Financial Director

Finance DirectorWakefield, West Yorkshire£110,000 - £130,000 + 30% bonus + benefitsIf you want a Finance Director role where you can sit behind a spreadsheet, send out a board pack once a month and disappear back into your office, this probably isn’t for you!This is a successful SME business (£40-50million t/o) with a loyal team, a strong culture and ambitious plans for growth.You get a real sense of that culture when you speak to the people who work there. Unprompted, I spoke to a member of staff who’d been with the business 17 years and even followed the MD there from a previous employer. He described the business simply as “well-run” and said “they look after their staff.”What more needs to be said?This is a great opportunity for a Finance Director who buys into that culture, wanting to be right in the middle of the business to join the team.You’ll sit on the Senior Leadership Team, work closely with the MD as their commercial and strategic partner, but also stay close enough to the operation to understand what’s really going on. What you’ll be doingThis is a broad FD role. You’ll be there to help run and improve the business, not just the Finance function.You’ll:Work closely with the MD and Senior Leadership Team on strategy, growth and commercial decision-makingBring greater visibility to cash, working capital, CapEx and business performanceImprove MI, reporting and data, making sure it helps people make better decisionsStrengthen financial risk, credit and working capital management, ensuring the business has the right controls as it continues to growLead, coach and develop an established Finance teamOwn relationships with banks, funders and other finance partners, ensuring the business has the funding and liquidity required to support its growthAssess the current ERP system and decide whether to optimise or replace itTake ownership of the AI and automation agenda, identifying opportunities to improve efficiencyGet close to the operation, build relationships and provide constructive commercial challengeUltimately, this is a great opportunity for an FD to professionalise and improve without overcomplicating things.What they’re looking forYou’ll be a qualified accountant already operating at Finance Director level. You’ll also:Have a strong commercial mindset and be comfortable contributing beyond the numbers, coupled with a strong grounding in financial control, reporting, forecasting, cash flow and working capitalExperience managing financial risk, credit exposure and working capital in a commercial environmentHave experience in an asset-intensive, equipment-hire, leasing or service-based environmentBe able to operate at both strategic and operational levelHave experience leading and developing Finance teamsUnderstand ERP systems and ideally have been involved in an implementation or optimisationHave a genuine interest in AI, automation and technologyHave the interpersonal skills to challenge, influence and win hearts and mindsA track record of managing fruitful relationships with Banks & FundersWhy consider it?A genuine seat at the table as part of the Senior Leadership TeamA close working relationship with an MD who wants a commercial partnerThe opportunity to shape the next stage of a successful and growing businessPlenty of scope to improve Finance, systems, reporting and technologyA long-standing team and a business where people and culture genuinely matterOne important point: this is five days a week in the office. That will rule some people out. But it’s deliberate. They want their FD visible, accessible and properly embedded in the business.If you’re looking for a Finance Director role where you can have a genuine influence, get close to the operation and become an important part of the business rather than simply running its Finance function, I’d be keen to hear from you.