Head of Finance

Harper May is working with a founder-led consumer non-durables business that has built a trusted portfolio of branded products across retail and direct channels. The company has grown steadily over the past five years, achieved profitability ahead of plan, and is now at an inflection point: new category expansion, geographic reach beyond the UK, and a maturing supply chain that demands tighter financial orchestration.

The business is now seeking a Head of Finance to lead the function and drive the rigour needed for the next chapter.

The Role Reporting to the Managing Director and embedded in the executive team, you will own all aspects of financial strategy, planning, and control. This role sits at the centre of operational and commercial decision-making, where financial clarity directly shapes investment priorities, product viability, and cash deployment. You will establish robust forecasting discipline across product lines, build visibility into profitability by channel and SKU, and create the financial infrastructure to support expansion without losing sight of cost.

Finance will be a trusted strategic partner, not a gatekeeper. Build annual budgets and rolling forecasts that reflect market dynamics, supply chain volatility, and growth assumptions Design and deliver monthly management accounts with clear commercial commentary and variance analysis Work closely with operations, procurement, and commercial teams to model margin scenarios and cost optimisation Establish financial controls and compliance frameworks appropriate to the business stage Manage working capital, inventory turnover, and cash conversion cycle in a seasonal, inventory-heavy business Support M&A and product line evaluation with deal modelling and integration planning Build and mentor a small finance team as the function scales ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified 7 years in senior finance roles, ideally in consumer goods, retail, or manufacturing Proven ability to translate financial data into commercial insight and influence without authority Comfortable with ambiguity and rapid iteration in a growth business Strong people leadership and stakeholder management across functions Fluent in Excel and financial systems;

ERP experience valued