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 Worthing
The seaside town of Worthing lies on England’s south coast, halfway between Brighton and Bognor Regis, in West Sussex. Settlement dates back to the Stone Age, and Worthing was a sleepy mackerel fishing town until the Georgian period, when grand building started springing up as it became part of the tourist trail. Much of the splendid architecture survives to this day, and the town now has a population of around 100,000.
The town is still best known as a holiday resort, Worthing does have a thriving economy that includes financial services (e.g. Aviva), pharmaceuticals (e.g. GlaxoSmithKline), government (HM Revenue and Customs) and the creative industries. There is a relatively strong manufacturing sector, too, which almost matches the employment attained by tourism-related industries. In the 1990s the town was particularly profitable, and its population are relatively affluent, especially for a town of its size.
Holiday resorts often suffer out of season, but this does not seem to the case with Worthing, which has managed to be productive and quite industrialised without sacrificing any of its Georgian charm. All this in combination makes it a place anyone looking for a Head of Finance position should put on their watch list if they live in the area – you may be surprised at what comes up.
Popular locations
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.
If you’re looking for your next job as head of finance, we can put you in touch with top companies who need your talents. Please register with us by clicking the link below.
Contact us