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500+
Verified Interim Leaders
UK-Wide
Coverage
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Covered
The UK's Specialist in Interim Senior Finance Recruitment
At Recruiting Today, we understand that the absence of strong financial leadership — even briefly — can destabilise a business. Whether your Finance Director has resigned unexpectedly, your company is entering a complex merger, or you are scaling rapidly and need strategic financial oversight before committing to a permanent appointment, our specialist interim finance placement service gives you immediate access to the senior talent you need.
We are one of the UK's most responsive interim finance recruitment agencies, operating from our registered office at 344–348 High Road, Ilford IG1 1QP, with a national network spanning London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol and beyond. Our dedicated senior finance division works exclusively on interim Finance Director placements, interim CFO appointments, turnaround mandates, and transformation finance roles.
Unlike generalist agencies — which may place warehouse operatives in Cardiff, bricklayer jobs in the north east, admin jobs in Southampton and jobs in Nottingham all from the same desk — our senior finance team brings singular focus. Every consultant in this division has either held a senior finance role themselves or has spent over a decade exclusively recruiting at C-suite and director level.
Quick Definition
What Is an Interim Finance Director?
An interim Finance Director is a highly qualified finance professional engaged on a temporary contract — typically three to twelve months — to provide full strategic and operational financial leadership. They assume responsibility for financial reporting, cash flow management, board-level advisory, compliance, and team oversight. Unlike a consultant, an interim FD is fully embedded in your organisation and accountable for outcomes.
When Does a Business Need Interim Senior Financial Leadership?
The need for an interim Finance Director or CFO arises in several distinct business situations. Understanding which scenario applies to your organisation helps us match you with the right profile of leader — quickly and precisely.
Business Transformation & Restructuring
Major operational or strategic change demands financial rigour. An interim FD with transformation experience can manage complexity without disrupting your permanent team's day-to-day stability.
Mergers, Acquisitions & Investment Rounds
M&A activity and fundraising rounds require specialist deal-side finance leadership. Our interim CFOs and FDs have due diligence, integration, and investor-reporting experience across PE-backed and listed entities.
Sudden Leadership Gaps & Unplanned Exits
When a Finance Director resigns, falls ill, or departs at short notice, continuity cannot wait. We deliver a capable interim within 48–72 hours of receiving your brief — protecting your board reporting cycles and lender relationships.
Rapid Growth & Scaling Phases
Fast-growing businesses — particularly those discovering demand spikes comparable to the September 2025 hiring boom — need experienced financial architects to build scalable reporting, treasury and controls infrastructure before a permanent CFO is onboarded.
Crisis Management & Financial Turnaround
Businesses facing severe cash pressure, covenant breaches, or restructuring negotiations need a turnaround Finance Director with the gravitas and experience to stabilise finances and manage creditors effectively.
Permanent Search Bridging
A thorough permanent CFO search takes three to five months. Appointing an interim bridges the gap and ensures the permanent hire inherits a well-governed, fully functional finance function.
Step-by-Step Process
How We Place Your Interim Finance Director in 5 Steps
- 1
Submit Your BriefShare your requirements — scope, sector, urgency, day-rate budget and desired start date.
- 2
Receive a Curated Shortlist (48–72 hrs)Pre-vetted candidates, CV summaries and day-rate details land in your inbox within two to three business days.
- 3
Interviews & SelectionOne or two focused interview rounds to validate fit, leadership style and technical capability.
- 4
Contracting, Compliance & OnboardingRecruiting Today handles all right-to-work checks, IR35 assessments, contract documentation and DBS where required.
- 5
Assignment Management & ReviewYour dedicated account manager checks in regularly and manages contract extensions or a transition to permanent hire seamlessly.
Senior Finance Roles We Place on an Interim Basis
Recruiting Today's senior finance interim division covers the full range of C-suite and director-level financial appointments. Below is a breakdown of the roles we most frequently place, along with their typical scope and market day-rate ranges.
Day Rate
£700–£1,200
+VAT · typical range
Interim Finance Director (FD)
The most frequently requested interim appointment in our portfolio. An interim FD owns full P&L responsibility, manages the finance team, prepares board and management accounts, maintains banking and investor relationships, and drives process improvement. Assignments range from six weeks to twelve months.
