets and advising senior colleagues is important. House building knowledge can be gained through work in property development, construction or other capital-intensive sectors.
Qualifications and training
Professional accountancy qualifications are commonly expected for senior finance leadership, often through the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) or the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Extensive commercial and strategic leadership experience is also important.
Finance Director pay and earning potential
An indicative annual guide is £75,000–£130,000 for finance director positions, before any bonus or long-term incentive arrangements. This is an estimate, not an official salary band, and senior packages vary considerably with business size, region and whether the role is divisional or group-wide.
Career progression
A finance director commonly progresses through accountant and finance manager positions, sometimes via financial controller or head of finance. At larger businesses, further progression may lead to group finance director or chief financial officer responsibilities, depending on organisational structure.
Explore our career progression guide for more ways to develop your career in house building.
Find finance director opportunities
Explore house builders looking for finance leaders who can shape long-term plans and provide clear commercial direction.
Finance Director FAQs
A finance director is a senior leader responsible for financial strategy, reporting, governance and financial performance.
They oversee budgets, funding, cash flow, investment analysis and financial controls, helping the business make decisions about land and development.
Most people progress through accounting and finance-management roles, gain significant leadership experience and often complete a professional accountancy qualification.
Employers commonly look for recognised accountancy qualifications and extensive financial and commercial leadership experience.
A finance director sets wider financial strategy and advises senior leadership; a finance manager typically oversees reporting and planning for a defined part of the business.
An indicative annual range is £75,000–£130,000 before potential bonuses, but packages vary widely and require vacancy-level checking.