Financial Director in Newcastle upon Tyne

The Financial Director will take full ownership of the finance function within a newly acquired utilities services business. Reporting to the Group CFO, this role will lead the transition from an outsourced accounting service to a fully integrated, well‑controlled in‑house finance team.

This is a highly commercial, hands‑on role that would suit an ambitious Financial Controller ready to step up, or an experienced Financial Director seeking the opportunity to be the No.1 finance leader in a growing business. The successful candidate will drive financial performance, ensure robust reporting and compliance, deliver strategic insights, and lead the implementation of SAP S4 Hana Public Cloud in line with Group standards.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership & Finance Ownership

• Lead the finance function, taking full ownership of processes, performance, and financial controls.
• Build and develop a high‑performing internal finance team, replacing outsourced services with fully in‑house capability.
• Provide hands‑on support across all finance activities, reflecting the needs of a small but growing team.
• Deliver accurate annual budgets, rolling forecasts, and weekly cashflow forecasting.
• Produce timely, accurate, and commercially insightful monthly management accounts and reporting packs.
• Oversee balance sheet reconciliations, control account reviews, and financial governance.

Compliance & Statutory Requirements

• Ensure full compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, including HMRC deadlines.
• Lead or support statutory audit processes—ideal for candidates with previous ownership of year‑end audits.

Commercial Finance & Business Partnering

• Act as a strategic partner to the operational leadership team, supporting commercial decision‑making.
• Monitor and analyse contract performance, including Work in Progress (WIP), margin analysis, and project profitability.
• Identify and implement cost‑saving initiatives and strong financial controls across the business.

Sector‑Specific Expertise

• Apply experience from contracting, construction, engineering, utilities, or related service‑based sectors to strengthen financial governance and contract accounting processes.
• Ensure best‑practice financial controls and reporting in environments involving WIP, CIS, project accounting, and margin management.

Systems & Transformation

• Lead the successful implementation of SAP S4 Hana Public Cloud.
• Drive continuous improvement, optimising processes, systems, and reporting tools.

SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Strong commercial acumen with proven financial leadership.
• Hands‑on, proactive, and energetic approach—comfortable rolling up sleeves in a small‑team environment.
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills with high attention to detail.
• Effective communication and presentation abilities.
• Demonstrable experience leading change and delivering continuous improvement.
• Proven experience as a Financial Director or senior finance leader; also suitable for an experienced Financial Controller ready to step into a No.1 finance role.
• Background in utilities, construction, engineering, contracting, or similar project‑based sectors (highly desirable).
• Degree educated with a recognised professional accounting qualification (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA).
• Experience implementing or working with SAP systems—SAP S4 Hana Cloud exposure is a significant advantage.
• Track record of building finance teams and delivering strong financial controls, insights, and efficiency improvements.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Annual Leave: 33 days inclusive of Bank Holidays
• Travel: Required to travel to Liverpool twice per month
• Hours: 37.5 hours per week
• Excellent opportunity to become the No.1 finance leader within a growing, evolving business