Senior Business Controller - Real Estate Development...

Senior Business Controller

Real Estate Development & Investment Funds

Reporting to: Chief Operating Officer | Chief Finance & Investment Officer | CEO

Seniority: 7 to 12 years of experience required in real estate development

Team scope: Individual contributor initially; expected to recruit and manage a junior analyst within 12–18 months

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

This is a senior, high-impact role at the intersection of real estate development finance, portfolio governance, and investment fund structuring. The Senior Business Controller acts as the primary financial authority across the full investment lifecycle — from deal origination and feasibility underwriting through to portfolio consolidation, lender reporting, and fund modelling.

Joining a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment, the successful candidate will bring deep expertise in real estate development finance and be immediately capable of operating autonomously at a senior level. Over time, he/she will build and lead a small finance team, recruiting and mentoring a junior analyst to support the growing scope of activities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

I. Real Estate Development Finance

Reporting to the COO & Head of Development

1. Investment Opportunity Underwriting & Financial Analysis

• Lead the financial underwriting of new real estate acquisition and development opportunities, working in close collaboration with the development team and Head of Development
• Build, own, and critically challenge Business Plans across acquisition, development, and exit phases
• Assess project-level returns through detailed cash flow modelling, IRR, equity multiple (EM), development margin, and risk-adjusted return analysis
• Design and run multi-scenario and sensitivity analyses to stress-test underwriting assumptions across market, cost, and timing variables
• Provide clear financial perspective and advisory input to illuminate investment decisions — translating analytical outputs into actionable insight for decision-makers rather than imposing conclusions
• Deliver board-ready financial recommendations to support go/no-go investment decisions and capital committee presentations
• Serve as the financial counterpart to the development team, bringing critical discipline to deal structuring and assumption validation

2. Development Feasibility Monitoring & Project Financial Oversight

• Produce, maintain, and continuously update comprehensive financial feasibility studies across the full development pipeline
• Integrate all development parameters into granular financial models: land acquisition cost, hard and soft construction costs, phasing and timeline assumptions, financing structure, pre-sale and commercialisation targets
• Act as the primary financial interface between development, technical, legal, and commercial teams throughout the project lifecycle
• Proactively identify financial risks — cost overruns, planning delays, financing gaps — and propose structuring, hedging, or value-engineering solutions
• Challenge and validate cost estimates provided by external project managers, quantity surveyors, and contractors

II. Portfolio Consolidation & Investment Perimeter Governance

Reporting to the COO & CF&IO

3. Portfolio Consolidation & Financial Control

• Own the aggregation and consolidation of financial data across the full real estate development portfolio
• Maintain rigorous budget, actuals, and rolling re-forecast discipline on a per-project and portfolio-wide basis
• Conduct variance analysis with actionable management commentary, explaining deviations from plan and recommending corrective actions
• Track and critically assess portfolio-level KPIs: feasibility margin evolution, cash flow positions, cost-to-complete, and financing headroom
• Carry out accounting reconciliation on a per-project basis in close coordination with the finance and accounting teams
• Ensure data integrity, consistency, and auditability across all financial reporting layers
• Provide a consolidated, real-time view of project margins, cash flows, and financing requirements to senior management
• Contribute to portfolio prioritisation, deal sequencing, and capital allocation decisions at the investment committee level

4. Financial Reporting & Investor Communications

• Produce comprehensive financial reports on both a project-by-project and portfolio-wide basis across all investment perimeters
• Synthesise and present key performance indicators — IRR, equity multiple, development margins, cash flow waterfall, risk exposure — in clear, decision-ready formats
• Prepare and maintain Board-level reporting packs, investment committee materials, and investor update presentations
• Contribute to strategic discussions with senior management, shareholders, and investment partners
• Ensure the quality, clarity, and auditability of all financial data presented to internal and external stakeholders

III. Fund Modelling, Business Development & Financing

Reporting to the CF&IO & CEO

5. Investment Fund Modelling

• Design and build institutional-grade financial models for investment fund vehicles across Built-to-Rent (B2R), Energy, and Utilities sectors
• Define and calibrate fund-level assumptions including equity/debt structures, waterfall distributions, preferred returns, catch-up mechanisms, and carried interest
• Consolidate asset-level cash flows into fund-level return models, enabling scenario analysis across deployment timelines and exit assumptions
• Prepare investor-ready materials: fund presentations, return attribution analyses, and performance narratives for LP roadshows and capital raises

6. Financing Structuring & Lender Relations

• Lead the preparation of comprehensive financial packages supporting debt financing requests across real estate development projects
• Structure and present financing requests tailored to lender requirements, including loan-to-cost, loan-to-value, DSCR, and interest coverage analysis
• Produce regular lender reporting to keep financing partners informed of project progress, construction milestones, pre-sale performance, and budget compliance
• Prepare financing packages for Built-to-Rent, Energy, and Utilities fund vehicles based on identified capital needs from fund model outputs

IV. Team Leadership & Development

Progressive responsibility from day one

• Operate as a senior individual contributor from day one, fully autonomous across all areas of the role
• Within 12 to 18 months, lead the recruitment of a junior financial analyst to support and scale the activities of the finance function
• Mentor and develop the junior profile, progressively delegating operational tasks — feasibility updates, reporting preparation, data consolidation — while retaining senior oversight and quality control
• Contribute to the structuring and continuous improvement of internal financial processes, tools, and reporting frameworks as the team scales
• Act as a senior financial ambassador within the organisation, fostering financial rigour and discipline across development and operational teams

PROFILE & SKILLS

Education & Experience

• Master's degree in Finance, Real Estate, Management Control, or equivalent (Grande École, university, or professional qualification)
• 5 to 10 years of confirmed, hands-on experience in real estate development finance, investment feasibility underwriting, and financial control
• Proven track record of operating autonomously in a senior financial role within a real estate developer, investment manager, or fund management platform
• Strong command of real estate investment governance, capital structuring, and multi-stakeholder reporting
• Deep, practical knowledge of real estate debt financing mechanisms: construction loans, senior debt, mezzanine, bridge facilities, covenants, and drawdown structures
• Prior exposure to Built-to-Rent, alternative real assets (Energy, Infrastructure, Utilities), or investment fund management is a strong plus
• Experience recruiting, managing, or mentoring junior finance professionals is a plus

Technical Skills

• Expert-level financial modelling skills across real estate development, portfolio consolidation, and investment fund structures
• Advanced Excel proficiency; strong command of financial modelling best practices, dynamic assumptions, and audit-ready model architecture
• Solid understanding of real estate accounting principles, project finance mechanics, and IFRS/local GAAP as applied to real estate entities
• Familiarity with investor reporting standards, waterfall modelling, and fund administration concepts
• Proactive and solution-oriented approach to continuous improvement of financial tools, processes, and reporting infrastructure
• Exposure to BI tools, ERP platforms (Yardi, SAP, or equivalent), or data visualisation is an advantage

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Highly autonomous, proactive, and decisive — capable of driving deliverables without hand-holding
• Rigorous, detail-oriented, and reliable — holding yourself and others to the highest standards of financial accuracy
• Ability to zoom out and maintain a strategic, portfolio-level perspective alongside granular project-level discipline
• Strong communicator, able to translate complex financial analysis into clear, executive-ready insights for boards, investors, and senior leadership
• Collaborative and credible across teams — comfortable challenging assumptions from developers, contractors, and external advisors
• Leadership mindset: able to bring structure, clarity, and mentorship as the finance function grows

Interested? Send us your CV along with a personalised cover letter, highlighting how your experience matches the profile we are looking for, to the following address: careers@nextday.eu.

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