Aerospace Finance Director

FD Capital recruits Finance Directors and CFOs for UK aerospace and defence businesses — commercial aerospace manufacturers, MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) operators, defence contractors, aerospace systems and components suppliers, and space technology companies. Aerospace finance is a specialist discipline: long-cycle programme accounting, complex cost accumulation structures, UK and US GAAP requirements for defence contractors, government contract compliance, and export control financial implications create a finance leadership brief that demands sector-specific experience. Adrian Lawrence FCA, founder of FD Capital and a Fellow of the ICAEW, leads our senior finance recruitment practice.

Call 020 3287 9501 or email recruitment@fdcapital.co.uk. Shortlists within three to five working days.

Adrian Lawrence FCA — Founder, FD Capital
Fellow of the ICAEW | ICAEW-Registered Practice | Aerospace and defence finance placements since 2018

The UK aerospace sector — centred around the supply chains of Airbus, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Leonardo and GKN Aerospace — requires Finance Directors who understand long-term contract accounting, percentage-of-completion revenue recognition, and the cost accumulation methodologies used on multi-year development and production programmes. These are not skills that transfer automatically from general manufacturing or engineering finance. FD Capital’s aerospace finance network includes Finance Directors and CFOs who have worked at tier-one and tier-two aerospace suppliers, MRO businesses, and prime contractors — candidates who can operate effectively from day one in the financial complexity the sector presents.

What Makes Aerospace Finance Distinctive

Long-term contract accounting and IFRS 15

Aerospace and defence businesses routinely operate on contracts that span years or decades — development programmes, production contracts, and long-term MRO agreements. The accounting treatment of these contracts under IFRS 15 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers) requires careful identification of performance obligations, determination of transaction prices (including variable consideration such as performance bonuses, penalties and price escalation clauses), and recognition of revenue over time as the contract progresses. For complex multi-deliverable aerospace contracts — where a single contract may include both development work and subsequent production units — the allocation of transaction price between performance obligations and the recognition of contract assets and liabilities requires technical accounting judgement that the Finance Director must both apply and explain clearly to the audit committee and external auditors.

Programme cost accumulation and EAC management

Large aerospace programmes require disciplined cost accumulation and Estimate at Completion (EAC) management — the ongoing assessment of total programme costs to completion against the programme budget and contract revenue. EAC management is the mechanism by which programme profitability is monitored, risk provisions are assessed, and potential cost overruns are identified early enough for management action. The Finance Director’s role in EAC management is to ensure the financial model supporting each major programme is rigorous, that cost performance data from programme management is accurately translated into financial forecasts, and that any deterioration in programme economics is escalated promptly to the board and, where appropriate, disclosed in the financial statements. EAC failures are one of the most common causes of profit warnings in aerospace businesses.

Defence contracting and government pricing

UK defence contractors supplying to the Ministry of Defence operate under the Single Source Contract Regulations (SSCR), which require contractors to submit detailed cost and commercial reports to the Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO) and to demonstrate that contract prices are fair and reasonable. Finance Directors at defence contractors must understand the regulatory framework, ensure the business’s cost reporting meets SSRO requirements, and manage the commercial relationship with the MoD on pricing matters. This regulatory dimension is entirely absent from commercial aerospace finance and represents a significant additional specialist requirement for Finance Directors at defence-focused businesses.

Export controls and ITAR compliance

Aerospace and defence businesses that export or handle controlled technology must comply with UK export control legislation and, where US-origin technology is involved, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). The Finance Director’s role in export control compliance is primarily around the financial controls that prevent regulated technology from being transferred to restricted parties or jurisdictions — including the financial due diligence on customers, distributors and suppliers, and the financial record-keeping required to support export licence applications and compliance audits. Finance Directors joining aerospace businesses from other sectors are sometimes surprised by the extent of export control compliance obligations and the financial control infrastructure required to manage them.

Working capital dynamics in supply chains

Aerospace supply chain businesses — particularly tier-one and tier-two suppliers to the major primes — face significant working capital challenges from the payment terms imposed by their large customers, the long manufacturing lead times for complex components, and the capital tied up in work-in-progress and raw materials. The Finance Director must manage the supply chain’s working capital position actively, negotiating supplier payment terms to offset customer payment delays, managing inventory financing efficiently, and maintaining the cash headroom needed to fund production during periods of programme ramp-up. Supply chain Finance Directors with experience of managing working capital in a long-cycle manufacturing environment are significantly more effective in these roles than those whose working capital experience has been in higher-velocity, shorter-cycle businesses.

Aerospace Finance Director Roles FD Capital Places

FD Capital places Finance Directors and CFOs across the aerospace sector — at primes and tier-one suppliers, MRO businesses, defence electronics and systems companies, space technology businesses, and aerospace-focused private equity portfolio companies. We place permanent Finance Directors, fractional Finance Directors for businesses below the scale where a full-time appointment is justified, and interim Finance Directors for programme-specific requirements, maternity cover, or transformation support.

Aerospace Finance Director Salary Guide UK 2026

Role	Business Scale	Typical Salary
Finance Director — aerospace SME / tier-2 supplier	£10m–£50m revenue	£85,000 – £115,000
Finance Director — mid-market aerospace	£50m–£200m revenue	£110,000 – £150,000
CFO — large aerospace / defence contractor	£200m+ revenue	£150,000 – £220,000+
Fractional FD — aerospace	£5m–£30m revenue	£450 – £650/day
Interim FD — aerospace programme support	Any size	£500 – £750/day

Related Sector and Senior Finance Services

Find an Aerospace Finance Director

FD Capital recruits Finance Directors and CFOs for UK aerospace and defence businesses — programme accounting experience, EAC management, SSCR familiarity, and the supply chain working capital skills the sector requires. Permanent, fractional and interim. Shortlists within three to five working days.

📞 020 3287 9501
✉ recruitment@fdcapital.co.uk

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