Head of Finance
Occupying a position below the board but with a huge amount of responsibility, the head of finance for a company is mainly responsible for gathering financial information from the business and reporting the data to the board. They might also be involved with decision making where finances are concerned, but they will usually have to defer to the CEO, COO or CFO, and might therefore be employed in an advisory role.
The head of finance will also be involved with forecasting, both in the company’s own activities and with regard to the region or wider world. While forecasts are not always strictly scientific, they must be informed and educated enough to make a case for the board to make spending and investment decisions on their basis.
In some head of finance jobs, there is, however, a good deal of autonomy to make decisions without daily reference to the board, within certain budgetary and projected constraints. It depends on the size and structure of the business.
Head of finance skills
As head of finance, you’ll have to be extremely adept at all manner of accountancy, bookkeeping, forecasting and reporting. Experience at a senior level within the financial department of a large business will stand you in good stead, although everyone has to start somewhere, so a specific head of finance title is not always requested, as long as you have a proven track record of financial management.
As far as qualifications are concerned, a BSc/BA in accounting or finance will often be a minimum requirement, but other related qualifications and experience will also be considered in many cases.
Head of Finance Jobs in Hartlepool
The town of Hartlepool grew up around a monastery and abbey in the 7th century, and the population grew slowly to about 900 by the early 1800s. As the town grew, however, so did the docks, and its importance as a dock became larger when the railways arrived in the mid-1800s, connecting the town to the cities of the North West of England. This pushed Hartlepool to another level, and before long many shipping companies were setting up there.
Industry was soon to follow, with ironworks and shipyards locating in the town, which to this day boasts Europe’s largest dry dock. Able UK operate a facility just outside the town which is now used for decommissioning massive vessels such as aircraft carriers and freight ships. Together, the engineering sector employs close to 2000 people in the town. There is also a nuclear power station, an advanced gas-cooled reactor type, which since its opening in 1983 has become the town’s single largest employer. It is due to close down in the mid to late 2010s, but another plant is planned.
There is a lot going on in Hartlepool, and it’s a diverse place to live in, with jobs related to the heavy industry, maritime work and the usual high street and local shops and service industries that keep the town thriving. It’s a great place to look for a Head of Finance job, as this diversity throws up many possibilities in the logistics, procurement and supply chain fields.
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Head of finance recruitment at Cast UK
When looking for the right person to fill such a key role in a business, you need as relevant a shortlist as possible so you can decide on the perfect one. That’s where Cast UK comes in. We only work with recruits at senior levels, so you can be sure that any candidates who have been through our filter will be relevant and ready to make a difference. Call 0333 121 3345 to speak to one of our experts.
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