Finance Director, Travel (Leyland - On-Site)

dnata Travel Group; Preston; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

dnata Travel Group seeks a Finance Director to shape financial strategy and performance for Gold Medal Travel, based on-site in Leyland, Lancashire. You will partner with the MD and leadership to drive growth, governance, and robust financial control across a large, global matrix organisation.

You will lead budgeting, forecasting, EBITDA and cash flow targets, and oversee reports, audits, and tax/compliance efforts while developing a high-performing finance team.

Qualifications

• Professional accounting qualification required (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent).
• Significant post-qualified experience in a senior finance leadership role.
• Experience leading multi-functional finance teams.
• Strong background in financial control, reporting, FP&A, and cash management.
• Experience operating at board level with senior leadership exposure.
• Experience in a large, complex global matrix organisation with shared services.
• Strong commercial acumen with ability to translate financial data into insights.
• Proven stakeholder management and influencing capability.

Responsibilities

• Act as strategic and commercial partner to the Managing Director and leadership team, influencing investments, growth strategy and business priorities.
• Lead end-to-end financial planning including budgets, forecasts, and long-range plans.
• Own delivery of EBITDA, PAT, and cash flow targets with insightful analysis of performance drivers, risks and opportunities.
• Oversee monthly management accounts, forecasts, variance analysis, KPIs, cash flow reporting, and quarterly balance sheet reporting.
• Ensure strong financial control environment in line with Group Policy, supporting audits and timely statutory reporting.
• Interface with Group Finance, auditors, and regulatory bodies, including SAO sign-off and ATOL/CAA requirements.
• Maintain balance sheet integrity and regulatory, legal, tax, and HMRC compliance.
• Lead treasury, cash flow forecasting, liquidity management, working capital optimisation and banking relationships.
• Identify and mitigate financial risks including liquidity, credit, and FX exposure.
• Lead end-to-end O2C and P2P processes.
• Drive standardisation, automation and continuous improvement across finance operations and systems.
• Own the Finance systems strategy, ERP governance and reporting tools.
• Lead finance input into wider business transformation initiatives.
• Set objectives, develop talent and build a high-performance, accountable finance culture.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder management

Financial planning

FP&A

Cash management

ERP systems

Leadership

Governance

Education

Professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent)

Tools

ERP systems

Reporting tools

Job description

dnata Travel Group seeks a Finance Director to shape financial strategy and performance for Gold Medal Travel, based on-site in Leyland, Lancashire. You will partner with the MD and leadership to drive growth, governance, and robust financial control across a large, global matrix organisation.

You will lead budgeting, forecasting, EBITDA and cash flow targets, and oversee reports, audits, and tax/compliance efforts while developing a high-performing finance team.