Swish Recruitment
Head of Finance
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Interim Head of Finance | Challenger FMCG Brand 🚀 (16-month)
Location - London (open to 4 days per week)
Salary - £80,000 - £110,000 + Bonus + Benefits (experience dependant)
Reports to: Chief of Staff / CEO
I’m looking to speak with an experienced Financial Controller or Finance Manager who is ready to step up into a Head of Finance position within a fast-growing challenger FMCG business.
This is a 16-month interim opportunity and a great fit for someone who wants to move beyond the traditional month-end/reporting remit and get closer to the commercial decision-making, growth and strategy of an ambitious SME.
The Role
You will own all financial aspects of the business, providing strategic financial leadership and ensuring the financial health and sustainability of the group. Reporting directly to the CEO & Co-founder and sitting on the senior leadership team, this is a hands-on, commercially-minded role for someone who can lead from the front, and steward the finance function through a period of growth and systems transformation. The role will absorb the Head of Finance R&R’s during a 16 month period for maternity cover reasons. We expect the below responsibilities will cover the Head of Finance role while incorporating the FD role. There is opportunity within this role to grow to CFO level over time.
The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with a proven track record in FMCG or food & beverage finance leadership, equally comfortable in a board room and in the detail of a margin analysis, and excited about driving growth in a founder-led, multi-entity business.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Strategy & Planning
- Develop and execute group financial strategy aligned with the CEO and Board’s vision across the UK and EU.
- Design and lead annual budgeting, reforecasting and long-range planning across the total business.
- Build and maintain financial models to support forecasting, scenario planning and capital allocation decisions.
- Partner with the CEO and Board on investment activities, due diligence, fundraising and investor relations.
- Support the CEO in negotiating key contracts, pricing and commercial terms to safeguard margin and quality.
Financial Management & Operations
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- Oversee all day-to-day finance operations across accounting, AP/AR, payroll, treasury and reporting for the group.
- Manage cash flow, working capital and FX exposure (GBP/EUR) to support trading and growth.
- Set and oversee the admin and payroll budgets in partnerships with the Chief of Staff, ensuring financial controls, accuracy and cost discipline.
- Implement strategies to optimise the cash conversion cycle across UK and EU operations.
- Own banking, debt and financing relationships and ensure facilities are fit for purpose as the business scales.
Financial Reporting & Insight
- Deliver accurate, timely and insightful reporting to the CEO, Board, investors and lenders.
- Produce monthly management accounts, group consolidations and statutory reporting across all entities.
- Build quarterly board deck with support of leadership team.
- Provide commercial analysis to support decision-making across Sales, Marketing, NPD and Supply Chain — with a particular focus on customer, SKU and channel profitability.
- Develop systems, controls and processes commensurate with the group’s growth trajectory.
- Ensure compliance with UK GAAP, Dutch accounting standards, and relevant regulations across jurisdictions.
Risk, Compliance & Governance
- Safeguard the group’s assets, financial integrity and reputation.
- Design and maintain effective internal controls, financial policies and authority matrices.
- Identify, assess and mitigate financial, tax and FX risks across all entities.
- Lead the audit process and own relationships with external auditors, tax advisors and legal counsel.
- Manage all tax, regulatory, compliance, legal and IT matters relating to finance, including UK and EU VAT.
- Lead the annual risk assessment, maintain the group risk register and ensure mitigation plans are in place and tracked in partnership with the Chief of Staff.
- Co-own the group insurance programme end-to-end, including broker relationships, policy renewals, cover adequacy and claims management with the Chief of Staff.
Systems Transformation
- Lead the finance workstream of the group’s ongoing systems refresh.
- Oversee ERP and finance systems migration, ensuring continuity of reporting and controls throughout.
- Partner with Supply Chain and Commercial on EDI integration and demand planning software implementation.
- Embed new tools across the finance team and wider business, with clear adoption and benefits tracking.
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Commercial & Operational Performance
- Act as a true business partner to the CEO and leadership team.
- Work cross-functionally to improve gross margin, drive efficiency and identify cost savings.
- Embed commercial discipline in pricing, promotional ROI and customer P&L management.
- Champion data-led decision making across the business.
Team Leadership & Development
- Build, lead and develop a high-performing finance team.
- Provide mentorship, set clear objectives and foster a collaborative, positive team culture.
- Identify training and development opportunities and succession plans within the team.
- Instil rigour, accountability and commercial awareness across finance.
Leadership Team Contribution
- Sit on the senior leadership team as a thought leader and champion of overall business strategy, contributing well beyond the finance remit.
About You
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CPA or equivalent) with significant post-qualified experience.
- Proven track record as a Head of Finance, ideally in FMCG, food & beverage or consumer goods.
- Experience leading finance in a multi-entity, multi-currency group — UK plus EU experience strongly preferred.
- Comfortable operating across the full spectrum — from strategic Board engagement to hands-on month-end and systems.
- Strong commercial instinct, with experience partnering Sales, Marketing, NPD and Supply Chain teams.
- Experience supporting founders, investors and Boards through fundraising, M&A, due diligence or exit processes.
- Understanding of systems migrations, including ERP transitions, EDI integration and supply chain demand planning software implementations, is a strong advantage.
- Resilient, pragmatic and energised by a fast-paced, founder-led environment — someone who can balance ambition with rigour.
What We Offer
A pivotal seat on the leadership team of a high-growth, purpose-led food brand.
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