UK Finance Director

UK Finance Director

Location: West MidlandsSalary: CompetitiveDuration: Permanent, Full-Time

Role Purpose

The Director of Finance is responsible for leading the effective and efficient delivery of all financial operations in alignment with the organisation’s overall vision, strategy, and values.

Working closely with the Board, senior leadership, and functional management across the UK, this role will oversee all aspects of financial performance, reporting, planning, and governance. The Director of Finance will also lead financial strategy development and ensure the finance team is structured, resourced, and empowered to operate at a high-performance level.

Key Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of financial governance, processes, and internal controls, including the successful implementation and integration of a new finance system.

• Lead all aspects of data validation, user acceptance testing, and training during system implementation, supported by a UK-based finance transformation team.

• Ensure timely and accurate delivery of monthly operational, capital expenditure, and funding reports, as well as statutory and board reporting.

• Lead the annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting cycles, maintaining full oversight of operational and capital budgets.

• Provide strategic financial guidance and support to departmental leaders to ensure alignment between financial planning and operational delivery.

• Present detailed reporting and insights on costs, performance, and financial contribution by department, project, or business unit.

• Monitor and analyse monthly financial performance and variances, preparing narrative analysis for senior leadership and board audiences.

• Hold budget holders accountable for financial results through regular performance reviews and collaborative support.

• Prepare and communicate mid- to long-term financial plans in line with future organisational strategy and growth priorities.

• Ensure all projects and initiatives are aligned with financial compliance standards and risk mitigation practices.

• Lead, manage, and develop the finance team to ensure accurate, efficient, and controlled financial processing and reporting.

• Establish and enforce internal financial controls, policies, and review procedures across the organisation.

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to address compliance and control issues, ensuring continuous improvement.

• Foster strong working relationships across all departments and functions, acting as a trusted financial advisor.

• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, robust processes, and efficiency through lean finance practices.

• Support internal training initiatives related to financial control improvements and policy implementation.

• Respond to audit findings and lead on corrective action plans where necessary.

• Manage the coordination and execution of external audits to achieve timely and favourable outcomes.

• Remain up to date on industry trends, best practices, and changes to accounting standards and communicate relevant updates to stakeholders.

• Lead by example in demonstrating professionalism, accountability, and alignment with organisational values.

• Set clear expectations and performance standards across the finance function, promoting team engagement, service quality, and integrity.

• Support other leadership priorities or organisational projects as reasonably required.