Head of Finance Operations

Premier; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

6–9 month interim contract

Job summary

Sewell Wallis is seeking an experienced Interim Head of Finance Operations to lead a large operational finance function in Sheffield for a 6-9 month contract. You will report to the CFO and guide a team of around 50 in Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and Treasury, ensuring robust controls.

You will drive process improvements, oversee month-end reporting, balance sheet reconciliations and forecasting, and build strong relationships with senior stakeholders as the function modernises and

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with ACA/ACCA/CIMA or QBE.
• Proven experience leading large finance teams.
• Extensive experience in Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Treasury.
• Strong understanding of management accounting and month-end processes.
• Proven ability to drive process improvements and change.
• Ability to lead through change and engage senior stakeholders.
• Excellent people management and talent development.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to a ~50-person finance operations team.
• Lead AP, AR and Treasury with interim oversight of Management Accounts.
• Drive improvements to transactional finance processes.
• Oversee credit control, debt collection and working capital.
• Ensure supplier payments and purchase ledger are accurate and timely.
• Oversee monthly management accounts, month-end, reconciliations and forecasting.
• Develop KPIs and performance measures for accountability and service delivery.
• Build relationships with senior stakeholders across Finance and the wider organisation.
• Lead process improvements and wider finance transformation initiatives.
• Foster a positive, high-performing team culture and engagement.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Financial controls

Stakeholder management

Change management

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA or QBE

Job description

12 Nov, 2026# Head of Finance Operations£75,000 - £80,000 yearly* CV-Library* Sheffield, South YorkshireCharity### Job DescriptionSewell Wallis is looking for an experienced Interim Head of Finance Operations to join a well-established organisation based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, on a 6-9 month contract.This is a senior leadership opportunity, taking responsibility for a large operational finance function and leading a large team across Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and the Management Accounts team.Reporting to the CFO and sitting within the Finance Leadership Team, this is a hands-on leadership role requiring someone who can quickly get to grips with existing processes, provide clear direction and bring teams together to deliver an efficient, well-controlled finance operation.What will you be doing?\\* Providing strong, visible leadership and direction to a large finance operations team of approximately 50 people.\\* Leading and developing the Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and Treasury functions, alongside interim oversight of Management Accounts.\\* Driving improvements across transactional finance processes, ensuring efficiency, accuracy and strong financial controls.\\* Overseeing credit control, debt collection, cash allocation and working capital management.\\* Ensuring supplier payments, purchase ledger processes and reconciliations are delivered accurately and within agreed timescales.\\* Providing oversight of the monthly management accounts process, month-end reporting, balance sheet reconciliations and forecasting during the interim period.\\* Developing operational KPIs and performance measures to improve accountability and service delivery.\\* Building effective relationships with senior stakeholders across Finance and the wider organisation.\\* Leading process improvement, systems optimisation and wider finance transformation initiatives.\\* Developing a positive, accountable and high-performing team culture, with a strong focus on engagement and capability.What skills do we need?\\* A qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) or Qualified by Experience (QBE). We are much more interested in your experience, leadership capability and ability to deliver than formal qualifications alone.\\* A strong track record of managing and developing large finance teams, ideally within a complex or multi-functional finance environment.\\* Extensive experience across transactional finance, particularly Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Treasury.\\* A good understanding of management accounting, month-end processes and financial controls.\\* Proven experience of improving processes, driving efficiencies and implementing change.\\* The ability to lead through periods of change and quickly establish credibility with teams and senior stakeholders.\\* Excellent people management skills, with the confidence to manage performance, develop talent and create a positive working environment.\\* A proactive, commercially minded approach with the ability to make an immediate impact.What’s on offer?\\* Salary of up to £80,000\\* Hybrid working (3 days in the office)\\* Flexible working hours to suitApply for this role below or contact Sue for more information.To apply, please send your CV, quoting our reference and specifying which website you saw this position advertised on. Due to the high volume of applications, please accept that if we have not responded to your application within seven days, your application has not been successful. Sewell Wallis is a specialist recruitment company with a vast amount of experience in our industry. We offer permanent, temporary and interim recruitment support for accounting and finance, human resources and business support positions. We recruit at all levels within finance, from Purchase Ledger Administrator and Credit Controller level through to Financial Controller and Director positions. We are well situated to cover all of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Manchester. Please visit our website for more information on accountancy and finance jobs and human resources or business support positions