Interim Finance Director

When a business needs senior financial leadership quickly — covering a departure, managing a transaction, or stabilising through a period of change — an interim Finance Director is usually the fastest and most effective solution.

FD Capital specialises in placing interim Finance Directors with UK businesses. Our candidates are experienced operators, available at short notice, and able to contribute from day one. Most engagements begin within one to two weeks of instruction.

020 3287 9501  —  shortlist typically delivered in 3–7 working days

An interim Finance Director is a senior finance professional engaged on a temporary, full-time or near-full-time basis to provide financial leadership during a defined period. The engagement is time-bounded from the outset — typically three to twelve months — and is focused on a specific situation rather than ongoing management.

The interim model is distinct from a fractional or part-time FD, who works with a business on a reduced ongoing basis. An interim FD is brought in when the business needs intensive, dedicated senior finance resource: full days, full attention, full ownership of the finance function.

 

Interim FD Full-time or near full-time Defined period (3–12 months) Covers a specific situation Immediate, intensive impact Clear handover point

Fractional FD Part-time, ongoing Long-term arrangement Embedded strategic input 1–3 days per week No fixed end date

Permanent FD Full-time, employed Open-ended commitment Full ownership of function 3–4 month search process Salary + benefits cost

The trigger is almost always urgency combined with complexity. Some situations can wait for a permanent hire — most cannot. The most common scenarios where an interim FD is the right answer:

Covering a Sudden Departure

When a Finance Director resigns, is dismissed, or becomes unavailable, the finance function cannot run without senior leadership for the three to four months it takes to recruit permanently. An interim FD covers that gap without disruption to reporting, cash flow management, or investor relationships.

Preparing for Fundraising or Investment

Investors require a credible, experienced FD who can defend the financials and run a disciplined process. If the business doesn’t have that in place, an interim FD can build the financial model, prepare investor packs, manage the data room, and sit alongside the CEO in investor meetings — then hand over to a permanent appointment once the round is complete.

Managing an Acquisition or Disposal

Transactions place an extraordinary demand on the finance function. Financial due diligence, integration planning, and post-completion reconciliation all require senior capacity that most finance teams don’t have in normal operations. An interim FD provides that capacity without permanently expanding headcount.

Turnaround and Financial Stabilisation

When cash flow is the immediate problem, or when lenders or investors have lost confidence in the financial management of the business, an experienced interim FD can stabilise the position quickly. Our network includes FDs with specific turnaround experience who have navigated distress before.

Systems Implementation and Finance Transformation

ERP implementations, finance function restructures, and process overhauls require a senior leader to own the project without taking their eye off business-as-usual financial management. An interim FD with systems experience can run both simultaneously and hand over a transformed function to the permanent FD who follows.

Rapid Business Growth

High-growth businesses frequently outgrow their finance infrastructure faster than they can recruit for it. An interim FD can build the reporting framework, strengthen the team, and put the processes in place that the business needs at its next stage — often transitioning to a fractional or permanent role once the immediate build is complete.

Our interim Finance Directors are hands-on. They do not consult from a distance. From day one they take ownership of the finance function and work alongside the leadership team. The scope varies by situation but typically covers:

Financial reporting and management accounts Cash flow management and forecasting Board pack preparation and investor reporting Budget setting and variance analysis Banking and lender relationship management Finance team leadership and development

Fundraising support — debt and equity Financial due diligence for M&A Statutory accounts and audit management Systems implementation oversight Financial controls and governance Handover planning for permanent successor

Interim Finance Director searches are time-critical. The situations that create the need — sudden departures, live transactions, financial distress — do not allow for a three-month search. We are built for speed without compromising on quality.

✓  Shortlist in 3–7 working days ✓  Candidates available for immediate start ✓  Specialists — Finance Directors and CFOs only ✓  Deep interim and turnaround network

✓  PE, VC and family business experience ✓  UK-wide coverage from London base ✓  No placement, no fee ✓  Post-placement support throughout engagement

 

“We needed an interim FD within days of our permanent FD resigning, with a fundraising round already in progress. FD Capital introduced three credible candidates within the week. The one we appointed completed the round with us and stayed on for nine months. We couldn’t have managed without them.” CEO, PE-backed technology business, London

Day rates for experienced interim Finance Directors typically range from £500 to £1,100 per day depending on the seniority of the candidate, the complexity of the role, and the urgency of the requirement. Turnaround and transaction-specific mandates tend to attract higher rates given the intensity and specialism involved.

On a five-day week, that equates to £2,500–£5,500 per week, or roughly £10,000–£22,000 per month. For businesses weighing this against a permanent hire, it is worth noting that an interim FD requires no employer NI, no pension contributions, no holiday pay, no notice period, and our fees are included in the day rates.

We are transparent about rate expectations during the initial conversation and will advise on what is realistic for the profile of FD your situation requires.

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Speed is built into every stage. A call with our senior team is all that is needed to begin — we do not require lengthy written briefs before we start working.

1. Brief A short call to understand the situation, the urgency, the scope of the role, and any specific sector or skills requirements. We can usually start searching the same day.
2. Shortlist We present a curated shortlist of candidates, typically within 3–7 working days. Each candidate is pre-screened for the specific requirement, not pulled from a generic database.
3. Interviews We arrange candidate meetings at your convenience, provide briefing notes, and support the interview process with suggested focus areas.

4.  Appointment  Once you have selected your interim FD, we support the contracting process and remain in contact throughout the engagement to ensure it is working for both parties

How quickly can an interim Finance Director start?

Most of our interim Finance Directors are available within one to two weeks of appointment, and a number are available immediately. This contrasts sharply with a permanent search, which typically takes three to four months from instruction to start date.

What is the difference between an interim FD and a fractional FD?

An interim FD works full-time or near-full-time for a defined period — typically to cover a specific situation such as a transition, transaction, or turnaround. A fractional FD works part-time on an ongoing basis, providing strategic financial leadership without a defined end date. If your need is immediate and intensive, interim is usually the right model. If your need is ongoing but doesn’t justify a full-time hire, fractional is more appropriate.

Can an interim FD become permanent?

Yes, and it is relatively common. Businesses will often appoint an interim FD during a period of urgency and find they want to retain them once the immediate situation is resolved. We support that transition and can restructure the arrangement accordingly.

Do interim Finance Directors work with PE-backed businesses?

Yes. A significant proportion of our interim mandates come from private equity-backed businesses, either because of a sudden departure, an upcoming transaction, or because the PE house requires a higher standard of financial governance than the existing team can provide. Many of our interim FDs have direct PE-backed experience and understand investor reporting requirements and the cadence of board oversight that PE ownership demands.

Do you place interim Finance Directors outside London?

Yes. We place interim Finance Directors across the UK. Many interim FDs are willing to travel or relocate temporarily for the right engagement, and the growth of hybrid working has made geography less of a constraint than it was. We will always advise on candidate availability by location as part of the briefing conversation.

What happens when the interim engagement ends?

We support the handover process and can help identify a permanent Finance Director to follow the interim if required. Many clients use the interim period as an opportunity to refine exactly what they need in a permanent FD, using the interim’s assessment of the role and the finance function to sharpen the brief for the permanent search.

Get in Touch

If you need an interim Finance Director — whether in the next few days or in the coming weeks — a short call with our team is the fastest way to understand what is available and how quickly we can help.

020 3287 9501

Have one of our specialists call you back to discuss your hiring needs .