Job Description

Headquartered in Kent, our client is a leading specialist manufacture. The business is at the forefront of product innovation and development in an industry critical to the UK economy. Supplying to specialist partners and distributors their materials are used extensively in the built environment.

Operating in a buoyant sector, with high levels of demand and constrained supply, these products are backed up by outstanding levels of service and customer support.

The business is already very successful and, on the back of significant recent investment, has ambitious plans to increase production and develop further profitable growth.

The Board wish to appoint an experienced Finance Director to support the Managing Director in the delivery of their strategic plan and enhance operational efficiency across the organisation.

The Role:

The incoming FD must be able to add value to the strategic direction and growth of the business whilst adopting a hands on approach with regard to the financial detail of the company and development of the team.

Leading a small and experienced finance team the FD will professionalise the established finance function; improving systems, procedures and controls in order to generate improved reporting with more detailed and better quality financial information around such information as customer/ product profitability and margin mix etc.

Further responsibilities will include:

• Ensuring the business has a commercially integrated, robust finance function capable of delivering incisive and responsive reporting, supporting the business as it grows
• Preparation and presentation of all aspects of financial reporting required to both the business and the Board
• Monthly reporting of full management accounts including P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow and rolling forecasts
• Weekly cashflow monitoring prepared on consolidated basis for the group
• Alongside the senior leadership team, play an integral part in driving strategy, business development and future plans to optimise the company\'s financial performance and strategic position
• Continued robust management of cash and working capital and implementation of policies and procedures as appropriate
• Establish and monitor performance reporting systems, ensuring Directors are provided with regular, quality reports inclusive of value added KPI\'s around manufacturing processes etc
• Continuous development/ improvement of financial and operational (including ERP) systems
• Regularly evaluate operating procedures to create/adapt best practices to ensure uniform performance throughout the organisation
• Build strong working relationships with Board colleagues and stakeholders across the organisation

Personality:

The business has a strong, supportive culture with a down-to-earth team. The successful candidate will have the drive, ambition and \xe2\x80\x9ccommercial nous\xe2\x80\x9d to support the MD and the Board and collaborate with them to drive the business forward, but they must also retain the integrity, prudence and self-awareness required in the fiscal management of the company\'s affairs and be a team player who puts self-interest behind the collective good.

They will be a self-starter with a can-do mind-set, a passion for adding value and \xe2\x80\x9cgoing the extra mile\xe2\x80\x9d to support the MD and Senior Leadership; challenging where necessary, always in an appropriate manner, and working to drive forward ongoing improvement across the business.

Culture fit is critical and the new Finance Director will share the values of loyalty, integrity, hard work and team work that are the cornerstones of the company\'s ethos:

• Loyal and Trustworthy
• Hardworking and ambitious
• Open and engaging approach
• Be visible and approachable; out and about in the business
• Excellent communication, and interpersonal skills

Experience:

The successful candidate will be a Qualified Accountant and experienced Finance Director; a natural leader with the communication skills, credibility and gravitas to influence at Board level and throughout the business. They should be capable of operating strategically and prepared to be hands on and in the detail where necessary.

The FD will be a key financial business partner to the MD; complementing his operational background with a commercial financial outlook across the business and the market in order to ensure profitable growth and increase in shareholder value. A background in manufacturing/process manufacturing would be advantageous as would exposure to operating within a wider Group. The incoming FD will bring with them a broad range of finance and business skills:

• Ability to lead, plan and manage change in a growing organisation
• Commercially astute, articulate, technically strong, dynamic, insightful and influential leader with the ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels
• High integrity and openness combined with commitment to good governance
• Ability to handle high levels of pressure and critical decision making
• Strong commercial acumen, including a thorough understanding of risk management
• Ability to develop and implement effective financial objectives and operational plans, to achieve desired outcomes
• A strong track record within a fast-moving manufacturing type environment
• Highly developed leadership presence
• An effective, culturally sensitive and fluent communicator capable of presenting complex financial information in a user friendly manner

Axon Moore