Finance Director
In business, every major financial decision a company makes has a profound effect on its profitability, or even its survival. Big decisions about expansion, restructuring, new product ranges, setting up in new territories and the really tough decisions like mass redundancies all need to be financially justified to the company, shareholders and sometimes the public. It’s the finance director’s job to oversee those decisions.
Finance director jobs are usually part hands-on financial analysis and decision making, and part overseeing a team of finance managers, departmental managers and accountancy departments. As a board member, they will have plenty of sway, but must also be in charge of implementing company-wide policies from a financial standpoint. They will know when to sit down and crunch the numbers themselves, and when to delegate the tasks to trusted lieutenants who can deliver sound, evidence-based figures on which to base those key decisions.
The skills required of the finance director
Clearly, the role of finance director is reserved for those who are highly experienced in overseeing the financial matters of large organisations. You won’t necessarily need to be a director already, but you will have to have proved that you understand business economics inside and out, and that you have had to make tough financial decisions and seen them through, gathering evidence, presenting your case and analysing results.
You’ll also be a great communicator and negotiator, as you’ll often be meeting with banks, shareholders, other board members and managers to both listen and to instruct on financial decisions. Many businesses require a BA in finance, accounting or business before this role is considered.
Finance Director Jobs in Bristol
The largest city in South West England, Bristol is a centre of commerce, culture and education and it has long been associated with sea travel, with the Port of Bristol being a major economic boon to the area.
Situated on the Bristol Channel at the mouth of the Avon River, Bristol also shares a bit of the Severn Estuary coastline. By the 12th century, the city was an important point for the shipping industry, especially for trade with Ireland (and later Iceland and France) and it quickly grew to become one of England's largest medieval towns.
Along with Liverpool, Bristol was one of main ports in the UK involved in the Triangle Trade and the list of commodities that were exchanged includes cloth and textiles, glass, fish, wine and grain. As the years passed, other industries began to expand, including manufacturing, engineering and transport.
Today, Bristol is a thriving community with plenty of opportunities for those seeking Finance Director vacancies in the area.
One of the city's major employers is Defence Equipment & Support, which works to procure everything from ships and aircraft, through to munitions, technology and communications equipment for the MoD.
Other companies based in Bristol include Bristol Commercial Vehicles, BAE Systems and Orange UK.
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Finance director recruitment at Cast UK
At Cast UK, we understand how difficult it is to find high-calibre candidates to interview for critical roles like this. That’s why as an agency, we have always focused on the upper echelons of business, namely executive and managerial positions. So if you’re looking for the perfect finance director for your organisation, call 0333 121 3345 and we can deliver exactly those A1 candidates you’re looking for.
If you are a finance director or have a CV that proves you’re ready to become one, we want to hear from you – as do some fantastic businesses up and down the country. Please register with us by following the link below.
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