Financial Director

Headstar; Leeds; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Headstar is seeking a Finance Director for a £150m international distribution business based in Leeds. You will bring structure, control and commercial focus, working with the MD and leadership team across multiple sites and entities.

You will lead a capable finance function, sharpen visibility of working capital and inventory, and drive improvements in controls, reporting and forecasting using Dynamics 365 F&O and other systems.

Qualifications

• Senior Finance leadership experience in a sizeable, multi-site business.
• Experience in distribution or inventory-led environments with working capital focus.
• Board-level communication, challenge and influence across the business.
• Strong financial governance and commercial awareness.
• Experience leading and developing a Finance team.
• Understanding of ERP systems; Dynamics 365 F&O is advantageous.
• Ability to balance strategic with operational detail.
• Proven track record of improving processes and raising standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead Finance and develop the existing team, raising standards.
• Provide insight and challenge alongside the MD and leadership team.
• Understand operational performance across multiple sites.
• Improve control and visibility of stock, inventory and working capital.
• Strengthen financial controls, reporting and processes.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting and commercial planning.
• Develop the Finance function to support business ambitions.
• Leverage systems and data, including Dynamics 365 F&O.
• Operate within a matrix structure and influence stakeholders.
• Bridge strategic discussions with operational detail as needed.

Skills

Finance leadership

Board level

Inventory management

Working capital

Dynamics 365 F&O

Financial controls

Commercial partnering

Tools

Dynamics 365 F&O

Job description

Leeds | Office-based

An established, international distribution business. A complex, multi-site operation. The opportunity to make Finance work even harder for the business.

We're looking for a Finance Director who can bring greater structure, control and commercial focus to a £150m distribution business operating across multiple sites and entities.

The business has grown considerably, and Finance needs to keep pace.

The foundations are there, but there's an opportunity to raise standards, improve visibility and ensure the function is providing the level of insight and control you'd expect in a business of this size.

You'll work closely with the MD and leadership team, with real scope to influence how the business operates. With significant inventory, working capital and multiple locations to manage, this is a role for someone who wants to understand what's happening on the ground, challenge performance and help the business make better decisions.

It's about getting the balance right. Bringing the discipline and processes you'd expect in a larger corporate environment, without losing the commercial instinct and pragmatism needed to make things happen.

What will you be responsible for?

• Leading Finance and getting the best out of an established team, developing capability and raising standards where needed.
• Working alongside the MD and senior leadership team, providing insight and challenge rather than simply reporting the numbers.
• Getting closer to operational performance across multiple sites, working with sales, procurement and operations to understand what's driving results.
• Improving control and visibility across stock, inventory and working capital, ensuring the business understands where cash is tied up and where opportunities exist.
• Strengthening financial controls, reporting and processes to reflect the scale and complexity of the operation.
• Leading budgeting, forecasting and commercial planning, helping the business make informed decisions about its future.
• Making better use of systems and data, including the continued development of Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O.
• Operating within a matrix structure, building relationships and influencing stakeholders across the wider group.
• Developing the Finance function so it can support the business's ambitions, rather than simply keep up with them.

What will you bring?

• A strong track record in senior Finance leadership, ideally as a Finance Director within a sizeable, multi-site business.
• Experience in distribution, or a similarly complex, inventory-led environment where working capital and stock management really matter.
• The confidence to operate at board level, challenge constructively and influence people across the business.
• Strong financial control and governance, with the commercial awareness to understand when to challenge and when to take a pragmatic approach.
• Experience leading and developing a Finance team, with a genuine interest in helping people improve and progress.
• An understanding of ERP systems and how to get more from them. Experience with Dynamics 365 F&O would be a real advantage.
• The ability to move between strategic discussions and operational detail, depending on what the business needs.
• A track record of improving processes, raising standards or helping a Finance function evolve as a business grows.

Experience in a larger corporate or listed environment would be useful, particularly if you've worked within a matrix structure. The key is being able to bring that experience into the business in a practical way.

Why consider it?

This is an opportunity to make a visible difference without having to start from scratch.

You'll be joining an established business with an existing Finance team, the backing of a wider international group and a positive working environment with low staff turnover.

The opportunity is to build on what's already there, develop the team and ensure Finance has the systems, controls and commercial influence needed to support a business of this scale.

You'll have close access to the MD, exposure to senior decision-making and the scope to influence performance across the UK and Ireland operation.

If you're a Finance Director who enjoys getting close to the business, improving how things work and bringing the right balance of commercial thinking and financial discipline, let's have a conversation.