Temporary Deputy Finance Director

Job Title: Temporary Deputy Finance Director

Employment Type: Temporary (Initially 12 Months, Potential Long-Term)

Location: London

REF: MA54143

This is a newly created office-based opportunity for a Deputy Finance Director to join a growing business in Central London. Initially for a period of 12 months, there is scope for a longer-term position.

This role is office-based full-time. The Deputy Finance Director will be a trusted senior adviser to the Group Finance Director, providing broad leadership across finance, accounting, commercial analysis and strategic projects.

The successful candidate for this Temporary Deputy Finance Director role will operate across the full finance agenda, connecting financial control, planning, debt and liquidity, commercial decision support and project execution, while maintaining a clear view of priorities, risks, dependencies and deadlines.

The role will combine hands-on delivery with high-quality judgement: deputising for the Group Finance Director when required, driving outstanding actions to completion, interpreting complex financial information and presenting clear recommendations for decision.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities for this Temporary Deputy Finance Director role will include, but are not limited to:

• Deputise for the Group Finance Director: represent the Group Finance Director in relevant meetings, provide continuity of leadership and make or escape decisions within agreed authority.
• Drive delivery: maintain oversight of key finance commitments, establish clear owners and deadlines, challenge slippage and ensure outstanding deliverables are completed to the required standard.
• Provide decision support: interpret complex financial, commercial and accounting information, identify the material issues and present concise options, recommendations and implications to the Finance Director.
• Oversight on financial planning: ensure team progress on coordinating budgets, forecasts, long-range plans and scenario analysis, ensuring assumptions are robust, outputs are integrated and risks and opportunities are transparent.
• Oversee financial performance: review management reporting, cash flow, profitability, capital expenditure and key performance indicators; investigate variances and drive corrective action.
• Support debt and treasury matters: analyse debt structures, interest costs, liquidity, refinancing requirements and covenant headroom; coordinate inputs from internal teams, lenders and advisers.
• Maintain accounting quality: provide oversight and challenge across management and statutory reporting, audit, tax, controls, policies and significant or judgemental accounting matters.
• Project-manage cross-functional matters: where necessary, lead finance, commercial and accounting workstreams, including transactions, refinancing, systems, restructuring, investment cases and process improvement.
• Prepare senior-level materials: produce and review clear papers, presentations and briefing notes for the Finance Director, executive leadership, Board, committees, lenders and other stakeholders.
• Partner with the business: work constructively with commercial, operational, legal, tax and other functions, combining support with appropriate challenge and financial discipline.
• Improve finance effectiveness: simplify processes, strengthen controls and management information, clarify accountabilities and raise the standard and pace of execution across the function.

Skills

The skills and experience required for this Temporary Deputy Finance Director role include, but are not limited to:

• Recognised professional accountancy qualification, such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA, ICAS or equivalent.
• Substantial post-qualification experience in a broad senior finance role, with credible exposure to both controllership and commercial or strategic finance.
• Strong understanding of financial statements, accounting principles, management reporting, forecasting, cash flow and business planning.
• Demonstrable ability to interpret debt documentation, funding structures, covenant calculations, liquidity forecasts and interest-rate implications.
• Experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder projects and delivering against demanding and sometimes competing deadlines.
• Track record of advising senior executives, exercising sound judgement and translating detailed analysis into clear decisions or recommendations.
• Strong financial modelling and analytical capability, supported by strong Excel and PowerPoint skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including the ability to prepare concise, senior-level papers and present complex matters clearly.
• Experience in a capital-intensive, leveraged, data centres, infrastructure, real estate or similarly complex international business.
• Exposure to refinancing, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, investment appraisal or major capital programmes.
• Experience working with Boards, lenders, auditors, tax advisers, legal counsel and other external stakeholders.
• Experience improving finance processes, systems, controls and reporting in a changing or fast-paced environment.
• Leadership or development of finance professionals, whether through direct line management or matrix teams.