Typical sectors: Manufacturing · Retail · Professional Services · Property · Technology · Hospitality
Day Rate
£900–£1,500
+VAT · typical range
Interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
For businesses requiring the most senior financial leadership available. An interim CFO operates at board and executive committee level, setting financial strategy, managing treasury and capital structure, leading investor or lender relationships, and overseeing risk. Predominantly engaged by PE-backed businesses, listed companies and large corporates undergoing transformation.
Typical sectors: PE-backed · Listed Corporates · Scale-ups · Financial Services · Infrastructure
Day Rate
£800–£1,400
+VAT · typical range
Turnaround & Transformation Finance Director
A specialist subset of interim FD, engaged specifically for businesses in financial distress or undergoing fundamental restructuring. These professionals have deep experience negotiating with lenders and HMRC, implementing rapid cost reduction, managing administrator liaison, and rebuilding creditor confidence alongside formal insolvency practitioners where needed.
Typical triggers: Covenant breach · Cash crisis · Pre-administration · Post-acquisition integration
Engagement
Fractional
1–3 days / week
Fractional CFO / Part-Time Finance Director
Ideal for SMEs, scale-ups and founder-led businesses that need strategic financial oversight but cannot yet justify a full-time FD salary. A fractional CFO works one to three days per week, providing board-level financial advice, investor-ready reporting, cash flow management and strategic input — without the overhead of a permanent senior hire.
Typical clients: Seed/Series A start-ups · Growing SMEs · Family businesses seeking professionalisation
At a Glance
Interim FD vs Interim CFO: Which Do You Need?
| Factor | Interim Finance Director | Interim CFO |
|---|---|---|
| Typical business size | SME to mid-market (£5m–£100m turnover) | Mid-market to large corporate (£50m+ turnover) |
| Board seat / executive committee | Usually yes at smaller firms | Always — voting board member |
| Day rate range | £600–£1,200 | £900–£1,500+ |
| Typical mandate length | 3–9 months | 6–18 months |
| External lender/investor focus | Moderate | High — primary capital markets interface |
| Time to place (Recruiting Today) | 48–72 hours shortlist; 5–7 days to start | 48–72 hours shortlist; 7–10 days to start |
Sector Coverage: Industries We Serve
Our interim finance candidates have worked across virtually every sector of the UK economy. Whether your business operates in regulated financial services, fast-moving consumer goods, or the public sector, we have experienced interim leaders who understand your environment from day one.
Retail & E-Commerce
Manufacturing & Engineering
Financial Services
Technology & SaaS
Property & Construction
Healthcare & Pharma
Hospitality & Leisure
Professional Services
Logistics & Supply Chain
Education & Not-for-Profit
Energy & Utilities
Media & Advertising
Case Study 01
Interim FD Prevents Covenant Breach for £40m Turnover Manufacturer
£40m
Turnover
6 weeks
Time to Impact
£1.8m
Cash Released
The Challenge
A family-owned precision manufacturing firm in the Midlands faced a sudden FD resignation two months before its year-end banking covenant test. With management accounts three months in arrears and EBITDA declining, the risk of breaching its revolving credit facility was acute. The board needed an experienced interim Finance Director within days — not weeks.
The Recruiting Today Response
Within 36 hours, we presented three candidates from our pre-vetted interim FD panel with direct manufacturing and banking relationship management experience. The selected interim started on day four. Within six weeks, the interim had restated management accounts, implemented a weekly cash-flow reporting cycle, and conducted a working capital review that released £1.8m in latent cash — sufficient to satisfy covenant compliance and restore lender confidence.
Outcome
Covenant breach was averted. The interim remained for a further four months to oversee a permanent FD search. The permanent appointment, made six months after the crisis, inherited a fully documented, compliant finance function. The client calculates the cost of the interim engagement — approximately £95,000 all-in — saved over £600,000 in potential default fees and refinancing costs.
Key Considerations
What to Look for in an Interim Finance Director: 8 Critical Attributes
- 01.Proven track record in your industry sector — not just finance generalism
- 02.Demonstrable experience managing banking relationships and debt covenants
- 03.Strong board-level communication and stakeholder management skills
- 04.Relevant professional qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) from a recognised body
- 05.Ability to mobilise quickly and deliver impact within the first 30 days
- 06.IR35 status clarity and a compliant engagement structure
- 07.References verifiable from previous interim assignments — not just permanent roles
- 08.Cultural adaptability — the ability to lead and win the trust of existing finance teams quickly
Geographic Reach: Interim Finance Leaders Across the UK
Our interim finance talent pool is distributed nationally. Unlike executive search firms concentrated in London, Recruiting Today has placed interim Finance Directors and CFOs across every UK region — from Aberdeen to Southampton, from Leicester and Nottingham to Edinburgh and Cardiff.
