Finance Director

Finance Director

Location: Stockport

Employment Type: Full-time

Department: Finance

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Finance Director to lead our financial strategy, governance, and decision support across the organisation. This is a key leadership role responsible for maintaining financial stability, enabling sustainable growth, and ensuring the business operates with strong commercial and operational discipline.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Governance & Control

• Oversee all statutory reporting, compliance, and financial controls.
• Ensure accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting.
• Manage cash flow, working capital, and financial risk.
• Lead relationships with auditors, tax advisors, banks, and other financial partners.
• Support the development of effective procurement and cost-management practices.

Financial Planning, Insight & Decision Support

• Provide clear, actionable financial insight to senior leaders and managers.
• Translate financial data into understandable guidance for non-financial stakeholders.
• Drive improved financial literacy across the organisation.
• Develop and enhance financial systems, forecasting, and performance reporting.
• Improve modelling, scenario planning, and analysis to support strategic decisions.

Commercial & Client Support

• Support commercial negotiations, pricing, bids, and contract structures.
• Provide financial expertise in customer and partner discussions.
• Ensure financial models and assumptions used externally are robust and transparent.
• Build trust with clients through professional financial communication.

Strategic Leadership

• Partner with operational and commercial teams to connect delivery performance to financial outcomes.
• Contribute to long-term business planning and investment decisions.
• Ensure future growth is aligned with financial capacity and risk appetite.

Finance Team Leadership

• Lead, develop, and mentor a high-performing Finance team.
• Promote a business-partnering culture within Finance.
• Continuously improve processes, systems, and controls to support scaling.

Authority

The Finance Director will have the authority to:

• Set financial policies, controls, and reporting standards.
• Approve financial assumptions used in bids, forecasts, and investment cases.
• Challenge or halt decisions that pose significant financial risk.
• Represent the organisation to clients, financial institutions, and auditors.

What Success Looks Like

• Reliable, trusted financial reporting and forecasting across the leadership team.
• Strong cash flow and working-capital performance.
• Leaders making faster, more informed commercial decisions.
• A Finance function recognised as a strategic partner, not just a control function.
• Improved financial understanding and discipline across the organisation.
• Clear, predictable financial outcomes with minimal late surprises.

Candidate Requirements

Essential Skills & Experience

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA)
• Proven experience in a senior finance leadership role.
• Strong technical understanding of financial governance, planning, and reporting.
• Experience partnering with senior leadership and non-financial managers.
• Commercial acumen with experience supporting bids, pricing, and contract decisions.
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team.

Desirable

• Experience in scaling organisations.
• Exposure to project-based or service-led environments.
• Familiarity with integrated financial or ERP systems.