Cost Management and Critical Balance Lead

Overview

In this role you lead the Critical Balances and Cost Management function, ensuring accurate and timely invoice processing, budget reviews, and tenant recharge work across multiple clients. You’ll provide operational leadership, allocate resources, monitor performance, and uphold controls to reduce held invoices and aging. You act as the main escalation point for complex queries, drive root-cause resolution, and foster strong relationships with clients, suppliers, and internal teams. You’ll champion continuous improvement and cross-functional collaboration to enhance service efficiency and accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations of the Critical Balances and Cost Management team, setting priorities and workloads to hit targets
• Own SLA/KPI performance for invoice processing, service charge reconciliations, budget reviews, tenant recharges, and query resolution
• Review/approve service charge budgets, reconciliations, and ad hoc invoices in line with authority and client procedures
• Drive reductions in held invoice volumes and aging through proactive management and escalation
• Serve as primary escalation point for complex operational, supplier, and client queries with clear communication
• Maintain relationships with clients, suppliers, managing agents, and colleagues
• Coordinate with suppliers and third parties to gather lease and legal docs to resolve queries
• Ensure team adheres to client procedures, finance controls and approved ways of working
• Monitor quality, conduct root-cause analyses, and implement corrective/preventative controls
• Prepare and present monthly/quarterly performance reports and KPI packs across multiple clients
• Identify operational risks and capacity constraints, escalating with recommended actions
• Collaborate with Data, AP, AR, Estate Management to improve processes and efficiency
• Lead continuous improvement, standardisation, automation opportunities and process changes
• Support audits by providing evidence, controls, and timely responses
• Coach and develop direct reports; manage recruitment, induction, succession, and cross-training
• Provide cover and continuity arrangements for critical activities to minimize service disruption

Key requirements

• Experience leading or supervising a finance operations, accounts payable/receivable, cost management, or real estate operations team
• Strong practical knowledge of invoice processing, reconciliations, budget reviews, query resolution and financial controls
• Experience managing service delivery against SLAs, KPIs, and client requirements
• Experience coaching and developing team members
• Finance processing or real estate operations experience; related qualification desirable
• Strong people leadership and ability to motivate and develop a high-performing team
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and IT literacy
• Excellent written and verbal communication with clients and senior stakeholders
• Process-driven with high attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills including root cause analysis and preventive controls
• Ability to plan, prioritise, and work effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Commercial awareness and ability to challenge, escalate, and resolve risks
• Ability to work independently while collaborating across teams

• leadership
• communication
• problem-solving
• Microsoft Excel
• finance controls
• process improvement

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