Vice President Finance

We are partnering with a market-leading organisation operating within a highly regulated advanced manufacturing and engineering environment to appoint an experienced Vice President of Finance. Reporting directly to the Business Unit President, this executive leadership role offers the opportunity to influence strategic direction, strengthen operational performance and support the continued growth of a complex programme-driven business.

The successful candidate will serve as a trusted business partner to the executive leadership team, providing financial leadership, commercial insight and operational governance across a diverse portfolio of programmes. This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially minded finance executive who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys driving business performance through collaboration, strategic thinking and financial excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with executive leadership to develop and execute the financial strategy aligned with the organisation's growth objectives.
• Lead all aspects of financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and performance reporting across the business unit.
• Develop and implement robust financial controls, governance frameworks and reporting processes to ensure compliance, accuracy and operational excellence.
• Design, implement and monitor meaningful financial and operational KPIs that support continuous improvement and informed decision-making.
• Provide strategic financial analysis, identifying trends, risks and opportunities while recommending actions to improve profitability, cash flow and programme performance.
• Lead programme financial management, ensuring accurate forecasting, cost control and effective performance measurement throughout the programme lifecycle.
• Champion the implementation and governance of programme performance management methodologies, including Earned Value Management (EVM) or equivalent frameworks, to strengthen financial visibility and operational accountability.
• Work collaboratively with programme managers, operational leaders and corporate finance functions to establish financial baselines, monitor performance and deliver accurate forecasts.
• Develop proactive financial insights through variance analysis, early risk identification and performance gap assessments, recommending effective corrective actions where required.
• Lead, mentor and develop a high-performing finance team, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with corporate policies, regulatory requirements and industry standards within a highly regulated operating environment.

Candidate Profile

We are seeking an accomplished finance leader with significant experience supporting complex programme-based businesses within highly regulated sectors. You will possess exceptional commercial acumen, strong leadership capability and the ability to influence senior stakeholders across multiple functions.

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business or a related discipline.
• Extensive senior finance leadership experience within a complex engineering, manufacturing, aerospace, defence or similarly regulated environment.
• Proven experience partnering with executive and operational leadership teams to drive business performance and strategic growth.
• Strong expertise in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling, programme finance and cost management.
• Demonstrable experience implementing or leading programme performance management methodologies, including Earned Value Management (EVM).
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate complex financial information into clear commercial recommendations.
• Experience working with enterprise financial systems and advanced financial reporting tools.
• Excellent communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to influence decision-making at executive level.
• Proven ability to lead, develop and inspire high-performing finance teams within a matrix organisation.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving and growth-focused business environment.
• Ability to obtain or hold the appropriate level of government security clearance, where required.
• Professional accounting qualification (CPA, ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Previous experience within aerospace, defence, advanced manufacturing or other highly regulated industries.
• Experience supporting complex government and commercial programme portfolios.

What's on Offer

This is a rare opportunity to join an ambitious organisation during an exciting period of growth and transformation. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping financial strategy, driving operational excellence and influencing executive decision-making while leading a talented finance function.

This position offers significant scope for strategic impact, leadership development and long-term career progression within a high-performing executive team.