What we're looking for

Demonstrable experience leading 13-week cash-flow forecasting and daily cash management in a live pressure situation, not just as a reporting exercise
A track record of negotiating directly with alternative/short-term lenders — merchant cash advance, invoice finance, asset-based lending or similar — including securing revised repayment terms
Experience with debt consolidation or refinancing in an SME context
Genuine turnaround experience in owner-managed SMEs, ideally including situations where the business was trading profitably at an operational level but under acute short-term cash pressure
Comfortable being hands-on — reviewing transactions, reconciliations and lender correspondence directly rather than delegating
Sector experience in e-commerce, construction materials, building supplies or merchanting is strongly preferred but not essential for the right turnaround profile
Professionally qualified (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) preferred
Able to start quickly and commit the necessary time in the early weeks, even where the nominal commitment is 2–3 days per week

Why this role

This is a chance to make a fast, visible difference to a trading business with real revenue and real customer demand — the problem is the debt structure, not the underlying trade. For a turnaround CFO who enjoys being the calm, credible voice in the room with lenders, and who can build control and confidence quickly, this is exactly the kind of mandate that plays to those strengths.