Financial Director

Head4Talent; Swansea; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Head4Talent is recruiting an experienced Finance Director for a private equity-backed manufacturing business in Swansea. You will partner with the Managing Director to shape and deliver growth, leading a four-person finance team and collaborating with senior leadership.

The role focuses on cashflow, budgeting, forecasting and robust financial controls, with responsibility for commercial insight, cost efficiency and ROI analysis across the business.

Qualifications

• Qualified with CIMA or ACCA and 5+ years post-qualification experience.
• Experience in manufacturing/SME or similar environments.
• Experience in private equity-backed businesses.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a Finance team of four with emphasis on performance.
• Oversee financial, HR, legal and IT matters across the business.
• Present monthly financial and business performance to MD, investors and Board.
• Provide commercial insight to drive profitability and growth.
• Own budgeting, forecasting and cashflow planning processes.
• Manage relationships with auditors, banks and insurers.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and cost base.
• Develop investment cases and ROI assessments for initiatives.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Cashflow management

Financial planning

Strategic finance

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Education

CIMA/ACCA qualification

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Finance Director to join a successful private equity-backed manufacturing business based in Swansea, as the business continues its next phase of growth. The business is profitable and cash generative, with ambitious plans to continue developing its product range, entering new markets and expanding internationally.

About the Role

This is a key leadership appointment and an opportunity for a commercially minded finance professional to become a genuine business partner to the Managing Director, helping shape and deliver the company's future growth strategy. You will join a four-strong Senior Management Team and will lead a team of three within Finance.

Responsibilities

• Leading, developing and motivating the Finance team of three.
• Taking responsibility for financial, HR, legal and IT matters across the business.
• Preparing and presenting monthly financial and business performance information to the Managing Director, investors and Board.
• Providing commercial insight and challenge around business performance, profitability and future growth plans.
• Owning the budgeting, forecasting and financial planning processes.
• Taking full ownership of detailed cashflow management and forecasting.
• Ensuring robust financial reporting processes, controls and accounting policies are maintained.
• Acting as a key stakeholder with external auditors, banks, insurers, shareholders, suppliers and other external bodies.
• Working closely with the senior leadership team to identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and streamline the cost base.
• Developing commercial investment cases and assessing ROI on key business initiatives.
• Driving improvements across systems, processes and reporting.
• Using financial analysis to support better operational and commercial decision-making.
• Challenging the status quo and proactively identifying opportunities to improve business performance.

Qualifications

• CIMA or ACCA qualification with 5+ years' post-qualified experience.
• Experience within a manufacturing, retail or similarly operational SME environment.
• Experience working within a private equity-backed business.

Required Skills

• Strong commercial and analytical capability, with a proven track record of improving profitability.
• Excellent understanding of cashflow management, budgeting and forecasting.
• Experience working with ERP/MRP systems with an understanding of manufacturing processes.
• Strong knowledge of financial controls, reporting and accounting policies.
• Experience dealing with external stakeholders including auditors, HMRC, banks and pension providers.
• Strong systems and process improvement capability, with a genuine interest in automation and improving the use of technology.
• The confidence and ability to challenge senior stakeholders constructively.
• Strong communication, influencing and interpersonal skills.
• Proven ability to lead, develop and motivate a team.
• A proactive, hands-on and flexible approach, with the ability to operate effectively under pressure.
• The ability to combine excellent attention to detail with a wider strategic and commercial perspective.

Preferred Skills

This is a rare opportunity for a hands-on Finance Director to join an established, profitable manufacturing business at an exciting stage of its development. The successful candidate will have genuine influence across the organisation and will work closely with the Managing Director, shareholders and senior leadership team to drive growth, profitability, operational efficiency and long-term value creation.

If you are an ambitious finance leader looking for a role where you can make a tangible difference rather than simply report the numbers, this could be an excellent opportunity.