CFO PE-Backed Restructuring Business

Overview

Marks Sattin Executive Search has an opportunity for a Chief Financial Officer to join a PE‑backed business to provide leadership within the business by planning, negotiating, and executing a comprehensive restructuring programme to stabilise and reposition the business.

Reporting to the CEO and working closely with senior leadership and key stakeholders, the Chief Financial Officer will be an experienced finance professional with strong interpersonal skills and a track record of executional success. The CFO will take a leading role in the restructuring process, adopting a hands‑on approach to cash management, financial control, and operational realignment to deliver a sustainable turnaround.

The role will require clear ownership of liquidity management and short‑term cash forecasting, alongside strengthening working capital discipline and financial governance. The CFO will lead discussions with lenders and investors, manage covenant compliance and negotiations, and evaluate capital structure options where appropriate. In addition, the CFO will assess operational performance, identifying cost efficiencies, improvement initiatives, and, where necessary, rationalisation or divestment opportunities to protect and enhance value.

Main responsibilities include ensuring sufficient cash flow to maintain business continuity, leading restructuring initiatives and stakeholder negotiations, delivering a robust business plan that demonstrates medium‑to‑long term viability, and implementing practical solutions to improve financial stability and operational performance.

This role requires a hands‑on, resilient leader capable of operating at both strategic and detailed levels, providing clear direction and confidence during a period of change.

• Be a qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/ACMA).
• Have operated autonomously as a Finance Director or Chief Financial Officer within a complex, operationally driven, asset‑intensive environment – such as manufacturing, industrial or engineering sectors.
• Bring a strong track record of restructuring, turnaround, or financial stabilisation within a leveraged or investor‑backed setting.
• Demonstrate proven expertise in cash management, liquidity forecasting, covenant compliance, and stakeholder negotiations.
• Be commercially and operationally focused, with the ability to link financial performance to operational corrective action.
• Demonstrate strong financial reporting, controls, cost management and management accounting capability.
• Be high energy, hands‑on, and comfortable leading change in a fast‑paced environment where resilience, pace and visibility are critical.

Please note that due to the anticipated high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly.

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