Fractional Finance Director - Construction and Finance Transformation

An established and growing business within the wider construction sector is looking to appoint an experienced Fractional Finance Director to help transform its finance function and provide stronger financial support to the owner-directors of this successful SME.

The directors are looking for an experienced and commercially minded finance leader who can initially conduct a thorough review of the function before helping to implement the necessary changes.

The initial assignment will involve assessing the current finance systems, processes, people and reporting. You will provide an independent view of what is working, identify the principal risks and weaknesses, and develop a practical improvement plan.

• Reviewing the existing finance function, controls, processes and reporting.
• Assessing the accuracy and reliability of the Sage data and spreadsheet-based information.
• Improving cash-flow forecasting and working-capital management.
• Developing a clear, accurate and concise monthly board reporting pack.
• Introducing meaningful financial and operational dashboards.
• Improving project-level reporting, including margins, work in progress, committed costs and cost-to-complete forecasting.
• Reducing manual processes and the business's reliance on spreadsheets.
• Helping the business evaluate, select and implement an appropriate ERP or integrated finance system.
• Supporting and developing the existing finance team.
• Providing commercial challenge and strategic financial guidance to the owner-directors.
• Helping ensure the financial infrastructure is capable of supporting further growth and potential longer-term succession plans.

The directors would ultimately like to receive a concise and reliable finance report ahead of each board meeting, allowing management discussions to focus on performance, risks and decisions rather than spending several hours trying to interpret the underlying numbers.

This role requires an experienced Finance Director, CFO or senior finance transformation professional with a strong understanding of construction, contracting, fit-out, engineering or another project-led environment.

You should have practical experience of areas such as:

• Construction Industry Scheme requirements.
• Project accounting and job costing.
• Work in progress and revenue recognition.
• Cost-to-complete forecasting.
• Variations and committed project costs.
• Project-margin analysis.
• Cash-flow and working-capital management.
• Management reporting and dashboard development.
• ERP selection or implementation.

This is not a purely strategic advisory appointment. You must be willing to examine the underlying data, interrogate spreadsheets and work closely with both the finance and operational teams.

The successful person will be pragmatic, approachable and commercially astute. You will need to build credibility with a long-established team, challenge constructively and introduce improvements without imposing unnecessary corporate bureaucracy.