Head of Finance

Head of Finance - Exeter - £60-70,000

Most applicants for this opportunity aren’t going to be the right fit. A pretty negative opening gambit, right? Well, not necessarily.

What separates this Head of Finance opportunity from others is that our client is thinking ahead. What the job looks like on day one is, for the right person, likely to look very different on day one of year two. A job that develops this quickly is going to require a particularly gifted candidate. 

Trial Balance Consulting have been exclusively reengaged by a past client, one of Exeter’s most exciting tech-focussed enterprises in its growth stage. They’ve tasked us with sourcing their Head of Finance, a genuinely exciting, senior level appointment and one of pivotal importance for the company. 

The employer: An entrepreneurially spirited, venture-funded and fast paced business, the company has covered a lot of ground in achieving its expansion plans. Driven by a highly experienced, energetic and dynamic senior management team, the business has a stronghold in their innovative sector, with visions for sustainable and profitable growth. When we reveal the identity of our client, it’s all going to fall into place. The successful candidate will work closely with, and be mentored by, a highly experienced CFO. We’re ultimately searching for a candidate who’ll be eying up their job in the future. 

The opportunity: This is more than a Head of Finance role because this employer is emphatic that they want the successful candidate to become their next FD/CFO. From day one the HoF will assume the lead on managing the financial health, systems and day-to-day operations of the business. Supported by a small team of direct reports and working as part of the senior management team, the successful candidate will play a crucial role in generating critical management information for multiple areas of the business. Key responsibilities to include: 

- Assume overall responsibility for the day-to-day operational finance function and digital systems

- Produce comprehensive monthly management information with full commentary on financial performance

- Attend monthly financial review meetings with directors and shareholders

- Cashflow and budget setting, and reporting on each areas of the business

- Act as a key financial contact to external stakeholders, building a developing longstanding business relationships

- Ensure efficient preparation and submission of all aspects of statutory reporting, working closely with chartered accountants and auditors

- Aged debtor management

- VAT and tax reporting and filing

- Design, implement and develop digital accounting systems

- Support the CFO in strategy planning and delivery

- Develop, mentor and support a growing team of financial colleagues 

The person: As you might have guessed, we’re looking for somebody pretty special for this. The role calls for a highly ambitious, dynamic and commercially astute accountant; professionally qualified (ACA/ACCA/CIMA), and with significant post qualification experience. The successful candidate will require demonstrable experience of influencing decision making, and implementing performance/profit improvement initiatives, often working with non-financial stakeholders. The business is technology focussed and they understandably seek to recruit an IT savvy individual with experience in developing efficient and up to date digital accounting systems, as well manipulating MS Excel at an advanced level. The technical aspects of the role will be within the reach of a number of candidates operating at a similar level, but what matters here is sourcing a Head of Finance with the dynamism and energy to work as part of a very switched on and ambitious CFO and tier 1 management team. The role would be highly suited to a career driven individual seeking rapid progression to director level. 

Caught your interest? We’d love to tell you more. Please get in touch with Steve Roach for a confidential, informal chat. Our reference for the role is SR10105.