Finance Director

Cedar is partnered with a PE-backed business services platform to appoint an Interim Finance Director. This is an initial 6-month contract offering £900-£1,100 per day, based in Central London with hybrid working (3-4 days per week in the office). The role sits directly beneath the CFO and will play a critical role in supporting the business through its next phase of growth, acquisition activity and operational integration within a fragmented buy-and-build market.

The Company

The organisation is a PE-backed business services platform with revenues of c.£30M, operating across a fragmented market with a multi-entity structure and growing national footprint. The business has expanded through a series of SME acquisitions and is expected to continue pursuing an active buy-and-build strategy over the coming years. As a result, finance is at the centre of a complex integration and stabilisation programme, with a need to improve reporting consistency, controls, systems and operational visibility across the group. The long-term objective is to build a more scalable, investor-ready platform ahead of an eventual exit process. In the immediate term, the priority is acquisition integration, finance stabilisation and improving the overall performance of the finance function.

The Role

The Interim Finance Director will support the CFO in driving operational finance improvements across a growing multi-entity environment, with particular focus on acquisition integration, reporting consistency and strengthening controls. The role will oversee a small finance team spanning transactional and qualified finance staff, while remaining highly hands-on in delivery. This is a broad operational finance leadership role requiring someone comfortable navigating complexity, ambiguity and pace within a PE-backed environment.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting the integration of newly acquired businesses into the wider group structure.
• Improving the quality, consistency and timeliness of management reporting across multiple entities.
• Driving standardisation of finance processes, controls and reporting methodologies.
• Supporting post-acquisition integration activity across finance operations, systems and controls.
• Managing disparate finance systems and helping move the group towards greater consistency and scalability.
• Overseeing budgeting, forecasting and cash flow reporting processes across the group.
• Managing and developing a small finance team across transactional and qualified finance.
• Improving balance sheet integrity, reconciliations and working capital management.
• Supporting audit processes and strengthening overall financial governance.
• Partnering closely with operational leadership to improve financial visibility and commercial insight.
• Supporting the CFO with broader transformation and exit readiness initiatives over time.

Your Profile

Proven Finance Director or CFO-1 with experience operating in PE-backed or investor-backed businesses. Strong experience within buy-and-build, multi-entity or acquisitive environments. Track record of supporting acquisition integration and finance transformation activity. Strong operational finance capability, particularly around reporting, controls and process improvement. Hands-on approach with the ability to operate effectively within lean and evolving environments. Experience managing complexity across multiple systems, entities or acquired businesses. Strong technical grounding across financial reporting, controls and audit readiness. Comfortable operating within fast-paced, changing environments with evolving priorities. Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to partner effectively with senior leadership.

Compensation & Working Arrangements

The day rate for this Interim Finance Director role is £900-£1,100 per day. The role is based in Central London with hybrid working (typically 3-4 days per week in the office). This is an initial 6 month assignment within a PE-backed, acquisitive business undergoing significant integration and finance transformation activity.