Job Description
Head of Finance
Aylesford, Kent £70,000+ Permanent
Reed Finance are exclusively recruiting for a successful, long-established and growing distribution business based in Kent, currently seeking to appoint a Head of Finance.
This is a newly created role and represents a fantastic opportunity for a commercially minded finance leader to join a profitable, multi-site organisation at an exciting stage of growth. Reporting directly to the Directors, the Head of Finance will play a pivotal role within the senior leadership team, helping to drive financial strategy, control, and performance across the business.
The Role
This is a broad, hands-on leadership role combining strategic oversight with operational delivery across finance.
Key responsibilities include:
Financial Strategy & Leadership
- Develop and deliver the financial strategy to support growth and competitiveness
- Advise Directors and senior stakeholders on financial performance, risks and opportunities
- Lead budgeting, forecasting and long-term financial planning
- Drive site-level financial analysis, benchmarking and performance improvement
- Support expansion activity with financial modelling and analysis
Cost Management
- Oversee staff costs, overheads and cost accounting
- Ensure accurate inventory valuation and margin analysis
- Support new site acquisition planning with detailed cost modelling
Financial Controls, Compliance & Reporting
- Produce accurate monthly management accounts and board-level reporting
- Ensure compliance with accounting standards and tax requirements
- Maintain strong internal controls, manage audits and banking relationships
Systems & Process Improvement
- Lead finance system integration following acquisitions
- Improve data accuracy and reporting capability
- Implement KPIs and dashboards to support operational decision making
- Drive continuous improvement across finance processes
Risk Management
- Identify and mitigate financial and operational risks
- Maintain audit-ready documentation and control frameworks
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, develop and mentor the finance team
- Ensure consistent processes, controls and reporting across multiple sites
- Build strong business-partnering relationships across the organisation
- Promote a culture of accountability, accuracy and performance
The Person
We are looking for:
- A qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA) with significant post-qualification experience
- Strong commercial acumen and the ability to challenge and influence senior stakeholders
- Experience within a distribution or multi-site environment (highly desirable)
- Proven experience integrating finance processes following acquisitions
- Advanced Excel and financial modelling skills
- Strong understanding of stock management, margin and cost of sales
- Experience improving financial controls, systems and processes
- A confident leader who is comfortable operating both strategically and hands-on
Working Arrangements & Package
- Full-time, permanent role
- Based at head office in Aylesford, Kent
- Salary £70,000+, dependent on experience
Reed Finance are exclusively recruiting for this position. All applications will be handled with the strictest confidence.
