CFO / Finance Director - ACA / ACCA. Construction / Building Services Exp

Construction / Building Services | Private Equity | Turnaround

Strategic Finance Leadership. Business Transformation. Operational Impact.

Are you a commercially sharp CFO or experienced Finance Director ready to play a pivotal role in rebuilding, transforming and scaling a Private Equity-backed business?

We are now seeking a high-calibre Finance Director with strong construction, engineering or building services experience and a sound understanding of percentage-of-completion accounting.

This is not a step-up opportunity or a role for someone who wants to oversee an already polished finance function. We are hiring an experienced finance leader who has previously operated as the number-one finance person within a business and already has the playbook required to lead change, strengthen controls and help rebuild the financial infrastructure.

You will partner closely with the Managing Director and Private Equity stakeholders to drive financial excellence, improve operational performance and support ambitious long-term growth.

This is a genuinely hands-on, high-impact leadership role within a fast-paced SME. You will operate at board level while remaining close enough to the detail to understand the numbers, challenge processes and support the team in delivering the basics brilliantly.

The Role at a Glance

Role: CFO / Finance Director - Qualified

Location: Dartford, Kent - Hybrid, with at least three days per week at HQ

Package: Competitive Base Salary + 15% Annual Bonus Paid Quarterly + Car Allowance, Pension and Extensive Benefits

Your Background: Proven experience as a Finance Director, CFO or number-one finance leader within a turnaround, Private Equity-backed or high-change SME.

Core Skills: ACA or ACCA qualified | Construction or Engineering Accounting | Percentage-of-Completion Accounting | Cash and Working Capital | Transformation | Team Leadership

The Opportunity:

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, you will lead the entire finance function and act as a strategic partner to the MD, senior leadership team and Private Equity owners.

You will bring clarity, discipline and commercial insight to the organisation while establishing the controls, reporting and financial infrastructure required to support future growth.

This role requires someone who can operate strategically at director and board level while remaining willing to work through the underlying detail. You will not simply manage the finance function; you will strengthen, reshape and modernise it.

• Provide strategic financial leadership to the Managing Director, leadership team and Private Equity stakeholders.

• Take full ownership of FP&A, financial control, management reporting, compliance, audit and tax.

• Deliver accurate, insightful and timely monthly management accounts.

• Lead budgeting, forecasting, scenario planning and long-term financial planning.

• Improve cash flow, working capital, credit control and debt recovery.

• Strengthen financial controls, governance, systems and core processes.

• Provide robust commercial analysis to support operational and investment decisions.

• Develop performance targets and value-creation initiatives across the business.

• Prepare high-quality board packs and investor reporting.

• Manage relationships with Private Equity stakeholders, auditors, banks and external advisors.

• Support the business through restructuring, transformation and future growth.

• Drive cost reduction, margin improvement and stronger P&L performance.

• Lead and develop the finance team, setting high standards while providing the support required for them to succeed.

• Explore opportunities to improve efficiency through automation, AI and smarter use of financial technology.

About You:

You are a commercially astute, technically credible and execution-focused finance leader who thrives in high-change, performance-driven environments.

Crucially, you have already operated as a Finance Director, CFO or number-one finance leader within an entity. This is not a first FD appointment or a conventional career-progression role. You will arrive with the experience, judgement and confidence to take ownership from the outset.

• ACA or ACCA qualification.

• Significant post-qualified experience, ideally including 10+ years in progressively senior finance roles.

• Previous experience as a Finance Director, CFO, Head of Finance or senior finance leader with full ownership of the function.

• Strong knowledge of double-entry accounting and core financial controls.

• Practical experience of construction, engineering, building services or project-based accounting.

• A strong understanding of percentage-of-completion accounting, contract accounting and revenue recognition.

• Experience operating within a turnaround, restructuring or major business-transformation environment.

• A track record of improving profitability, cash flow and working-capital performance.

• Strong financial modelling, forecasting and performance-management capability.

• Experience of leading and developing a sizeable finance team.

• The ability to move confidently between strategic leadership and detailed operational problem-solving.

• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder-management skills.

• Fluent written and spoken English.

A background in lift services is not essential. However, you must have experience in engineering, construction, building services, field services or a similarly project-led environment.

We take your privacy seriously. When you apply, we will process your details and pass your application to our client for review for this vacancy only. You may be contacted by email, text or telephone as part of the recruitment process.

Your data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests in fulfilling the recruitment process. Please refer to our Data Privacy Policy and Notice on our website for further details.

For pre-application questions, please contact us quoting the job title and reference.

Good luck, Team RR.