Head of Finance

Hays; Cheltenham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is seeking a dynamic Head of Finance to lead their finance department in Cheltenham. This role involves driving financial improvements, overseeing team development, and influencing strategic decisions. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in finance leadership and process automation, along with relevant qualifications. Join a collaborative environment where you can make a real impact on business growth.

Benefits

Competitive salary and benefits package

Opportunity to influence finance strategy

Collaborative work environment

Qualifications

• Minimum three years' experience in Sage 50 or Xero.
• At least two years in a senior finance role.
• Experience in implementing finance process automation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor the finance team.
• Identify and implement process automation.
• Produce and present weekly finance reports.

Skills

Leadership

Problem-solving

Process Automation

Financial Reporting

Data Analysis

Education

ACCA/ACA/CIMA qualified or near completion

Tools

Sage 50

Xero

Microsoft 365

Job description

3 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants

This range is provided by Hays. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

We are seeking a dynamic and strategic hands-on Head of Finance to lead our finance department, drive continuous improvements, and enhance financial intelligence to support business growth.

This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive finance professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys problem-solving, and is eager to influence high-level business decisions.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor and develop the finance team, ensuring continuous learning and professional growth.
• Delegate routine tasks effectively to junior team members, allowing focus on strategic initiatives.
• Drive automation and efficiency improvements within finance operations.
• Assist the Finance Director and Board in shaping financial strategies and decision-making.

Financial Process Improvement & Automation

• Identify and implement process automation and system enhancements to improve business efficiency.
• Develop and maintain financial intelligence tools that enhance reporting accuracy and business insights.
• Transition regular reporting tasks into automated templates for efficiency and accuracy.
• Streamline financial workflows to reduce manual interventions and improve data accuracy.
• Oversee junior team members handling sales order entry and invoice processing.
• Monitor accuracy and completeness of sales invoicing, ensuring alignment with customer systems (Adquira, EE, SAP - training provided if required).
• Maintain and improve the company commercial tracker to ensure real-time visibility of financial data.
• Oversee credit control activities, ensuring timely collection of outstanding debts and preparation of a weekly credit control report for the Board.

Financial Reporting & Business Intelligence

• Produce and present weekly finance reports, including sales performance, deferred income, and managed resource summaries.
• Deliver financial insights at weekly planning meetings to support strategic decision-making.
• Work closely with the Finance Director and the Board to implement data-driven decision-making practices.
• Reconcile bank accounts, with a primary focus on the sales ledger.
• Manage and reconcile the customer factoring account, processing funding requests as required.
• Oversee purchase ledger accounts for key suppliers, ensuring accurate invoice processing and reconciliation.
• Improve supplier account management processes to ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Payroll & Employee Benefits Administration

• Oversee monthly time sheet summaries, TOIL balances, and payroll entries into Sage.
• Manage employee benefits, including health insurance and pension schemes.
• Implement efficiency improvements in payroll-related processes.

Ad Hoc & Strategic Finance Initiatives

• Support the Finance Director with high-level financial strategy and business planning.
• Generate ad hoc reports and insights for the Board and Finance Director.
• Continuously seek business improvement opportunities by analysing financial data and identifying cost-saving initiatives.

Qualifications & Experience

• Sage 50 or Xero:
• Minimum three years' experience in either system.
• Senior Finance Experience: At least two years in a senior finance role, with leadership responsibilities.
• Process Automation: Experience implementing finance process automation and efficiency improvements.
• Financial Reporting & Analysis: Proven ability to generate insightful financial reports that support business decisions.

Education & Certifications:

• ACCA/ACA/CIMA qualified or near completion.
• Technical Proficiency: Advanced Excel (including Macros) and familiarity with Microsoft 365 (Word, Teams, SharePoint - training provided if needed).
• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to business process improvements.

Why Join Us?

• Be a key player in a fast-growing, forward-thinking company.
• Opportunity to influence finance strategy and drive business transformation.
• Work in a collaborative, supportive, and innovation-driven environment.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.

If you are a finance professional looking for a challenging yet rewarding role where you can make a real impact, we want to hear from you.

What you need to do now

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.

If this job isn't quite right for you but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion on your career.

Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Temporary

Job function

• Job function

  Accounting/Auditing

• Industries

  Internet News

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