Head of Finance/Finance Director Designate in England

Location: North Bristol

Employment Type: Full-time (40 hours per week) or part time considered (4 days a week)

Reports to: CEO

We are working with an owner managed, fast-growing, values-led fashion brand with big ambitions to find a commercially minded, strategically driven Head of Finance / Finance Director Designate to take full ownership of the finance function. This role will naturally evolve to that of Finance Director as the business scales. This is a pivotal senior leadership role. You’ll be the financial heartbeat of the business, shaping strategy, driving commercial performance, and ensuring we scale with discipline, clarity, and confidence. Working closely with the CEO, founders, and leadership team, you’ll influence decisions that directly impact how we grow, invest, and operate. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, love building robust financial foundations, and want to make a meaningful impact in a scaling brand, this is a rare opportunity to step into a role with genuine influence and progression.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Own day-to-day finance operations, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and strong financial controls.
• Deliver consolidated month-end accounts and lead month- and year-end close processes.
• Produce clear, decision-ready financial reporting, commentary, and insights for senior leadership.
• Lead forecasting, scenario planning, and sensitivity analysis to support strategic decisions.
• Manage cash flow end-to-end, including forecasting, working capital optimisation, and liquidity planning.
• Oversee budgeting and reforecasting, driving accountability across teams.
• Strengthen financial systems, processes, and controls to support scalable growth.
• Act as the internal expert on payroll, VAT, and key tax matters, working with external advisors where needed.

Commercial & Strategic Influence

• Act as a trusted commercial partner to the CEO, founders, and leadership team.
• Provide actionable insight on profitability, margins, unit economics, and cost drivers.
• Lead on pricing strategy, margin optimisation, and cost control.
• Build financial models and business cases for new markets, product launches, and growth initiatives.
• Identify risks and opportunities, recommending actions that support sustainable, profitable growth.
• Ensure financial insight underpins strategic planning and long-term value creation.
• Build strong relationships with external accountants, auditors, banks, and financial partners.
• Partner with department leads to improve financial understanding and budget ownership.
• Communicate complex financial information clearly to both financial and non-financial stakeholders.
• Foster a culture of transparency, discipline, and continuous improvement.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience as a Financial Controller or senior finance leader, ideally in retail, fashion, e‑commerce, or a scaling SME.
• Strong technical accounting expertise and experience improving finance systems and processes.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver consolidated month-end accounts and C‑suite reporting.
• Highly commercial mindset with a focus on cost management, margin improvement, and profitability.
• Ability to translate financial data into clear, strategic insight.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organisational skills, and ability to operate at pace.
• Confident, proactive, and comfortable taking ownership in a fast-moving environment.
• Experience using Xero.
• Understanding of e‑commerce, retail, and inventory-led financial models.
• Experience supporting business scaling, multi-channel growth, or international expansion.
• Exposure to insurance programmes or company secretarial matters.

What We Offer

• Full ownership of the finance function within a fast-growing, ambitious brand.
• Direct partnership with founders and senior leadership on commercial and strategic decisions.
• The opportunity to materially influence profitability, cost discipline, and long-term growth.
• Genuine career progression as the business continues to scale.
• Staff discount and early access to new collections.

If you’re excited by the idea of shaping the financial future of a fast-growing brand — and want a role where your impact is visible every day — we’d love to hear from you.