posted: 18th November 2025

Interim Finance Director – 6-Month Contract

Location: North London (4 days on-site, 1 day remote)
Start: ASAP
Contract Length: 6 months
Engagement Model: Interim day-rate contract (outside or inside IR35 subject to assessment)
Day Rate: £600-£700

Overview

A fast-growing consumer products business is undergoing a restructure in preparation for a potential sale within the next 6–7 months. The company has experienced strong historical growth, operates internationally, and is part of a wider corporate group. The business is profitable but has seen increased overheads and complexity since acquisition.

The organisation requires an experienced Interim Finance Director to stabilise, elevate and professionalise the finance function, support a small team, and prepare the business for a smooth and credible exit process. The position combines hands-on financial control with strategic commercial guidance for both founder leadership and group-level stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities
Financial Leadership & Control

• Lead and manage a lean finance team, ensuring strong financial discipline.
• Deliver accurate monthly accounts, a fully reconciled balance sheet, and tight financial controls.
• Mentor the existing Finance Manager and transactional staff.
• Oversee cash flow, liquidity management and working capital.

Exit & Sale Preparation

• Lead all financial workstreams ahead of the planned sale.
• Clean, validate and strengthen financial reporting for investor and buyer scrutiny.
• Prepare due diligence materials and address any historical issues proactively.
• Review and challenge overhead allocations and group charges to ensure accuracy.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Analysis

• Own the budgeting and forecasting cycle for the upcoming financial year.
• Deliver clear visibility on performance, risks and opportunities.
• Establish and improve KPI reporting and financial dashboards for leadership.

Commercial Business Partnering

• Partner with operational teams to analyse product profitability, inventory efficiency and landed costs.
• Assess supply chain, warehousing and commercial operations to improve margins.
• Provide actionable insights to drive EBITDA improvement and support growth plans

ERP & BI Systems

• Utilise and optimise NetSuite ERP for reporting, analysis and process improvement.
• Create or refine financial reports within the system for better visibility.
• Use BI tools (Looker or similar) to generate meaningful management information.

Audit & Compliance

• Lead audit preparation and coordination, either as part of a group audit or standalone requirement.
• Maintain compliance and ensure clean audit trails.

Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with both founder-level leadership and the corporate finance team.
• Communicate financial information in clear, accessible language.
• Balance entrepreneurial ways of working with corporate governance expectations.
• Handle sensitive conversations diplomatically while prioritising the best outcome for the business.

Candidate Profile
Essential Experience

• Proven background as Interim Finance Director, Finance Director or CFO.
• Significant experience in exit preparation, due diligence and/or M&A.
• Strong financial control, forecasting and commercial finance capability.
• Exposure to retail, consumer products, e-commerce or FMCG environments.
• Experience with international supply chains, manufacturing and inventory costing.
• Proficient in NetSuite ERP, ideally with implementation or optimisation experience.
• Strong command of data analysis and reporting (BI tools).

Personal Attributes

• Hands-on, commercially minded and able to “get into the details” communicator with the ability to simplify complex financial topics.
• Diplomatic and collaborative, comfortable working with founders and corporate teams.
• Confident in challenging assumptions and driving improvements.
• Adaptable, calm under pressure and comfortable in a fast-moving environment.