Finance Director - Engineering Sector

My client is a well-established £25m t/o Precision Engineering manufacturing SME, based at their modern "state of the art" Production facility in Skelmersdale, Lancashire.

As a key member of the Board, this is an excellent career opportunity for a graduate calibre hands-on Finance Director with strong Manufacturing/Engineering sector experience to join this ambitious SME at this key stage of its development.

A key short-medium term challenge for this role will focus strongly on Cash Management/Cashflow Control as the company looks to complete its current Bank Re-financing exercise and also to secure new inward Investment in order to place this independent company on a secure and sound footing to manage various current macro-economic pressures and also to provide the required ongoing investment in Plant/equipment to support its sustainable profitable growth journey into the next generation.

Key responsibilities/challenges will include:

• Oversee and develop the Finance, IT & HR functions.
• Provision of robust and timely financial, management and statutory accounts.
• Develop KPI's to proactively monitor and drive business performance across the Manufacturing supply chain to meet the extremely exacting standards required from their largely Blue Chip client base.
• Key initial focus on day to day proactive Cash Management and working capital within strict Bank covenants, working in close communication/partnership with a range of key Suppliers.
• Manage the successful completion of the current significant Bank Re-financing exercise to provide a sound foundation for the business to develop going forward.
• Proactively explore various optimal lines of additional institutional Investment funding.
• Budget preparation & regular Re-forecasts.
• Operate as finance business partner to the CEO in the delivery of capital projects, new product development, new Client tenders and the appraisal of a range of new business opportunities.
• Main point of regular contact with all professional external stakeholders - Banks, new Investors, Auditors, Tax, Insurance etc.
• Overall, to act as a key member of the Board to ensure the ongoing profitable and sustainable growth and development of this long-established and well-respected Precision Engineering business.

Candidate profile:

• A bright, high calibre qualified accountant with strong reporting experience and the ability to implement robust financial controls, systems and governance to support this growing and evolving business.
• Proven significant experience of Cash Management/Cashflow Control in either a Turnaround or highly geared Growth environment - including for example meeting strict Bank covenants, Re-Fi exercises, sourcing external additional Funding, Supplier payment terms negotiations.
• This "full" FD role as "right hand" to the CEO also requires strong operational/commercial experience, preferably within a similar Manufacturing/Engineering site-based environment.
• A confident and assured professional with strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.

In return, my client offers a competitive executive level starting salary up to £110k + F/E Car + good benefits package. My client also offers participation in their Executive Incentive Plan as longer term significant potential personal value.

Please send your CV in strictest confidence to Martin Morgan, the retained consultant. All strong relevant applicants can expect a direct prompt response.