Chief Financial Officer Job Description for Senior Finance Leaders

The Chief Financial Officer provides strategic financial leadership and stewardship across the organisation. This role is suitable for experienced senior finance professionals with board-level exposure who can translate financial insight into strategic decision making and who are comfortable operating in a complex, fast-moving corporate environment.

Chief Financial Officer Job Profile

The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for the overall financial health of the organisation, delivering robust financial planning, reporting and control while supporting executive strategy and long-term value creation. The role combines stewardship of financial resources with commercial partnership across functions to drive performance and sustainable growth.

The postholder will lead the finance function, set financial strategy, manage risk and compliance, and provide clear, timely information to the chief executive and board to inform strategic decisions and capital allocation.

Chief Financial Officer Job Description

The Chief Financial Officer will develop and implement financial strategy aligned to corporate objectives, oversee budgeting, forecasting and reporting, and ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. The role requires translating complex financial information into actionable insight for senior leaders and the board, and presenting clear recommendations on investments, capital structure and cost management.

The role operates in a collaborative executive team environment and requires leadership of the finance function to deliver accurate accounts, effective controls and continual process improvement. The CFO will engage with external stakeholders including auditors, lenders and investors and will represent the organisation in financial negotiations and stewardship activities.

Expectations include driving performance improvement, supporting M&A and business transformation initiatives, maintaining a strong control environment and embedding financial discipline across the business to support sustainable growth and value creation.

Chief Financial Officer: Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of the organisation's financial strategy in support of corporate objectives.
• Prepare and present accurate monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports to the chief executive and board.
• Own the budgeting and forecasting process, ensuring credible short and medium term financial plans.
• Maintain and strengthen internal controls, governance and compliance with relevant laws and accounting standards.
• Manage treasury, cash flow and working capital to optimise liquidity and capital structure.
• Provide commercial insight and financial modelling to support pricing, investment decisions and business cases.
• Lead financial due diligence and integration activities for mergers, acquisitions and disposals.
• Oversee tax planning, statutory reporting and liaison with auditors and regulatory bodies.
• Drive cost management and efficiency initiatives while protecting quality and service delivery.
• Build, lead and develop a high performing finance team and ensure appropriate succession planning.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators and financial metrics to support executive decision making.
• Engage with external financiers, investors and stakeholders to manage relationships and funding requirements.
• Champion financial systems and process improvements to increase accuracy, timeliness and scalability of finance operations.
• Promote a culture of integrity, transparency and accountability across the organisation.

Chief Financial Officer: Requirements and Qualifications

• Professional accounting qualification such as ACA, ACCA or CIMA, or equivalent recognised credential.
• Significant senior finance experience, typically 10 or more years, with recent board or executive level responsibility.
• Proven track record in financial strategy, planning and delivering commercial outcomes in a complex organisation.
• Strong knowledge of corporate finance, treasury management and capital raising.
• Deep understanding of accounting standards and regulatory reporting, including IFRS or relevant local standards.
• Experience of leading M&A transactions, due diligence and post‑deal integration activities.
• Excellent analytical and financial modelling skills with the ability to simplify complex issues for non‑financial stakeholders.
• Demonstrable leadership and people management skills with experience building high performing teams.
• Strong communication and presentation skills for engagement with board members, investors and external partners.
• High ethical standards, sound judgement and a focus on governance and risk management.
• Proven ability to drive change and continuous improvement in financial processes and systems.
• Ability to operate effectively under pressure and manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment.