Chief Financial Officer

Harper May is working with a UK-listed retail group operating 200 stores across mainstream fashion and homeware. The business generates sustained revenues in the mid-£500m range, operates across owned and concession channels, and is backed by institutional shareholders. Following the departure of its previous CFO, the group is now seeking a Chief Financial Officer to rejoin the executive team and lead financial strategy through a period of operational refocus and channel modernisation.

The Role Reporting directly to the CEO and the Board, you will own all aspects of financial leadership: group strategy, capital allocation, financial controls, and performance management. This is a full CFO mandate. The business is mature, operationally sound, and well-governed - the challenge now is to optimise working capital efficiency, support the acceleration of online channels, and build stakeholder confidence in a refreshed financial narrative.

Develop and communicate a multi-year financial strategy that balances store productivity, ecommerce growth, and margin protection across the estate Lead budgeting, forecasting, and monthly performance reporting to the Board with commercial insight and rigorous analysis Partner with the Chief Operating Officer and buying teams to drive inventory discipline and cash conversion Oversee capital expenditure decisions, lease negotiations, and working capital management across a complex store estate Strengthen finance function capability, systems, and governance to support scale and reduce reliance on manual processes Lead statutory reporting, audit relationships, and compliance with listed company requirements Build and manage a finance team of 8-12 people aligned to group priorities and cultural standards What we are looking for ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified with proven CFO or Deputy CFO experience in multi-channel retail Demonstrated success in cash flow optimisation, inventory management, and margin protection in a retail environment Experience operating as a trusted member of a listed company Board Strong systems knowledge and comfort with financial planning tools and ERP platforms Leadership maturity, clarity of communication, and the ability to influence without authority Knowledge of ecommerce economics and omnichannel financial dynamics is a genuine advantage