Interim Group Finance Director

Intro

Cedar is currently partnered with a high-growth UK regulated banking organisation to secure an Interim Group Finance Director in London. The role is a 12-month initial contract, offering a day rate between £600-£800 per day.

This UK regulated banking organisation operates at scale within the financial services sector. The organisation continues to evolve its finance capability to support ongoing growth, regulatory requirements, and strategic development. With multiple legal entities and a complex operating environment, the finance function plays a critical role in delivering robust financial insight, cost visibility, and performance intelligence to support executive decision-making. The business is undergoing a period of finance function evolution, focused on strengthening FP&A capability, enhancing financial intelligence, and modernising planning and reporting processes.

As Interim Group Finance Director, you will cover:

• Leadership and ownership of the Group FP&A and Financial Intelligence capability, delivering robust forecasting, budgeting, and performance analysis to support executive decision-making
• Oversight and management of legacy BAU finance activity, ensuring continuity, stability, and accuracy of core planning, reporting, and cost management processes
• Driving the development and enhancement of financial intelligence capability, improving visibility of performance drivers, cost base, and profitability across the Group
• Delivery and oversight of accurate weekly and monthly performance reporting, including clear variance analysis and forward-looking insight for senior leadership and the Board
• Ownership and optimisation of cost reporting, control, and analysis, supporting greater cost discipline and transparency across business functions
• Leading the transformation of the Group Finance function, improving planning processes, reporting frameworks, governance, and overall finance capability
• Acting as a senior partner to the CFO and executive leadership team, providing meaningful financial insight, challenge, and strategic support
• Providing leadership across ongoing finance transformation initiatives, including systems enhancement, reporting automation, and process modernisation
• Driving improvements in forecasting accuracy, reporting efficiency, and the overall quality and integrity of financial information across multiple legal entities

You will ideally have:

• A formal accountancy qualification (e.g. ACA/CIMA/ACCA or equivalent)
• Significant experience operating at Finance Director level within a complex, multi-entity financial services or regulated environment
• Proven leadership of FP&A, cost management, and performance reporting functions, alongside delivery of finance transformation and capability enhancement
• Demonstrated ability to balance oversight of BAU finance activity with strategic improvement and transformation initiatives
• Strong capability in delivering high-quality financial insight and intelligence to CFO, executive, and Board-level stakeholders
• Strong stakeholder engagement and leadership skills, with the ability to influence and operate credibly at executive level
• A commercial, analytical, and delivery-focused mindset
• Prior interim / contract experience would be beneficial but not essential

As well as a day rate between £600-£800 per day, the role offers exposure to a high-growth regulated banking environment and the opportunity to lead and transform a critical Group Finance function during a period of change.

The role is considered a key senior leadership position within the Group finance function and will run for an initial 12-month period.

The Central London location is well connected by public transport, and the business operates a flexible working model, typically requiring 3-4 days per week on site.