Interim Finance Director

Job Description

Our Edinburgh-based client is seeking an experienced Interim Finance Director to join the organisation for an initial 12-month period. This is a high-profile leadership appointment that will play a pivotal role in providing both strategic and operational financial leadership during a significant period of business transformation and change.

Working closely with the Executive Team and Board, you will lead the finance function, drive performance improvement initiatives, strengthen governance, and ensure the business has the financial insight required to support effective decision-making and future growth.

This is an excellent opportunity for a seasoned Finance Director to make a significant impact within a well-established organisation during an exciting period of change. You will play a key role in shaping the finance function, influencing strategic direction, and delivering meaningful improvements across the business.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership of the finance function, ensuring the delivery of accurate, timely and insightful financial information
• Lead, develop and motivate a sizeable finance team, creating a high-performance culture and ensuring continued capability development
• Take ownership of the annual budgeting, forecasting and planning processes, ensuring robust financial control and performance management
• Identify and deliver opportunities to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs and enhance financial performance across the organisation
• Drive process improvement initiatives and support the modernisation of finance systems and wider business operations
• Present financial reports, business performance updates and strategic recommendations to senior leadership, Executive Committees and the Board
• Partner with senior stakeholders across the organisation, providing commercial insight and challenge to support strategic decision-making
• Lead financial governance, risk management and compliance activities, ensuring strong control frameworks are in place
• Oversee cash flow management, working capital performance and financial planning activities
• Support and lead significant transformation programmes, including ERP implementation and systems improvement projects
• Act as a trusted adviser to the wider leadership team on financial strategy, organisational performance and business planning

About You

To be successful in this role, you will be a fully qualified accountant (CA, ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) with substantial experience operating at Finance Director level within complex and fast-paced organisations.

You will bring:

• A proven track record of leading large finance teams and driving high levels of performance
• Significant experience delivering successful business transformation and change programmes
• Strong commercial acumen and the ability to translate financial information into meaningful business insights
• Demonstrable experience improving financial controls, reporting processes and governance frameworks
• Experience leading ERP implementations, finance systems upgrades or major process transformation initiatives
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the credibility and confidence to influence at Executive and Board level
• Strong leadership capabilities, with the ability to build relationships, drive change and inspire teams through periods of transformation
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with experience preparing and presenting Board-level reports

For more information on the role, please contact Derek Lauder at Rutherford Cross.

Our client is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity.