Vacancy:
Finance Manager(Real Estate)

Location: Victoria Island, Lagos

Job Type: Full-Time | Permanent

Reports to: Managing Director

About our client

Our client is a Lagos-based premium real estate development company with a track record in residential delivery and a growing portfolio across Lagos. They are currently in active pre-construction on a premium residential development in Lagos and are looking for an exceptional Finance Manager to join our team at a pivotal stage of execution.

The Role

This is not a junior bookkeeping role, and it is not a CFO position. It is a strong financial controller who can run the full finance function of a growing real estate development company, managing cash, overseeing all payments, producing clean management accounts, and ensuring the organization's books are always in the condition required for banks, investors, and auditors to trust them without hesitation.

Money will be moving from the first week — drawdowns, buyer escrow deposits, consultant invoices, contractor payment applications, and salary runs. You will have full oversight of all of it.

The role grows with the company and the portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

Payments & Cash Management

— Manage all contractor and supplier payment runs — verifying payment applications against Quantity Surveyor (QS) interim valuations before any release; nothing is paid without your review and the Managing Director's approval

— Process all consultant fee invoices — checking against agreed scopes and milestone

schedules before payment

— Run bi-weekly salary payments accurately and on time for all permanent staff and retained consultants

— Maintain a live cash flow forecast at all times — projecting inflows and outflows across

the full construction and sales programme and flagging pressures to the Managing Director in advance

— Manage petty cash, operational expenses, and company credit card reconciliation

Escrow & Construction Finance

— Manage all buyer escrow accounts — tracking reservation deposits, construction milestone payments, and drawdown releases against QS certification

— Prepare all drawdown documentation for the bank at each certified milestone

— Reconcile escrow accounts monthly against buyer payment schedules, construction

progress, and bank records

— Liaise directly with the escrow bank on all account transactions, queries, and reporting

requirements

Management Accounts & Financial Reporting

— Produce monthly management accounts — P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statement

— within 5 working days of month end

— Maintain a live project cost report showing committed costs, forecast final costs, and

variance against approved budget — available to the Managing Director at all times

— Produce quarterly financial reports for the Managing Director covering overall company

and project financial position

— Prepare financial information for lender reporting — loan progress reports, cost-to-

complete statements, and bank covenant compliance

— Support investor and buyer due diligence requests — financial summaries, project cost

reports, and escrow account statements as required

Compliance & Audit

— Manage all tax compliance — VAT, withholding tax deductions and remittances, and

company income tax

— Maintain all financial records in audit-ready condition at all times — clean, documented,

and reconciled

— Liaise with external auditors at year end and provide all requested schedules,

reconciliations, and supporting documentation

— Ensure all statutory obligations — pension contributions, PAYE remittances, and

statutory filings — are met accurately and on time

What We Are Looking For

Experience & Qualifications

— Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Economics — Second Class Upper

preferred. ACA or ACCA qualified, or finalist with substantial relevant experience.

— Minimum 4–6 years of finance experience in Nigeria — construction, real estate, or

project-based experience is strongly preferred; candidates from well-structured corporate

or professional services backgrounds with strong fundamentals will also be considered

— Direct experience managing construction draw schedules, contractor payment

certification, and project cost plans is a significant advantage

— Experience with real estate escrow accounts and milestone-based buyer payment structures

— Demonstrable experience producing management accounts, cash flow forecasts, and

financial reports for senior leadership and external parties

Technical Skills

— Proficiency in accounting software — QuickBooks, Sage, Xero, or equivalent — at a level

sufficient to manage the full accounts function independently

— Advanced Microsoft Excel — financial modelling, cash flow forecasting, and cost

reporting

— Ability to read and interrogate a Bills of Quantities, a contractor payment application, and a QS interim valuation

— Understanding of Nigerian tax law as it applies to real estate transactions — VAT, WHT,

CGT, and stamp duty

Personal Qualities

— Precise and extremely detail-oriented — an error in a contractor payment or a missed tax

filing has direct consequences

— Proactive — you flag cash flow pressures and compliance issues before they become

problems, not after

— Discreet and trustworthy — you will have full visibility of company finances, buyer

payment details, and investor information from day one

— Commercially aware — you understand that every naira of cost overrun directly impacts

margin