We are working exclusively with a leading food manufacturing group in their search for an experienced Finance Director to join the team.

Reporting into the Senior Vice President - CFO, you will be a key member of the U.K. Senior Leadership team and work closely with colleagues in both regional and global teams.

In this role, you will be leading the U.K. Finance Function and supporting the U.K. Management team in all areas of operations and finance with the aim of maximising return and achieving Business Unit objectives. Able to take financial results and translate into meaningful actions to help drive improvements within the U.K. Overseeing all financial and accounting activities and managing financial employees in day-to-day operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee the financial operations of the U.K. region, ensuring compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements
• Deliver financial and commercial support to regional management, actively influence day to day decisions, shaping strategy and the direction of the business
• Act as Business partner to Vice President U.K. to sign off key business decisions
• Ensure financial accounts are prepared in line with group accounting policies/timelines and proper accounting records are maintained in compliance with regulations
• Conduct detailed financial analysis and provide insights to support strategic decision-making
• Develop and manage budgets, forecasts, and financial plans to ensure alignment with business objectives
• Control and monitor all capital expenditure including large capital project sign off
• Monitor financial performance against targets, identify variances, and implement corrective actions as needed
• Identify opportunities for process optimisation and resource allocation, enhancing departmental efficiency without compromising accuracy
• Ensure effective internal controls are in place and adhere to best practices in financial management
• Liaise with external auditors, tax advisors, and regulatory authorities as required
• Recruit, train, develop team members, identify and support employee potential and manage team performance. Foster a culture of continuous improvement and professional development
• Work with internal and external auditors on implementation, improvement and review of controls and financial procedures throughout the U.K.
• Prepare budget, forecasts and ad-hoc reporting/analysis as required
• Review all financial plans and budgets regularly to look for cost reduction opportunities

Requirements:

• Degreed educated in Finance, Accounting, or related field (equivalent experience will be considered)
• Fully Qualified Accountant trained in practice (ACA or CIMA) ideally within manufacturing environment or with appropriate commercial knowledge (desirable)
• Significant experience at a senior level, ideally within a fast-paced commercial environment, preferably experience within a food manufacturing environment.
• Proven team leadership and interpersonal skills; commercially astute with strong business acumen
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of key cost drivers within a business and demonstrate an ability to drive continued performance improvement through analysis and reporting
• Strong technical and financial reporting and accounting skills
• Robust IT skills, excel (advanced level)
• International experience an advantage