Head of Finance Job Description

Head of Finance Job Description

A Head of Finance is a senior finance professional responsible for leading the finance function of a business — typically occupying a position in the finance hierarchy that sits above the day-to-day accounting team but below or alongside the Finance Director or CFO. In some organisations, the Head of Finance is the most senior finance professional, combining the Financial Controller’s operational responsibilities with elements of the Finance Director’s strategic and board-facing role. In others, the Head of Finance reports into the FD or CFO and leads the operational finance team as their second in command.

The Head of Finance title is most commonly used in: businesses that are scaling from a finance manager structure toward FD-level leadership but not yet ready for a full Finance Director appointment; not-for-profit and charitable organisations where the “Finance Director” title may be less appropriate; public sector bodies and NHS trusts; technology scale-ups and Series A businesses where the Head of Finance operates as a senior but sub-board finance leader; and larger businesses where the Head of Finance manages a significant team beneath the CFO or Group FD.

This page provides a comprehensive Head of Finance job description for UK businesses, covering the core responsibilities, qualifications, and competencies of the role, alongside salary benchmarks and engagement model variants. FD Capital recruits Heads of Finance on permanent, fractional, and interim bases across the UK. Call 020 3287 9501 or email recruitment@fdcapital.co.uk to discuss a Head of Finance requirement.

“FD Capital has supported SBS Insurance Services over the past three years through the provision of a Fractional FD/CFO. Their expertise has made a significant difference in professionalising our finance function and delivering accurate, timely management information — exactly what our business needed to grow with confidence.”

— Tracey Rees, COO, SBS Insurance Services Ltd

Head of Finance Job Description Template

The following job description covers the Head of Finance role as the most senior finance professional in the business, reporting directly to the CEO or Managing Director. Where the Head of Finance reports into a Finance Director or CFO, the responsibilities should be adjusted to reflect the division of duties between the two roles in your organisation.

Job title: Head of Finance

Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director / Finance Director / CFO (depending on organisational structure)
Direct reports: Financial Controller / Finance Manager / Management Accountant / Finance team
Location: [Location] / Hybrid
Engagement: Permanent / Full-Time [or Fractional / Part-Time / Interim as applicable]

Role overview

The Head of Finance is responsible for the overall management and performance of the finance function, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting, effective financial controls, sound cash management, and proactive financial planning and analysis. Where the Head of Finance is the most senior finance professional in the organisation, they also hold board-level accountability for the financial health of the business and act as the CEO’s primary financial adviser. The Head of Finance manages the finance team, oversees the production of management accounts and statutory reporting, and contributes to the business’s strategic and commercial agenda through financial analysis and insight.

Head of Finance Key Responsibilities

Financial reporting and management accounts

• Ownership of the monthly management accounts process — producing accurate P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statements within agreed deadlines and presenting these to the leadership team or board
• Preparation and distribution of the monthly board pack including financial commentary, KPI analysis, variance analysis against budget and prior year, and a forward-looking financial summary
• Managing the year-end statutory accounts process — coordinating with the external auditors or accountants, preparing supporting schedules, and ensuring accounts are filed at Companies House within the statutory timeframe
• Ensuring the business’s financial records are maintained accurately and in compliance with UK GAAP (FRS 102) or IFRS as applicable
• Producing consolidated accounts where the business operates across multiple legal entities

Budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning

• Leading the annual budget and business planning process — coordinating with department heads, consolidating inputs, challenging assumptions, and producing a budget that is both realistic and challenging
• Maintaining a rolling twelve-month cash flow forecast and communicating the cash position and liquidity outlook to the CEO and board proactively
• Maintaining and updating the business’s financial model as actuals are posted and assumptions are revised
• Providing financial analysis and modelling to support commercial decisions including pricing, investment appraisal, new hires, geographic expansion, and product or service launches
• Leading or supporting the FP&A activities of the business — producing revenue and margin analysis, department-level cost analysis, and financial performance reporting

Financial controls and compliance

• Maintaining and improving the system of financial controls — including authorisation limits, purchase order processes, expense approval, and segregation of duties within the finance team
• Overseeing VAT compliance — preparing quarterly VAT returns for submission to HMRC, ensuring correct VAT coding of transactions, and managing any HMRC correspondence
• Overseeing PAYE and payroll compliance — managing the relationship with the payroll provider, reviewing payroll for accuracy, and ensuring timely RTI submissions and PAYE payments
• Managing the external audit process — acting as the principal contact for auditors, providing supporting documentation, and managing the audit to completion within the agreed timetable
• Reviewing balance sheet reconciliations monthly to ensure the balance sheet is clean, properly supported, and free of errors

Cash and treasury management

• Managing the business’s cash position — monitoring balances, authorising payments, and ensuring the business maintains adequate liquidity at all times
• Managing debtor collections — overseeing the aged debtor ledger, chasing overdue receivables, and working with commercial teams to resolve disputes
• Managing creditor payments — ensuring suppliers are paid within agreed terms and managing any payment disputes or renegotiations
• Managing banking relationships at an operational level — maintaining facilities, managing bank mandates, and escalating strategic banking matters to the FD or CEO as appropriate

Strategic and commercial finance

• Acting as the financial business partner to the CEO and senior leadership team — translating financial data into commercial insight and supporting key business decisions with robust financial analysis
• Identifying opportunities to improve margin, reduce costs, and improve the efficiency of the business’s financial operations
• Supporting any fundraising, M&A, or exit activity — contributing to the preparation of financial information for investors or acquirers, managing the data room financial section, and supporting due diligence processes
• Contributing to the development of the business’s long-term financial strategy in coordination with the CEO or, where one exists, the Finance Director or CFO

