Head of Finance

Location Gravesend
Salary £65k - £75k
Contract Permanent
Job Ref

Head of Finance – Clear Path to Finance Director

Location: North Kent (on site, Monday to Friday)

Contract: Full time, permanent

Salary: £65,000–£75,000 depending on experience plus performance bonus

Reporting to: Managing Director

The opportunity

A privately owned, family-led group of companies is looking for a qualified Head of Finance to work as the Managing Director's right hand, and to grow into the Finance Director role.

The group operates across construction and related services, is hands-on and quick to make decisions, and has ambitious growth plans. It is restructuring its finance function and wants someone who will become a long-term part of the business.

You will work side by side with the MD, be involved in the big decisions, and be the person they turn to for an honest view on the numbers and where the business is heading. To begin with you will run finance single-handed, from processing through to management accounts, cash, compliance and commercial insight. As the business grows, you will recruit an Accounts Assistant and build the team around you.

This is a role to grow into, with a defined route to Finance Director and a seat at the senior leadership table. Candidates who already have Finance Director experience will be considered for the FD role from the start.

What you'll be doing

Run the finance function

  • Purchase and sales ledger, bank reconciliations, supplier payment runs and credit control
  • Payroll, pensions, VAT, CIS and other HMRC submissions
  • Month-end close and monthly management accounts with clear commentary for every group company
  • Year-end preparation, working with the external accountants and auditors
  • Strong financial controls across the group, including purchase order controls

Cash and working capital

  • Daily cash position and rolling 13-week cash flow forecasts
  • Manage debtor days, customer credit limits and supplier terms
  • Build relationships with banks, lenders and asset finance providers

Project finance

  • Applications for payment, valuations, variations, retentions and final accounts
  • Project cost reporting and contract profitability

Commercial insight

  • Profitability by customer, contract, project and division, spotting revenue leakage and margin opportunities
  • Operational reporting covering labour, fleet, fuel and overheads, plus KPI dashboards
  • Annual budgets, rolling forecasts and budget vs actual reporting
  • Pricing reviews and investment models, including ROI on equipment and infrastructure
  • Support acquisitions and growth, and present clear recommendations to the MD and directors

Systems and improvement

  • Get the most out of Sage and improve the quality and speed of reporting
  • Remove manual work from finance processes and lead any new system implementation

How the role will grow

  • Year one: take full ownership of finance, tighten controls and reporting, and become the MD's trusted right hand
  • As the business grows: recruit, train and manage an Accounts Assistant and build the team the business needs
  • Finance Director: join the senior leadership team, lead strategy, funding and acquisitions, and own the group's financial direction

About you

Essential

  • Qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA or CIMA), or a finalist with substantial senior experience
  • Experience as a Finance Director, Financial Controller, Head of Finance or Finance Manager in an SME, ideally running finance alone or with a small team
  • Genuinely hands-on: happy to do the processing as well as the reporting
  • Management accounts, budgeting, forecasting and cash flow forecasting
  • Experience across multiple entities or a group of companies
  • Strong Excel and accounting system skills (Sage preferred)
  • Full UK driving licence

Desirable

  • Experience in construction, engineering, logistics or another project-based or asset-heavy sector
  • CIS and project accounting, including applications, valuations and retentions
  • Experience building or managing a finance team
  • Experience with lenders, asset finance, due diligence or acquisitions
  • Finance Director experience, for candidates looking to start at that level

You'll thrive here if you want a long-term role you can grow with, have the ambition to become a Finance Director, take ownership and work well on your own, and are confident enough to challenge and advise an MD who will trust you completely.

What's on offer

  • £65,000–£75,000 plus performance-related bonus
  • A clear route to Finance Director
  • Company pension
  • Free on-site parking
  • Professional development, including CPD support
  • A supportive, entrepreneurial environment with regular team events

 

Apply now

Consultant

Dan Gladwin

Director