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Universal Business Team

Finance Director

Crawley , United Kingdom
full-time

AI overview

Play a critical role in shaping financial strategy, managing day-to-day finances, and leading the finance function to support significant growth while collaborating closely with senior leadership.

Commercial Finance Director

Crawley, West Sussex
£125,000 – £145,000 per annum + car allowance / company car • LTIP & bonus • Healthcare • Excellent working environment

About the Company

Our client is a well-established British designer and manufacturer of luxury architectural hardware, supplying high-end residential and hospitality projects both in the UK and internationally. The business combines traditional craftsmanship with modern manufacturing techniques and continues to invest in new product development, operational capability and international growth.

The Role

We are seeking a hands-on, commercially focused Finance Director to join the senior leadership team of this growing business, based in Crawley. This is a pivotal appointment, partnering closely with the CEO, Board and senior management team, with responsibility spanning day-to-day financial control through to strategic planning and long-term value creation.

In addition to owning the financial strategy and performance of the business, the Finance Director will play a key role in building, developing and scaling the finance function, ensuring it is appropriately resourced to support the company’s growth ambitions. The role requires an individual comfortable operating at both a strategic and detailed level, with strong commercial judgement and the credibility to influence decision-making across the organisation.

As the company continues to grow, there will be the opportunity to participate in a long-term incentive plan or equivalent, enabling participation in the value created.

Key Responsibilities

  • Contribute to the definition and delivery of the organisation’s vision and strategy.
  • Produce forecasts assessing long-term financial trends, including scenario modelling around growth, new products and market opportunities.
  • Provide financial and commercial support to senior management to help achieve short- and long-term objectives, including funding initiatives and potential acquisitions.
  • Review financial performance against forecasts, analyse variances and improve planning and forecasting processes.
  • Maintain and enhance internal controls, accounting policies and procedures, ensuring compliance and protection of company assets.
  • Deliver relevant financial information accurately and on time to the Board and senior leadership team.
  • Take ownership of specific projects to reduce the operational burden on the Board, reporting progress and outcomes as required.
  • Ensure financial systems, reporting and data flows are aligned and scalable, supporting both operational performance and strategic insight.
  • Build proactive relationships with department heads to ensure effective communication, motivation and high-quality information flow.
  • Ensure Sales leadership and teams have appropriate financial insight, including margin analysis, product penetration and customer profitability, and recommend improvements where appropriate.
  • Maintain clear and constructive communication with the Board, particularly the CEO.
  • Identify and evaluate opportunities for acquisitions, new premises, capital investment or emerging product trends.
  • Build, lead and develop the finance team, ensuring it is adequately resourced, commercially focused and capable of supporting ongoing business growth.

Requirements

  • Confident in listening, understanding and explaining financial and commercial issues.
  • Able to present financial information effectively to teams, the Board, investors and external stakeholders, including banks, auditors and advisers.
  • Commercially minded, with the ability to challenge constructively and support decisions that deliver organisational objectives.
  • Proven ability to develop individuals and teams through mentoring and training.
  • Strong communication skills across all levels of the organisation.
  • Sound judgement in knowing when to seek additional management or specialist advice.
  • Holds a recognised CCAB accountancy qualification or equivalent.
  • At least three years’ experience in a senior finance role (Finance Director or Senior Financial Controller) with hands-on responsibility.
  • Experience working with SMEs with Boards that include non-executives and/or external investors.
  • Experience of acquisitions and growth-related projects.
  • Strong Excel capability.
  • Familiarity with ERP or accounting systems such as SAP Business One or similar.

Benefits

  • £125,000 – £145,000 per annum (depending on experience)
  • Car allowance or company car
  • Long-term incentive plan including annual profit or performance-related bonus
  • Healthcare
  • Supportive and engaging working environment
  • Access to all onsite facilities including gym

IND25

Perks & Benefits Extracted with AI

  • Health Insurance: Healthcare
  • Other Benefit: Car allowance or company car
Universal Business Team

Universal Business Team (“UBT”) is a global enterprise spanning 19 countries across the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, Central America and Australasia. UBT, headquartered in Sydney, Australia, is a diversified business consultancy that supports clients with business-advisory and group-buying services with the objective to help businesses develop a competitive edge. UBT was launched in 2009 in response to the Global Financial Crisis to support client organisations that were either in distress or looking to improve their competitiveness and financial performance. Currently, UBT turns over $500M (AUD) and has aspirations for significant growth over the next three to five years. A recent decision was made to bring four separate global regions together under the one global brand and leadership team. UBT’s business advisory services comprise corporate training, consulting, recruitment, accounting, and group buying services. UBT facilitates leadership and business excellence for our client’s in their respective industries. Through the group buying function, UBT nurtures mutually-beneficial relationships between member businesses and world-leading providers of business goods and services. The outcome to which we strive is a “win-win” for small-to-medium enterprises and big business alike. UBT provides services and products to approximately 3,000 independent, family-owned businesses globally with combined annual revenues exceeding $12B (AUD). The majority are small to medium sized enterprises with typical annual revenue ranges between $5m-$20m. However, there are also some larger businesses with annual revenues in the range of $100m-$250m. The unifying feature of all UBT’s clients is that the owners are parishioners of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC). UBT (which is owned by the PBCC) supports clients by providing products, services and support designed to increase their profitability and growth. The after-tax profits generated by UBT are reinvested into community initiatives, predominantly through schools (established to educate the children of Brethren families) and charities, such as the Rapid Relief Team (“RRT”) and the Red Cross. UBT Recruitment are an Equal Opportunities Employer. We will apply a rigorous, objective selection process using non-discriminatory criteria, as far as possible on behalf of all the businesses we recruit for.To view our policy in full please contact [email protected]

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£125,000 – £145,000 per year
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