Interim Head of Finance

Interim Head of Finance
6-month fixed-term contract | £77,000 FTE | 40 hrs, Mon–Fri | On-site – Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire

About the opportunity

Cotteswold Dairy is a long-established, family-owned business supplying premium dairy products nationwide. We are now seeking an accomplished finance leader to steer our finance and credit-control functions through a period of change and growth.

The role

Reporting to the Finance Director and leading a team of twelve across finance, credit control and payroll, you will provide hands-on oversight of all financial controls, reporting and treasury activities. Your mandate is to deliver timely, accurate insight, safeguard cash, strengthen governance and drive continuous improvement across our high-volume manufacturing and distribution environment.

Key responsibilities

• Financial control & compliance – prepare draft statutory accounts, VAT & HMRC returns, industry/government submissions and manage the year-end audit.

• Treasury & credit control – oversee cashflow forecasting, banking relationships, collections and adherence to credit policy.

• Management reporting – produce complete monthly management accounts, margin and volume analysis, balance-sheet reconciliations.

• Budgeting & forecasting – coordinate annual budgets, re-forecasts and investment appraisals.

• Systems & data – own finance system integrity, develop BI dashboards (Power Pivot/Power Query) and support improvement projects.

• Leadership – recruit, mentor and develop a multi-disciplinary team, instilling a culture of rigour, service and collaboration.

Essential qualifications & experience

• Fully qualified accountant ACA, ACCA or CIMA.

• Minimum 4 years post-qualification experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment, with at least 3 years in a senior lead role managing cross-functional finance teams.

• Advanced Excel skills and business-intelligence expertise (Power Pivot / Power Query or similar).

• Proven record of system implementation and process improvement.

• Outstanding analytical, communication and problem-solving abilities with meticulous attention to detail.

• Pragmatic, hands-on leader able to engage at every level of the organisation.

Terms & selection process

• Contract: 6-month fixed term, on-site only (no remote).

• Hours: 40 per week, Monday to Friday. May consider 37.5 hours at a pro-rated salary.

• Salary: £77,000 per annum, pro-rated for contract length.

• Interviews: Two in-person stages with the Finance Director, senior managers and directors.

Early applications are encouraged; we reserve the right to interview ahead of the closing date.

Join us and make a tangible impact at the heart of a responsible, sustainable dairy community.