Head of Finance in Newcastle upon Tyne

The organisation is a PE backed, fast growth engineering organisation who are not just building robotics, they are changing the way their clients operate. By vertically integrating into a number of sectors, their products will blend automation, clean energy and data to save time, drive efficiency and enhance performance. Due to rapid growth across the UK, the time has come for them to bring in a hands-on, proven and strategic leader to further boost their expansion plans.

This role is designed for someone who wants to be involved in a fast scale-up operation, where you will intertwine experience with technology alongside designing and driving company strategic plans.

Your core responsibilities include:

• Leading the UK finance operation: You will take direct ownership of a newly acquired UK business with revenues around £18m. Your goal is to move it from breakeven to a high-margin operator by identifying inefficiencies, renegotiating debt structures, and optimising supplier contracts.
• Team leadership: You will be responsible for overseeing the finance team of a newly acquired business which is also seeking to build and grow a wider finance and accounting department.
• Strategic Involvement: You will create, deliver and maintain the UK wide finance strategy which will include both organic and acquisitive growth, project economics, running scenario-based analysis and delivering M&A, R&D and engineering strategic plans.
• Cashflow Management: You will drive and manage a tight cashflow model, seeking opportunities to enhance cash status whilst managing and mitigating risk.
• Technology and AI Integration: You will redefine finance by deploying AI and automation to enhance modelling, run audit checks, review contracts, and generate board materials. You will also lead the UK wide finance technology stack including ERP.

To Be Considered You Will Need The Following:

• Experience: Experience of working within a scale-up or turnaround project ideally with private equity or high-growth startup exposure. Experience within an engineering (tech or mechanical) or manufacturing environment is highly advantageous but not essential.
• Technical Excellence: You will need to be an expert in UK GAAP/IFRS, tax compliance (ideally including R&D tax credits) and extensive exposure to financial modelling and board/investor reporting.
• The Technology Edge: You must be enthused by the use of AI and automation within finance/accounting and be seeking to utilise technology to drive efficiency and accuracy.
• Personality: You have a high ownership approach and embrace changing and fast evolving environments. You will also be able to demonstrate a blend of strategic, operational and commercial approaches with the personality to liaise with professionals across the organisation.

Bonus Points: Experience in EV/Clean Energy, manufacturing/Engineering or exposure to fast growth/PE backed environments would be highly desired but not essential.

What Impact Will This Role have? This is one of the highest-leverage and pivotal positions within the organisation. You will report directly to the entrepreneurial ownership and have a direct impact on our cash position, driving value creation within every acquisition, and build the financial infrastructure for a fast growth venture.

Compensation: Competitive salary of £130,000+ (DOE) plus a bonus structure which will be created through personal and company objectives, alongside a wider company benefits package.