Group Commercial Finance Director

The Role..

The Group Commercial Finance Director is a new senior leadership role created as part of Soho Houses Commercial Finance transformation leading a dedicated commercial finance team covering the Groups commercial and strategic finance arrangements. The role owns debt and banking relationships property leases insurance and commercial agreements new site feasibility and capital planning governance and reporting together with finance business partnering to Soho Works IHDB Partnerships Residences and the Groups other businesses.

Working closely with Development Legal IHDB and Works the Director plays a central role in Development Capex and Ops Transformation forums and will champion the use of AI-enabled analytics and automation to strengthen capital planning feasibility and commercial decision-making in line with the Groups wider ERP and AI transformation ambitions.

Key Responsibilities..

• Own Group debt management monitoring facilities and supporting refinancing initiatives as required.
• Manage banking facilities and relationships to support the Groups liquidity and funding needs.

• Own commercial and financial oversight of the Groups Leases across the portfolio.
• Lead Property Management from a commercial finance perspective ensuring costs income and performance are effectively managed.
• Own JV & HMA (Joint Venture & House/Hotel Management Agreement) agreements ensuring commercial terms are understood managed and optimised.
• Own Key Contracts providing financial oversight and commercial input into major agreements.

• Own the Groups insurance programmes working closely with the business to ensure appropriate coverage is in place across all risk areas.
• Lead claims handling ensuring claims are managed efficiently and effectively from notification through to resolution.
• Own Business Interruption (BI) and Contingent Business Interruption (CBI) claims ensuring careful planning and preparation to support timely and accurate recovery.
• Provide ongoing day-to-day support to Operations on any claims and coverage matters acting as a trusted point of contact for the business.
• Regularly review insurance programmes and coverage with the business to ensure they remain appropriate and adequate as the business evolves.

• Own New Site Review & Feasibility leading financial appraisal and underwriting of new site opportunities to support the Groups expansion decisions.
• Critically review feasibility models challenging inputs and assumptions (including revenue cost capex and return assumptions) to ensure recommendations are robust and well-evidenced.
• Ensure a clear understanding of the technical accounting impacts of new site decisions under GAAP (e.g. lease accounting capitalisation and impairment considerations) working closely with technical accounting and reporting teams.
• Present feasibility and underwriting recommendations to senior stakeholders balancing commercial ambition with financial and accounting rigour.

• Own Capital Planning governance across the Group setting and maintaining policy to ensure consistent disciplined investment decision-making.
• Lead day-to-day management review and reporting of Capital Planning checking submissions and spend against Group policy and requirements.

• Act as lead finance business partner to Soho Works.
• Act as lead finance business partner to IHDB.
• Provide commercial finance business partnering to Partnerships Residences and Other Businesses (Line Group).

• Champion the use of AI-enabled analytics and automation to strengthen capital planning new site feasibility and underwriting analysis reducing manual and transactional effort within the commercial finance function.
• Leverage ERP and AI-enabled data to improve decision-making on debt capital allocation and commercial agreements focusing capacity on forward-looking analysis and value creation.
• Act as key business partner to Development Legal IHDB and Works representing Commercial Finance in Development Capex and Ops Transformation forums.
• Lead and develop a dedicated commercial finance team building specialist capability across capital planning new site feasibility business partnering and insurance/risk management.

• Extensive experience in senior commercial finance leadership roles within complex multi-site or property-related businesses.
• Proven track record managing debt banking relationships and treasury-adjacent commercial finance matters.
• Deep expertise in property leases JV/HMA agreements and capital planning within a multinational multi-brand environment.
• Experience managing corporate insurance programmes and claims including Business Interruption (BI) and Contingent Business Interruption (CBI) with a track record of careful claims planning and ongoing operational support.
• Experience leading new site review feasibility studies and underwriting to support expansion and investment decisions including hands-on review of financial models and critical challenge of inputs and assumptions.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge under GAAP with an understanding of how new site decisions (e.g. leases capitalisation impairment) impact the Groups accounts.
• Experience embedding capital planning governance policy and reporting frameworks with a track record of day-to-day review against requirements.
• Experience business partnering diversified or newer business lines (e.g. co-working membership residences licensing).
• Experience leveraging AI-enabled analytics and automation to strengthen capital planning feasibility and investment decision-making.
• Commercially astute with the ability to negotiate and manage complex commercial agreements and translate them into clear financial and strategic insight.
• Qualified Accountant (e.g. ACA ACCA CIMA or equivalent) with strong technical grounding and leadership presence.

• Strategic Leadership: Ability to shape and execute a commercial finance strategy that supports growth resilience and value creation.
• Global Perspective: Strong understanding of property JV and commercial agreements across multiple jurisdictions.
• Technical & Analytical Rigour: Confident reviewing financial models and challenging inputs and assumptions with strong technical accounting (GAAP) knowledge.
• Data & AI Fluency: Confident using AI-enabled analytics and automation to strengthen capital planning and commercial decision-making.
• Governance & Control: Rigorous in applying capital planning policy governance and reporting standards with strong attention to day-to-day review and compliance.
• Stakeholder Influence: Exceptional communication and negotiation skills across senior leadership Development Legal and operational teams.
• Risk Management: Proactive in identifying and mitigating financial and commercial risk across debt property insurance and commercial agreements.
• Change Management: Experience leading transformation initiatives and embedding best practice across commercial finance functions.

Benefits

Soho House offers competitive compensation packages that feature global benefits and perks. Whether youre seeking entry-level employment or a new opportunity to expand your profession we offer training to develop the technical and managerial skills necessary to grow your career.

• Soho Friends Membership
• 50% off Food & Drink 7 days a week
• Staff Room Rates
• Private Health and Dental Care
• Weekly Pay
• Life Assurance
• Up to 50% Staff Discount on Cowshed & Soho Home
• In Office Dog Policy on Fridays
• Season Ticket Loan
• Christmas Office Closure
• In conjunction with Soho Impact take 2 days paid a year to support a charity of your choice.
• Free Counselling Sessions
• Cookhouse & House Tonic: Our Cookhouse & House Tonic programmes offer unique food and drink trainings events and opportunities to inspire and educate.
• Continuous training to develop yourself personally and professionally
• Exclusive access to our benefits platform with hundreds of discounts on shopping gym memberships holidays insurance and much more
• Team Events: From fitness sessions to cinema screenings and art classes each month we hold a series of fun events which you can sign up to.