Vice President Finance, Optical Systems

ROLE LOCATION: South West, UK - ideally to be based around our Ilminster or Plymouth sites.

ABOUT US: G&H is a world leader in optical designing, testing and manufacturing. As experts in the technology of light, G&H works with customers to provide optical systems, assemblies, and components for demanding applications. Headquartered in Ilminster Somerset, UK with primary operations in the USA and Europe, G&H is recognised for the breadth of their acousto-optic, electro-optic, crystal-optic, fibre optic, and precision optic products. G&H is recognized as the preferred source for OEMs in the life sciences, industrial, and aerospace and defence industries, with a history of quality and excellence that dates back over seventy-five years. Our success is built on innovation, precision, and the talent of our people. We are committed to developing capability at every stage of a career, from apprenticeships and graduate pathways through to leadership development.

THE ROLE: We are currently recruiting for a VP of Finance for our Optical Systems Division, ideally to be based around our Ilminster or Plymouth, UK sites. As VP Finance, Optical Systems division, you'll report to the G&H CFO while supporting the Executive Vice President of the Optical Systems Division, delivering accurate financial analysis and insight to help shape strategic decision-making. You’ll lead the financial planning cycle across 8 international sites, ensuring budgets, forecasts and strategic plans are aligned and effectively executed.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Acting as a trusted finance business partner to the Division EVP, advising on the financial impact of strategic decisions.
• Preparing business cases and analysing product line profitability to support growth initiatives.
• Managing working capital and inventory levels to optimise cash flow across sites in the UK and US.
• Overseeing financial reporting, audit preparation, tax submissions, and compliance with internal controls.
• Providing leadership and development to site financial controllers and ensuring consistent application of finance policies across the division.
• Collaborating with Group Finance on audits, improvement initiatives and acquisition assessments, including financial due diligence.
• Promoting and role‑modeling G&H’s core values of Customer Focus, Integrity, Action, Unity and Precision, while maintaining a culture of safety, respect and continuous improvement.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE: You’ll be a commercially minded finance leader with a strong track record in manufacturing environments, comfortable working at both strategic and operational levels. With a deep understanding of financial processes and the ability to communicate clearly with non‑finance stakeholders, you’ll bring analytical rigour, leadership, and a solutions‑focused mindset to this key role. To succeed, you’ll need:

• Extensive experience in a senior finance role, including business partnering with non‑finance colleagues.
• A solid background in manufacturing and familiarity with ERP and standard costing systems.
• Strong knowledge of US and UK GAAP; IFRS experience is a plus.
• Advanced Excel skills and a data‑driven approach to decision making.
• Excellent communication, leadership and team development skills.
• A high level of accountability, accuracy, and results orientation.

BENEFITS: Includes participation in competitive Management and Long‑Term Incentive Plans, 25 days holiday + bank holidays, 6% employer pension contribution, Private Health Insurance offered, Health Cash Plan.

Notes: This job description is not intended to be exhaustive in every respect, but rather to clearly define the fundamental purpose, responsibilities and dimensions for the role. Therefore, this job description does not describe any individual role holder. In addition to the contents of this job description, employees are expected to undertake any and all other reasonable and related tasks allocated by their line manager. The Company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunity or practices on the grounds of gender, race, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by national laws under which the Company operates. Potential candidates should be aware that many of the employment roles at Gooch & Housego are subject to government security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities that you may have previously held and your place of birth, could restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All UK applicants must, as a minimum, be able to successfully complete security vetting to the UK government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard, which includes a criminal record check being performed. Many roles may also require higher levels of security vetting to be completed, where applicants must typically have been continuously resident within the UK for the past five to ten years.