Head of Finance; Finance Director - SME

Position: Head of Finance (Finance Director - SME)
Location: Hertfordshire

Head of Finance (No1 Finance Role - SME)
Near Royston, Hertfordshire (Fully office-based)
Circa 85,000

The Opportunity:

We are seeking a grounded, hands-on Head of Finance (Finance Director / No.1 Finance Role) to take on the number one finance role for the circa 8M t/o UK side of the business within a stable, profitable and well-established organisation with a strong market position and a history to be proud of.

This role will work closely with the Managing Director as a trusted financial and commercial partner, and act as the primary UK finance interface with the US-based parent company. The successful candidate will take time to integrate, build trust, understand the business and its operations, and provide thoughtful and well-judged leadership.

The Role:

As the most senior finance leader in the UK business, you will lead this small (2 People) finance function, ensuring strong financial control, accurate reporting and ongoing compliance, while also providing commercial insight to support sound decision-making.
This is a hands-on leadership role suited to someone who enjoys being close to the detail, working within a small team, and balancing operational finance with pragmatic commercial input.

Key responsibilities include:

Leading the UK finance function, ensuring robust financial control and accurate reporting
Acting as Company Secretary, ensuring statutory, regulatory and corporate governance compliance
Managing the annual audit and relationships with auditors, banks and tax authorities
Producing timely monthly financial reports in both Sterling and US Dollars
Managing cash flow, credit control and working capital
Responsibility for VAT (UK & Ireland), payroll, pensions, insurance and quarterly royalty reporting
Budgeting, forecasting and sales reporting to support the commercial needs of the business
Customer, stock, warehouse and operational reporting
Supporting the Managing Director with acquisition reviews, financial analysis and due diligence (where required)
Acting as the primary UK finance contact for the US parent company
Driving continuous improvement in processes and reporting, with a focus on efficiency, accuracy and sustainability
The Team & Culture
The finance team consists of this role and a Management Accountant, working closely together in a supportive, collaborative and down-to-earth environment. This is a fully office-based role, five days a week, where teamwork, reliability and approachability are genuinely valued.

The wider business is characterised by long service, strong working relationships and a pragmatic, respectful culture.

About You:

You will be a fully qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA) with strong technical accounting expertise and demonstrable experience of end-to-end accounting, ideally gained within an SME or similarly hands-on environment.

You are likely to bring:

Experience operating as the senior finance professional within a stable business environment
Strong technical accounting and statutory reporting capability
Experience producing monthly management accounts, budgets and forecasts
Solid cash flow management and credit control experience
A practical, commercially aware mindset and attention to detail
The confidence and credibility to partner effectively with senior leadership and an overseas parent company
An adaptable, reliable and collaborative working style

Experience with in consumer goods, retail, wholesale or B2C environments (highly advantageous)
Systems experience and an interest in incremental process improvement

Why Join?

Be the number one finance leader for the UK business in a stable, established organisation
Join a profitable, market-leading company with strong foundations and long-term outlook
Work closely with senior leadership in a trusted advisory capacity
Hands-on role with meaningful responsibility and visibility
Supportive, friendly team culture with long-term focus

AGY - Vitae Financial Recruitment
We Exist To Be Different - Membership NOT Registration