Finance team management

• Managing the day-to-day activities of the finance team — including Financial Controllers, Finance Managers, Management Accountants, and junior finance staff as applicable
• Reviewing and signing off the work of the finance team before it is used for management reporting or external purposes
• Recruiting, developing, and retaining finance team members — including managing performance, providing training and mentoring, and building a high-quality finance function for the future
• Implementing and improving finance systems and processes — accounting software, ERP systems, and financial reporting tools — to improve efficiency, accuracy, and scalability

Head of Finance Person Specification

Essential qualifications

• Qualified accountant — ACA (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales), ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), or CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants). See the ICAEW, ACCA, and CIMA websites for qualification details
• Post-qualification experience of five to twelve years, with demonstrable experience of leading a finance function or managing a finance team at a senior level

Essential experience and competencies

• Management accounts: Hands-on experience of producing accurate monthly management accounts within tight deadlines
• Financial planning: Experience of leading an annual budget process and maintaining rolling forecasts
• Financial controls: Experience of implementing and maintaining financial controls and compliance in a business of comparable size
• Team management: Proven experience of managing, developing, and mentoring a finance team
• Communication: Strong ability to communicate financial information clearly to non-finance audiences including CEOs, boards, and investors
• Systems: Proficiency in at least one major accounting platform (Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics, or similar) and strong Excel skills

Preferred qualifications and experience

• Sector-specific experience relevant to the hiring business — technology, not-for-profit, healthcare, professional services, manufacturing, or retail
• Experience working in a PE-backed or investor-backed environment where reporting standards are more demanding
• Experience supporting a fundraising, M&A, or exit process
• ERP implementation or financial systems improvement experience
• For not-for-profit or public sector roles: experience of fund accounting, restricted fund management, or public sector financial reporting

Head of Finance vs Finance Director vs Financial Controller: The Differences

The Head of Finance, Finance Director, and Financial Controller are three of the most commonly confused titles in UK finance, partly because their use overlaps significantly across different organisations and sectors.

Head of Finance vs Finance Director: In many businesses, Head of Finance and Finance Director describe the same role — the most senior finance professional with board accountability. The Finance Director title is more commonly used in commercial, owner-managed, and PE-backed businesses; the Head of Finance title is more common in not-for-profits, public sector bodies, technology scale-ups, and businesses where the board does not have a formal Finance Director position. In larger businesses, the Head of Finance may report into the Finance Director or CFO rather than being equivalent to them. See our Finance Director job description for the comparable FD profile.

Head of Finance vs Financial Controller: The Financial Controller is primarily responsible for the accurate production of financial information — the management accounts, balance sheet reconciliations, and financial controls. The Head of Finance typically has broader responsibility, including financial planning and analysis, commercial finance contribution, and team leadership at a more senior level. In practice, the line between the two roles is often blurred, and many businesses use the titles interchangeably. See our Financial Controller job description for comparison.

Fractional and Part-Time Head of Finance

A fractional or part-time Head of Finance performs the same senior finance leadership role as a full-time HOF but works on a reduced-hours basis — typically two to three days per week. This model is particularly well-suited to growing SMEs that have outgrown their bookkeeper or Finance Manager but are not yet generating sufficient revenue to justify a full-time Head of Finance appointment. The fractional HOF provides strategic financial oversight, board-level reporting, and finance team leadership on a cost-effective basis, while the business builds toward the point where a full-time appointment becomes necessary.

See our fractional Head of Finance, part-time Head of Finance, and interim Head of Finance pages for the profiles FD Capital places for these engagements, and our London Head of Finance recruitment page for London-specific context.

Head of Finance Salary: UK Benchmarks

London-based Head of Finance roles typically attract a £10,000–£20,000 premium above these ranges. See our CFO and Finance Director salary guide for broader seniority benchmarking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Head of Finance the same as Finance Director?

In many UK businesses, yes — particularly in not-for-profit organisations, public bodies, technology companies, and smaller businesses where the “Head of Finance” title is preferred over “Finance Director”. In larger businesses, the Head of Finance may be a more junior role that reports into the Finance Director or CFO. The key question is whether the Head of Finance holds board accountability and direct CEO reporting — if so, the role is functionally equivalent to a Finance Director.

What qualifications does a Head of Finance need?

Most Head of Finance appointments in the UK require a professional accountancy qualification — ACA, ACCA, or CIMA — alongside five to twelve years of post-qualification experience. The specific qualification preferred varies by sector: ACA is most common in professional services and financial services businesses; ACCA is widespread across commercial and public sector contexts; CIMA is most common in manufacturing, retail, and consumer businesses. Some Head of Finance appointments in technology scale-ups or not-for-profits will consider candidates who are part-qualified if they have strong relevant experience.

When should a business hire a Head of Finance rather than a Finance Director?

The Head of Finance title is often the right choice when: the business wants to signal that the role has operational finance leadership responsibility but is not yet a board-level appointment; the organisation is a not-for-profit or charity where FD terminology is less common; or the business already has a Finance Director or CFO and needs a senior deputy to lead the finance team beneath them. For businesses choosing between Head of Finance and Finance Director as their first senior finance hire, the Finance Director title typically signals higher seniority and broader strategic accountability.

How quickly can FD Capital place a Head of Finance?

For permanent Head of Finance placements, FD Capital typically presents a shortlist of three to five qualified candidates within five to eight working days of receiving a brief. For interim and fractional HOF requirements, initial candidates can be identified within 24 hours. Call 020 3287 9501 to discuss a current requirement.

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