The Colas Group operates internationally in all aspects of transport infrastructure. As part of the global organisation, Colas Ireland is primarily involved the distribution of bitumen products, emulsion and emulsifier manufacturing, and the provision of specialist road maintenance services on the national, regional and local road network. In Ireland Colas operates from 14 locations across the island of Ireland.
The Finance Manager is responsible for overseeing the financial management and control of Colas Contracting and Colas Bitumen Emulsions Business Units (BU). The role ensures accurate reporting, regulatory compliance and effective business partnering with other functions across the organisation. The position supports the Head of BUs as well as the Ireland Finance team in driving financial strategy, performance, and governance while enabling operational and commercial decision-making.
Financial Management & Reporting
- Produce monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements with the support of the Management Accounts Assistant and Job Costing Assistant.
- Ensure timely and accurate reporting in line with Group (Colas/Bouygues) requirements, be responsible for group financial reporting
- Analyse financial performance against budgets and forecasts, providing clear variance analysis to the Head of BUs and Jobs Finance Manager.
- Support the Head of BUs to produce and present the annual budgets and periodic reforecasts.
- Monitor and control overhead expenditure and BUs reserves and provisions.
- Monitor Capex expenditure and prepare business cases for key investment decisions
- Prepare the statutory financial statements with the Head of Accounting & Tax.
- Manage external and internal audits, ensuring timely completion and follow-up.
Financial Control & Compliance
- Drive strong internal controls and governance processes across entities to provide greater insight into the business thereby ensuring costs recovery and highlighting opportunities to increase profitability and increase margins.
- Ensure compliance with relevant statutory, tax, VAT, and payroll requirements.
- Maintain close collaboration between Operations, Commercial and Finance teams to ensure fair financial positions are reported (Work in Progress, Measure Reserves, Stocks, Accruals, Remedial provisions, Risks and Opportunities, Debt).
- Maintain close control over Labour & Equipment branches to ensure adequate costing.
- Maintain a strong focus on cash through supervision of cash flow forecasts, debt collection.
- Foster relationships at all levels within the business to promote the 'value of the Finance function’ and actively develop and implement financial best practices.
Business Partnering / Bid Support
- Assist the bid team in reviewing tender documents and quotations / bids issued, with particular emphasis on margins, overhead recovery, payment terms, cash-flow, client creditworthiness.
- Ensure the consistent monitoring between tender / pre-construction budget / contract performance with variance analysis and implementation of corrective action plan.
- Support the Head of BUs and the Jobs Finance Manager in relevant projects as they arise.
Team Leadership
- Lead, manage, and develop the finance team reporting to her/him.
- Promote a high-performance culture with a focus on accountability and continuous improvement.
- Support training and development within the finance function.
The successful candidate will be a professionally qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) with at least five years’ post‑qualification experience in a construction or industrial environment. You will have strong financial and commercial acumen, excellent analytical skills, advanced Excel proficiency, and experience in month‑end and balance sheet reconciliation. Familiarity with Irish and UK regulatory frameworks, as well as ERP systems such as COPERNIC / JADE, is desirable. You will be detail‑focused, proactive, organised and resilient under pressure, able to prioritise effectively and adapt to changing business needs, with a strong sense of ownership for delivering outcomes.
Here at Colas Group, we offer a great total compensation package, car or allowance including:
- Our Colas Pension Scheme has combined contributions
- Life Assurance Scheme / Death in Service
- 21 days annual leave per year + Public Holidays and service days (one for every 5 years worked, capped at 20 years)
- Employee Assistance Programme for employees, their spouse/partner and any dependents over the age of 16 years living at home.
- Free car parking.
- Company laptop and mobile phone.
- Professional subscriptions – role related
- Enhanced Maternity, Adoptive, and Paternity Benefit.
At Colas, our culture is guided by four core values: Respect, Commitment, Pioneering, and Sharing. These values shape how we work, collaborate, and grow together. We believe that respect is the foundation of every relationship. By treating others as we wish to be treated, we foster fairness, transparency, and inclusion within our teams and with our clients, communities, and partners. Commitment means dedicating ourselves fully to everything we do. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to make a meaningful impact. With a pioneering spirit, we prioritise bold innovation over blind ambition. We welcome new ideas, invest in our people, and work to deliver sustainable infrastructure solutions that shape the future. Through sharing, we build trust and solidarity, encouraging collaboration and growth at all levels of the business.
Colas Group is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that mirrors the communities we serve. As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all backgrounds. If you want a workplace where your voice is valued and your potential is developed, Colas is the right choice.
