Head of Finance in Cornwall

The Head of Finance will take ownership of the company's finance function, providing accurate reporting, strong financial controls and clear strategic insight to support the Directors and senior leaders. The role will strengthen budgeting, forecasting, cash management and financial planning, while leading an existing finance team of six people, including a full-time Finance Manager and part-time Assistant Finance Manager.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial Leadership, Commercial Insight and Reporting
  • Lead the finance function so it provides accurate, timely and commercially useful information to Directors, senior managers and operational teams.
  • Oversee management accounts, weekly profit and loss reporting, financial commentary and performance analysis against budget, forecast and prior periods.
  • Improve reporting by division, site, customer, contract and activity area, presenting trends, risks and opportunities in a practical, action-focused way.
• Budgeting, Forecasting, Cash Flow and Business Planning
  • Lead budgeting, rolling forecasting and financial planning across revenue, labour, fleet, fuel, maintenance, warehouse costs, overheads and cash flow.
  • Work with Directors and managers to set realistic budgets, improve ownership of financial targets and support informed growth and investment decisions.
  • Provide scenario planning and financial modelling for new contracts, site expansion, fleet investment, asset finance, capital expenditure and strategic decisions.
  • Assist the Directors with continued growth plans, whether organically or through potential acquisition activity.
  • Review existing corporate structures and suggest changes aligned with business growth objectives.
• Systems and Data
  • Introduce new accounting systems, finance processes and reporting infrastructure suitable for a rapidly growing, multi-site business.
  • Support integration between finance and operational systems alongside our Technical Director, ensuring data flows are reliable, consistent and useful for management reporting.
  • Drive automation, system improvements and clearer reporting to reduce duplication, improve accuracy and make finance information easier for managers to use.
• Leadership and Team Development
  • Provide visible and effective leadership to the finance team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, professionalism and continuous improvement.
  • Lead, develop and support team member performance management and professional development initiatives.
  • Ensure the finance function has the structure, capability and resources required to support current operations and future business growth.
• Financial Controls, Compliance, Risk and Working Capital
  • Maintain strong financial controls across ledgers, payroll, banking, stock, fixed assets, purchasing, approvals, reconciliations and balance sheet processes.
  • Ensure statutory obligations, including FCA reporting, year‑end preparation, professional adviser relationships and key compliance deadlines, are managed accurately and on time.
  • Manage cash flow exposure, debtor performance, credit control, supplier terms, working capital requirements, funding arrangements and wider financial risk.
• Operational Finance and Margin Improvement
  • Work with operational managers to understand and improve the financial drivers of our activities.
  • Analyse margin drivers including utilisation, labour, fuel, maintenance, subcontractor costs, warehouse productivity, pricing discipline and site overheads.
  • Support customer pricing, tenders, contract renewals and underperforming areas through cost‑to‑serve analysis, margin modelling and measurable improvement actions.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant, ideally ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent, with senior finance experience in a Financial Controller, Head of Finance or comparable leadership role.
• Strong experience across management accounts, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, financial control and commercial analysis, with the ability to link financial performance to operational decisions.
• Confident communicator who can work effectively with Directors, senior leaders and operational managers, providing clear advice and constructive challenge.
• Practical, hands‑on and detail‑focused, with a commitment to accuracy, a full UK driving licence and willingness to travel between sites.
• Experience in logistics, transport, vehicle solutions, fulfilment, e-commerce, multi‑site operations or another operationally complex business.
• Experience improving finance systems, reporting routines, data quality, processes or team structures in a growing business.

Due to continued rapid expansion, we are looking to appoint a commercially minded and highly organised Head of Finance to lead the finance function for our family‑owned, multi‑site business operating across logistics, vehicle solutions, fulfilment and e-commerce. Our vehicle solutions activity includes commercial vehicle rental, sales and servicing. With turnover expected to reach £34m in the current financial year, more than 200 colleagues and operations across Devon and Cornwall, we have a clear ambition to become a leading regional player across the South West of England. This growth has created the need for a senior finance leader who can support the Directors, strengthen financial control and provide the insight needed to guide the next stage of the company's development. The business now requires improved systems, better data, clearer reporting and a more scalable finance function to support continued expansion.