Junior project controller

The Junior Project Controller role is designed for someone who enjoys digging into the financial mechanics of complex industrial engagements. Working closely with our partner, a West Midlands based industrial group, you will ensure that every project assumption is backed by sound data and clear economic logic.

About Blue Oak Consulting
Blue Oak Consulting provides independent advisory on pricing, portfolio economics, capital allocation, and acquisition assumptions. We are not a traditional consulting firm focused on broad transformation programs or high level strategy decks. Instead, we interrogate specific commercial decisions where the financial stakes are high and the existing narrative is not sufficient. Our team looks past corporate language and P&L complexity to identify where value is leaking or capital is trapped.
We work across sectors like software, manufacturing, and healthcare to test whether the assumptions behind a growth plan or an acquisition actually hold under pressure. We are a small, principal led firm where the people who do the work are the ones accountable for the results. We do not take transaction contingent fees, which allows us to be completely honest about whether the economics of a decision make sense. Our goal is to provide clarity through financial discipline and a healthy amount of skepticism. We stay through the execution phase because decisions that look sound in theory often fail when they meet real world friction.

The Role
In this entry level position, you will work within a lean, remote team to monitor project financials and verify the integrity of our data sets. You will provide the analytical support needed to track how actual performance stacks up against initial models, identifying discrepancies before they become significant issues. This is a role for someone who prefers spreadsheets and hard facts over vague projections and corporate storytelling. Because we operate as a distributed team, you will have the autonomy to manage your daily tasks while remaining in constant contact with senior consultants.

What You Will Be Doing

• Reconciling project costs and revenue data to ensure all financial reports are accurate and up to date.
• Assisting with the development of financial models that stress test the commercial assumptions of our regional partner.
• Monitoring budget variances and highlighting areas where initial forecasts might be deviating from reality.
• Preparing clear, concise financial updates for the principal consultants to present to stakeholders.
• Conducting audit checks on internal data sources to ensure data cleanliness and consistency.
• Helping to build tracking tools that simplify the monitoring of pricing and margin performance.
• Documenting the logic behind financial adjustments to maintain a clear audit trail for every project.
• Participating in internal reviews where we debate the viability of project economics and capital allocations.

What You Bring

• A university degree in finance, economics, mathematics, or a related field with a strong focus on numbers.
• High proficiency in Excel, specifically the ability to use formulas and pivot tables to organize large datasets.
• An investigative mindset that naturally questions why a number is what it is rather than accepting it at face value.
• Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to spot minor errors in complex spreadsheets.
• Clear communication skills, specifically the ability to write about financial data in plain English.
• The ability to manage your own schedule and work effectively in a fully remote environment.
• A basic understanding of accounting principles, such as profit and loss statements and cash flow analysis.
• Curiosity about how businesses actually make money and where their financial models might be vulnerable.

What We Offer

• A permanent, full time position with competitive pay that reflects your skills and the demands of the role.
• The ability to work from anywhere as part of our remote first policy.
• Direct access to senior principals who value high quality work and honest analysis.
• Training in our specific approach to financial interrogation and economic skepticism.
• An environment free from the bureaucracy and performance art of larger consulting firms.
• The chance to see the real world impact of your work as we support our partner through execution.

At Blue Oak Consulting, we value honesty above all else. Our team thrives because we are willing to say no when the numbers do not support a decision, even if that is the unpopular opinion. As a Junior Project Controller, you will be a vital part of this process, providing the evidence that allows us to stay grounded in financial reality. We focus on building a sustainable culture where the work speaks for itself and every team member is given the space to develop their analytical skills.