On behalf of a client, we are currently looking to recruit a Group Finance and Commercial Director.

Our client is an international organisation delivering voluntary return, reintegration, resettlement and citizen services under contracts and grants with government bodies including the UK Home Office, Frontex, BAMF and Australian authorities. The organisation operates across more than 40 countries and includes not-for-profit and for-profit entities across the UK, Belgium, Cyprus and Australia, with revenues of approximately €50m and an ambitious growth strategy to reach €100m by 2030 across three business units.

Reporting at a senior level, the Group Finance and Commercial Director provides strategic leadership, governance, financial management and commercial oversight across the Group. You will act as a trusted adviser to the CEO, Directors and Members, ensuring strong financial stewardship, corporate governance and risk management in a complex multi-entity, multi-currency and multi-jurisdictional environment. A key focus of the role is championing automation and best practice across finance and commercial operations to improve efficiency as the organisation grows.

Main duties

• Provide strategic financial and commercial advice to the CEO and Directors, supporting long-term planning, growth initiatives, new business units, partnerships, acquisitions and investment decisions with financial modelling and commercial analysis.
• Lead group budgeting, forecasting, cashflow and treasury management across all entities, including multi-currency operations and payments into high-risk jurisdictions.
• Establish and maintain consolidated group financial reporting across UK, Belgian, Cypriot and Australian entities, as well as branch entities globally, including intercompany arrangements, management fee structures and transfer pricing documentation.
• Own compliance with government funder requirements, including grant conditions, open-book obligations and audit requirements across contracts.
• Oversee related-party governance and conflict-of-interest management across the Group.
• Lead the review and negotiation of customer and supplier contracts, NDAs, consultancy and partnership agreements, joint ventures, leases and government contracts, and oversee procurement governance and commercial risk management.
• Support bids and tenders with pricing strategy, financial modelling, commercial terms review and post-award mobilisation, including contracts operating under standstill and framework arrangements.
• Lead corporate governance, company secretarial oversight and statutory compliance across all jurisdictions, including statutory filings, board reporting, anti-bribery, international sanctions, data protection and insurance.
• Manage relationships with auditors, banks, insurers, legal and tax advisers and regulators; lead annual audit processes across the Group and implement audit recommendations.
• Design and implement scalable financial systems, delegated authority frameworks, approval matrices, procurement controls and management reporting suitable for a rapidly growing international organisation, driving automation and best practice.
• Lead, develop and integrate finance and commercial teams across jurisdictions, building capability, succession planning and a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Identify, monitor and mitigate financial and commercial risks, including foreign exchange exposure, contract concentration risk and loss-making contract remediation.

Essential requirements

Experience

• Significant senior finance leadership experience (Finance Director, CFO or equivalent) in a multi-entity, multi-jurisdictional organisation.
• Experience of government-funded contracts and/or grants, including funder compliance, open-book reporting and audit requirements.
• Proven track record of group consolidation, intercompany structuring and statutory reporting across multiple jurisdictions and currencies.
• Experience of leading commercial activity, including contract negotiation, procurement governance and commercial risk management.
• Experience of managing external auditors, banks, insurers and professional advisers.
• Experience of building or scaling finance functions, systems and controls in a growing organisation.

Skills

• Outstanding financial modelling, analysis and reporting skills, with the ability to translate complexity into clear advice for Boards and non-financial stakeholders.
• Strong commercial acumen and negotiation skills across customer, supplier and partnership contracts.
• Sound working knowledge of corporate governance, company secretarial practice and regulatory compliance.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills, with the ability to lead dispersed international teams.
• High integrity, sound judgement and the ability to operate as a trusted adviser at Board level.

Education

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CPA or equivalent) with full membership of a recognised professional body.

Desirable

Experience

• Experience of not-for-profit structures (e.g. companies limited by guarantee, Belgian vzw/asbl) alongside for-profit entities.
• Experience of government contracting.
• Experience of operating in, or making payments to, high-risk jurisdictions.
• Experience of mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures or corporate restructuring.
• Experience of the immigration market or outsourced government services sectors.

Skills

• Working knowledge of VAT and corporate tax across UK and EU jurisdictions.
• Familiarity with finance systems implementation and process automation.
• Additional European language skills.

Education

• Relevant postgraduate qualification (e.g. MBA) or professional qualification in governance, tax or treasury.

If you are an accomplished senior finance professional seeking your next leadership challenge, we would be delighted to hear from you.

To apply, please send your up-to-date CV to [email protected] and include "Finance and Commercial Director" in the subject line of your email. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a dynamic organisation in a strategic leadership role, where you will play a key part in driving financial performance, commercial growth, and long-term business success. We welcome applications from ambitious, results-oriented professionals with a proven track record of delivering value at executive level.