Financial Controller – Payroll & Operational Cost Control

Location: Welwyn Garden City Full-time | Permanent

A rapidly expanding, people‑focused service business is seeking a hands-on Financial Controller to lead its finance function and strengthen financial discipline across a large operational workforce.

With annual revenues approaching £40m and a nationwide team of around 3,000 employees, the organisation is continuing to scale and requires a commercially aware finance leader who thrives in fast‑paced, labour‑intensive environments.

Role Overview

This is a fully office‑based role, working closely with senior leadership and operational teams to ensure strong margin control, robust payroll oversight and high-quality financial reporting. The position is ideal for someone who enjoys being deeply involved in day‑to‑day operations while driving continuous improvement across finance processes.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll & Labour Cost Control

Oversee high‑volume payroll operations across weekly, fortnightly and monthly cycles.

Ensure payroll accuracy, compliance and efficient processing.

Monitor labour costs across contracts, regions and operational teams.

Produce regular labour cost analysis, variance reporting and margin insights.

Investigate anomalies such as overtime, excess hours and margin erosion.

Strengthen payroll approval workflows and internal...