Director of Finance

Director of Finance ()

Leicester

W  Group is seeking an experienced and commercially minded Director of Finance to play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering our financial strategy. Reporting directly to the Chief Finance Officer, this is a key leadership position within our Executive team, offering the opportunity to influence strategic decision‑making, support business growth, and lead a high‑performing finance function.

As Director of Finance, you will be responsible for overseeing the Group’s financial operations, reporting, planning, risk management, and regulatory compliance. You will also act as a strategic partner to the CFO on capital planning, investor relations, mergers and acquisitions, and other growth initiatives.

This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified finance leader who thrives on balancing operational excellence with strategic impact.

The Director of Finance is responsible for the organisation’s financial performance reporting, financial operations, financial planning, risk management and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, including direction and management of the finance Heads of department.

The Director of Finance also acts as a strategic partner to the CFO in respect of capital planning, investor relations and M&A activity and other growth initiatives. The role holder will also be a key member of the Group’s senior management team, working closely with other directors and department heads by partnering, increasing financial awareness and making financially informed decisions in delivery of the Group’s strategy.

Key accountabilities can be summarised in the following areas:

• Responsible for all operational finance processes and systems including record‑to‑report, procure‑to‑pay, payroll, banking and financial close
• Ensuring that accurate and relevant financial information is shared with internal stakeholders on a timely basis, including departmental management accounts and Executive Committee reports
• Leading the finance team, including providing direction, and setting objectives and priorities for the team aligned to the Group’s strategy
• Support preparation and provide challenge to investment decisions, to ensure capital is being deployed on the right initiatives to drive growth, client service, employee experience and achievement of business goals
• Monitoring and challenge of suppliers, spend and decision making to ensure we are obtaining value for money from supplier partners
• Responsible for the Group’s finance IT systems as well as their integration with wider Group IT ecosystem
• Ensure that resource within the Finance team has the appropriate level of knowledge, skill and capacity to support business needs

• Ensuring that budgets and forecasts prepared (short and long term) are robust and meet the requirements of the business
• Collation, quantification and communication of key sensitivities, assumptions, risks and opportunities to help ensure they are understood by internal and external stakeholders
• Reporting actual and forecast compliance with banking covenants and ensuring non‑compliance risk mitigation plans are in place Forecasting and managing cashflows to ensure that liabilities can be met as they fall due, with contingency funding plans in place

• Ensuring compliance with tax laws applicable to the Group, including VAT, corporation tax and employment taxes
• Ensuring that reports produced for external stakeholders (e.g. HMRC, Companies House, ONS) are accurate and compliant with external statutory, legislative, regulatory, legal, audit and tax reporting requirements
• Identifying, mitigating and monitoring financial risks, working alongside the Group risk & compliance team
• Working with appointed auditors to ensure smooth delivery of external audit engagements
• Partnering with the CFO and senior management team
• Contribution to strategy and direction of the business
• Financial input to key projects as finance lead, subject matter expert or project team member
• Contribute to M&A and other growth initiatives,…