Director - Finance Centre of Excellence

Director - Finance Centre of Excellence London, England Permanent £130,000 - £150,000 per year Highly commercial role, key to delivering superb deal flow Varied position covering leadership , Business Development and deal execution About Our Client This opportunity is with a large organisation within the professional services sector, known for its commitment to innovation and excellence in accounting and finance. The company provides a collaborative environment and offers opportunities for professional growth. Job Description The Role As a Director in the Finance CoE, you will play a senior leadership role in shaping, delivering, and growing our finance-focused deal advisory propositions. You will lead complex, high‑pressure, multi‑workstream engagements, working directly with CFOs and finance leadership teams on both the buy-side and sell-side to design, plan, and execute finance workstreams within transaction environments. You will be accountable for leading engagement teams, serving as a trusted advisor to clients, applying our methodology and best practices, and overseeing the deliverables, quality and commercial success of projects. You will also lead business development for key pursuits/ sectors/ accounts, proposition building, and the growth of our people and culture. Roles & Responsibilities Client Delivery & Leadership * Lead end‑to‑end finance support across the deal lifecycle, often as part of a wider deal teams, shaping our support and ensuring delivery excellence. * Serve as a key advisor to CFOs and senior finance stakeholders in different sectors, providing challenge, insight, and practical direction during high‑pressure deal environments * Collaborate with multi‑workstream delivery teams often across multiple geographies, ensuring coordination, quality assurance, and value across finance workstreams. * Lead and review separation/ integration planning, operating model design, and deal‑driven finance change outcomes. * Build strong relationships with clients across sectors, as well as other advisory firms involved in deals (e.g. legal, banking, technology).People Leadership * Provide leadership, coaching, and development for senior managers and below team members, fostering a high‑performing, collaborative and supportive team culture. * Drive capability development within the Finance CoE, helping colleagues grow expertise across deal execution, finance operations, core processes and consulting skills * Promote the values of inclusion, agility, and personal development reflected in the firm's 'Our Deal' and 'The Academy' commitments. The Successful Applicant The Person Skills, Qualifications & Experience Essential Experience * Substantial experience working in a leading consulting firm, Big 4, private equity or strategy / corporate development team with a focus on the finance function in industry * The candidate must have previous experience in consulting as well as industry. The latter needing to be in an operational capacity as 'Line Management' * Experience of leading mid-sized and large deal execution projects with a focus on CFO-relevant issues * Strong academic track record * Experience of managing or supporting high-value business development activities with C-level stakeholders * Demonstrable ability to independently generate sales opportunities, commercialise relationships with senior executives and maintain strong client relationships * Acting as the source of new business development initiatives and taking these from idea, through design and execution all the way to clients * Strong numerical capabilities combined with sound commercial acumen * Demonstrable ability to lead teams in high‑pressure, ambiguous, and fast‑paced deal environments. * Evidence of strong problem-solving & analytical capabilities * Structured thinking skills combined with creativity * Ability to talk credibly with C-level clients on the key issues and value implications facing their business in a deal context * Ability to evaluate complex challenges and deliver insightful recommendations that can be practically executed Finance in Deals Experience * Proven track record leading complex/large‑scale finance integrations, separations, carve‑outs, joint venture setup projects * Initiating marketing and sales efforts, proposals, scopes and pricing for mid-sized and large consulting assignments, preferably in the finance deals space * Evidence of designing work plans, team structures and then managing these to (i) excellent client output and (ii) strong project economics o This should include an extensive coverage of recent M&A transactions, e.g. Integration/ separation planning and execution, transitional service agreements * Deep understanding of issues and decisions in M&A deals which affect financial controls, governance and reporting on both buy-side and sell-side, from pre-deal to post deal and exit * Deep understanding of leading practice in finance functions, operating model design, and the impact of digital/disruptive technologies on finance * Deep understanding of core finance processes (Record to Report, Procure to Pay, Order to Cash), with strong understanding of finance function structures, controls, systems, and performance metrics. Preferred Qualifications * Professional qualification (ACA, CIMA, MBA, or equivalent). Core Competencies * Outstanding client relationship skills, executive presence, and communication capability (oral and written). * Exceptional problem solving, analytical thinking, and structured report writing. * Ability to inspire teams, manage competing priorities, and deliver confidently under pressure. What's on Offer