Finance Director in Derby

In a market where too many finance briefs can feel increasingly restrictive, this one is refreshingly open minded. A business that is genuinely moving. A role where you will help shape where it goes next. And a leadership team that is more interested in finding the right person than ticking every box on a job description.

I am working exclusively with a privately owned SME based in Derby that has grown into something genuinely impressive. This is not a corporate. There are no shareholders to appease, no private equity agenda to navigate. Just a long established business with strong values, a loyal workforce and a leadership team that genuinely cares about doing things the right way. Staff attrition here is exceptionally low, and that tells you a lot about the culture.

But do not mistake privately owned for standing still. This business has real scale. Hundreds of employees, multiple UK sites, a broad and loyal customer base built over decades, and over the last few years they have invested heavily in people, infrastructure, technology and growth through acquisition. New systems are being implemented. Processes are being modernised. The next chapter of their story is already being written.

They need a Finance Director to help shape it. This is a genuine seat at the senior leadership table. You will be joining a high calibre SLT. Experienced, commercially sharp, operationally minded people who move with pace and hold themselves to a high standard. They are looking for a Finance Director who matches that.

The role itself is hands on and close to the business. You will own the finance function end to end, covering cash flow management, monthly reporting, banking relationships, commercial analysis and margin improvement, while also having a real voice in strategy and the long term direction of the business. You will be inheriting a finance team that is in a good place, with a solid foundation to build from, alongside a systems and technology transformation to help lead.

Looking for your first Finance Director role? This could be exactly the sort of opportunity worth talking about. The profile we are looking for is someone who thrives in a complex, fast moving environment. You might be a Financial Controller or Head of Finance ready to step up into your first FD role. You might already hold the FD title in a similarly sized business. Sector background is open. What matters far more than where you have worked is what you have done and the kind of person you are.

In terms of experience, we are looking for someone who has led or managed a meaningful finance team and can point to real involvement in transformation. That could be systems implementation, process change, restructuring or building something from the ground up. Ideally, you will have both sides of the coin: the commercial instinct to have a genuine impact on the business, and the technical grounding to ensure the foundations are right.

But above all, this is about finding someone with the right character. Someone who gets into the detail, finds the opportunity in the numbers, builds trust quickly and genuinely wants to be part of a business rather than just reporting on it. The only real non-negotiable is that you are a qualified accountant. Everything else is about the person. If you have the right values, the right ability and the right hunger, they will back you.

On package, the position comes with a salary of £85,000 to £90,000, a profit share scheme, a full electric company car and private healthcare for you and your family. There is a matched pension and a holiday allowance in place, but the reality is the business is flexible. If you currently have an enhanced pension, enhanced holiday or other benefits that matter to you, they will do their best to match or accommodate them. Finding the right person is the priority, and they will work around the rest.

If this sounds like the move you have been thinking about, I would love to have a confidential conversation.