Interim Head of Finance (6 month FTC) in Brighton

Location: Brighton/Hybrid (UK working only) - minimum 2 days office based

Contract type: 6 month fixed term contract

Salary: Circa £100,000 (FTE) dependent on experience

Closing date: 10th May

About Itad

We are a global consultancy providing evidence, learning and strategy services to help solve complex challenges. We aim to build a more equitable, sustainable, and secure world by helping organisations use evidence to learn and take action. In fast-moving, complex environments, we create space to reflect, make sense of change, and enable informed decisions. Through evidence, insight, and learning, we unlock strategies for better performance and lasting change.

Role Purpose

We are seeking an experienced interim finance leader to provide cover for a 6-month fixed term period during the search for a permanent hire. This role is suited to an experienced contractor or interim professional who is comfortable operating in a fast-paced and evolving environment, can quickly understand business operations and systems, and is confident making decisions in complex situations. The Interim Head of Finance will provide senior oversight and support across financial planning, reporting, forecasting, and business partnering activities. The role will work closely with an experienced Financial Controller who will retain day-to-day management responsibility for much of the Finance team. The successful candidate will therefore need to be comfortable acting as a senior escalation point, providing guidance, challenge, and support where needed. The role operates across the UK, US, and Kenya entities (with a primary focus on the UK entities), with responsibility for group reporting, forecasting, and business partnering.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Financial planning, forecasting, and reporting
• Commercial business partnering
• Financial control, governance, and compliance
• Finance systems and process oversight
• Senior leadership support and decision making

Financial Planning, Forecasting and Reporting

Lead the company’s financial planning, reporting, and insight capability during the interim period, supporting strategic and operational decision making across the business. Responsibilities include:

• Overseeing the preparation of accurate and timely monthly management information and Board reporting
• Supporting the upcoming forecasting cycle, including quickly understanding and working with the company’s financial model
• Delivering meaningful financial analysis, KPIs, and commercial insight to the SMT and Board
• Reviewing forecasts and assumptions, ensuring outputs are robust and commercially sound
• Supporting investor and lender reporting requirements
• Managing ad hoc analysis and reporting requirements as requested by senior leadership

Commercial Business Partnering

Act as a strategic finance partner across the organisation, supporting operational leaders with decision making, commercial insight, and financial management. Responsibilities include:

• Building strong relationships across the business to improve financial awareness and accountability
• Supporting project teams in improving commercial performance and project profitability
• Reviewing project financial performance and ensuring forecasts accurately reflect project status
• Providing financial challenge, guidance, and support to operational leaders
• Supporting pricing, budgeting, and commercial decision making

Financial Control, Governance and Compliance

Working closely with the Director of Commercial Operations and Financial Controller, ensure robust financial governance and continuity throughout the interim period. Responsibilities include:

• Supporting robust financial controls and scalable financial processes across the organisation
• Providing oversight and guidance on technical accounting or commercial issues where escalation is required
• Overseeing statutory reporting and compliance requirements across the group
• Managing relationships with external auditors, advisers, and other stakeholders where required
• Supporting risk management and governance requirements in a PE-backed environment

Finance Systems and Process Oversight

Provide senior oversight of finance systems and reporting processes, ensuring continuity and effective decision support during the interim period. Responsibilities include:

• Acting as a senior escalation point for finance systems, reporting, and process queries
• Supporting the effective use of Microsoft Dynamics systems (Sales, Project Operations, and Business Central)
• Working with the Finance team and wider business to identify and resolve issues pragmatically and efficiently
• Supporting ongoing reporting and process improvements where appropriate

Skills, Experience and Competencies

• Qualified accountant with significant post-qualification experience, or Qualified by Experience (QBE) with significant experience
• Significant experience operating in interim, contract, or consultancy finance leadership roles essential
• Proven ability to quickly understand businesses, systems, and financial processes
• Strong financial modelling, analytical, and reporting capability, including confidence working with existing financial models
• Comfortable operating with incomplete information and asking the right questions to reach informed decisions
• Proven ability to act as a senior escalation point and provide sound commercial judgement
• Experience operating within project-based or consultancy environments is highly desirable
• Strong business partnering and stakeholder management skills
• Experience supporting forecasting and budgeting cycles
• Advanced Excel capability and strong systems aptitude. Experience with Microsoft Dynamics (Sales, Project Operations, and Business Central) and/or PowerBI is a bonus
• Excellent communication, leadership, and influencing skills
• Comfortable balancing strategic priorities with operational delivery in a fast-paced environment
• Able to build credibility and operate effectively quickly

Benefits

• A matched company pension up to 5% with a wide range of fund options.
• 26 days holiday per year, plus 3 flexible days and the option to purchase another 5 days, flexible bank holidays (you can take these whenever you wish) and the opportunity to buy holiday
• Hybrid and flexible working from anywhere in the UK
• Cycle to work scheme
• Itad Rewards: Offers up to 20% discount at over 100 UK retailers. There are savings on gym memberships, holidays, restaurants, cinemas, and gym memberships and an average of 5% discount on supermarkets - giving you the option to take advantage of the benefits which are most impactful for you.

If you’re enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable. You may be just the right candidate.

We are committed to equality and inclusion to empower people both within our organisation and through our work. We know that employees with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences make us a more effective and innovative company and we therefore welcome and encourage applications from interested candidates regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion, or belief.

We are not able to support a work permit for this role so candidates must already hold the right to live and work in the UK independently. Please note, we will be interviewing candidates on a rolling basis, early applications are encouraged.