Chief Financial Officer

Role: Chief Financial Officer

Sector: Kitchen Design & Build

Location: Croydon – 4 days in office

Salary: Circa £130,000 - £150,000

Reports to: CEO

Direct Report: Financial Controller

Ref: VFR 3232

VisionFR is delighted to be helping our client, a premium bespoke Kitchen Design & Build business, seeking a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to join its highly motivated and ambitious team to help grow this (currently) UK-focused business, providing valuable data-driven insights, commercial strategy and a rigorous back-end financial support system to help scale the business

Overview of the CFO role

As the CFO, you will serve as the primary strategic financial partner to the CEO. You will be an excellent communicator and capable of translating complex financial data into a compelling narrative for the CEO and Senior Leadership Team. This role requires a balance of high-level fiscal strategy and a hands-on understanding of our commercial pipeline and cash-flow mechanics.

Your Financial Controller will be managing the day-to-day accounting operations and control environment, leaving you to focus on long -term strategy, capital allocation, and most importantly providing the CEO with the real time insights and decision support tools required to scale the business. You will act as a sounding board for the CEO, ensuring every commercial ambition is back ed by a robust, sustainable financial framework.

Key Responsibilities of the CFO

• Act as an advisor to the CEO, providing clear, forward-thinking analysis that allows the CEO to make informed agile decisions.
• Supporting the CEO and Senior Leadership team with accurate financial information and reporting.
• Develop and execute the finance strategy that directly enables the CEO’s long-term business goals.
• Represent the CEO in financial discussions with external stakeholders.
• Lead the Finance team, providing guidance, training, coaching, and regular performance feedback.

Strategic Forecasting & Pipeline Integration

• Own the forward-looking financial roadmap, moving beyond historical reporting to provide with predictive forecasts for the business that drive decision -making. the CEO
• Partner with the Directors to analyse the commercial pipeline, ensuring revenue forecasts are data-driven and aligned with the operational capacity

Capital & Cash Optimisation

• Oversee sophisticated cash management and instalment payment models to balance customer accessibility with the liquidity the CEO needs for expansion.
• Manage debt, equity, and credit facilities to ensure the business is investment -ready for the CEO’s scaling initiatives.

Shareholder & Board Interaction

• Lead the preparation and presentation of financial results to the Board, offering clear insights into performance drivers, risks, and opportunities.
• Act as a primary point of contact for shareholders, building trust through transparency and articulating the financial logic behind the CEO’s strategic direction to maintain higher levels of investor confidence

Operational Leadership & Performance

• Establish and track high-impact financial and operational key performance indicators that go beyond the P&L to measure the true health of the business, reporting these clearly to the CEO and Senior Leadership Team.
• Provide strategic oversight to the Financial Controller and the broader finance team, fostering a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.

Systems, Process and Scalability

• Lead the selection and implementation of robust financial systems and ERP solutions to automate reporting, giving the CEO real -time visibility into business performance.
• Architect scalable financial processes, from procurement to payroll, ensuring that the back -office infrastructure can keep pace with aggressive commercial growth.
• Establish one version of the truth by integrating financial systems with CRM and operational data tools.

External Commercial Strategy

• Oversee relationships with critical 3rd party suppliers and vendors, negotiating high -value contracts to optimise cost -efficiency and service levels.
• Manage external advisors, including auditors, tax specialists, and legal counsel, ensuring seamless integration with internal workflows.
• Assess the financial health and risk profiles of key suppliers to ensure long -term business continuity, protecting the CEO from supply chain shocks.

Requirements of the CFO

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or CPA) with a minimum of 5 years of post - qualification experience.
• At least 3–5 years in a senior leadership role (CFO, or Finance Director) within a high -growth environment.
• Proven track record of leading at least one end -to-end ERP implementation or a significant financial digital transformation project.
• Direct experience managing and negotiating multi -year contracts with 3rd party suppliers or enterprise -level vendors.
• Experience reporting directly to a Board of Directors, Shareholders, or equivalent high -level stakeholders.
• Advanced proficiency in building complex, multi -variable financial models that integrate commercial sales pipelines with cash flow forecasting.
• Loves a Challenge: You are energised by complexity. You don't just manage problems; you dismantle them and build more efficient solutions in their place. You understand that the CEO being able to lead with confidence on your data reflects your success.
• The Narrative Builder: You have the rare ability to turn a spreadsheet into a story, giving the Board and shareholders the confidence to invest in the long -term vision.
• Relationship Architect: You view 3rd party suppliers as an extension of the team. You are a firm but fair negotiator who builds win -win commercial frameworks.
• Systems Thinker: You have a natural affinity for technology and process design, understanding that a scalable business is built on a foundation of clean data and robust systems.

VisionFR is committed to encouraging equality, diversity, inclusion and eliminating unlawful discrimination within our workforce and whilst fulfilling our Clients’ recruitment needs.