Whether your business operates in a major financial centre or is headquartered in a regional market — including the North East, Yorkshire, East Midlands, South Coast or Scotland — we maintain a portfolio of local and nationally mobile interim candidates ready to deploy.
Our wider staffing operation supports clients finding jobs in Nottingham, jobs in Leicester, temporary jobs in Aberdeen, and admin jobs in Southampton — all managed from the same highly experienced national delivery team that underpins our executive interim division.
London
Manchester
Birmingham
Leeds
Edinburgh
Bristol
Leicester
Nottingham
Aberdeen
Southampton
Glasgow
Cardiff
Case Study 02
Fractional CFO Supports Series B Raise for a £12m Revenue Technology Scale-Up
£12m
ARR
£8m
Series B Raised
3 days/wk
Fractional Engagement
The Challenge
A B2B SaaS scale-up headquartered in Leeds was preparing for a Series B raise but lacked the CFO-level financial rigour that institutional investors demand. The founders — both technology specialists — had outgrown their in-house finance capability. They needed investor-ready management accounts, a three-year financial model, and a credible finance lead to accompany them into lead investor meetings. A full-time CFO salary of £200,000+ was not feasible at their current burn rate.
The Recruiting Today Solution
Recruiting Today placed a fractional CFO with direct experience of three previous Series B transactions at comparable SaaS businesses. Working three days per week, the fractional CFO rebuilt the management accounts, constructed a bottom-up financial model with ARR waterfall and cohort analysis, implemented NetSuite ERP, and joined every investor meeting as the lead financial spokesperson. The assignment ran for seven months.
Outcome
The business closed an £8m Series B at a £45m valuation. Investor feedback specifically cited the quality of financial reporting and CFO credibility as key factors in their decision to invest. Total cost of the fractional engagement: £112,000. The fractional CFO subsequently helped onboard and transition to a permanent CFO hired at £185,000 — a role Recruiting Today also filled.
IR35, Compliance and Engagement Models Explained
IR35 remains one of the most misunderstood aspects of engaging interim finance professionals in the UK. At Recruiting Today, our compliance team manages this complexity on your behalf. All interim Finance Directors and CFOs we place undergo a thorough IR35 assessment before deployment.
Where a role falls outside IR35, the interim typically operates through their own Personal Service Company (PSC), billing the end client directly or via Recruiting Today as the intermediary. Where a role is deemed inside IR35, we facilitate PAYE payroll through our compliant umbrella framework — ensuring your business avoids unexpected tax liability while the interim receives a fair net income.
We also confirm professional indemnity insurance cover for all senior interim placements and carry out right-to-work and DBS checks as standard. Our onboarding documentation — including engagement letters, assignment scopes and governance protocols — is drawn from legal counsel to protect both client and contractor throughout the assignment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your Questions About Interim CFO & FD Placement Answered
Client Testimonials
What Our Clients Say About Our Interim Finance Placements
"
Recruiting Today placed our interim FD within three days of us calling them. The candidate they found had done almost exactly the same turnaround job before. She hit the ground running and gave us breathing space to find our permanent replacement properly.
Group CEO
Retail distribution business, West Midlands
"
We engaged a fractional CFO through Recruiting Today for our Series A process. Their candidate understood SaaS metrics and investor expectations deeply, and was a genuine value-add in LP calls — not just a number cruncher. Highly recommend for any tech founder needing financial credibility quickly.
Co-Founder & CEO
B2B SaaS scale-up, Leeds
"
After our Finance Director left unexpectedly we were very vulnerable. Recruiting Today understood the urgency, were honest about what was realistic, and delivered a superb interim who stabilised the entire finance function. We extended his contract twice before appointing him permanently.
Managing Director
Engineering services firm, Sheffield
"
We have used Recruiting Today for both our interim FD and permanent CFO searches. The quality of candidates and the speed of response is consistently excellent. Their understanding of what a private equity-backed business actually needs in a finance leader sets them apart from other agencies we have tried.
CFO
PE-backed healthcare business, London
Glossary
Key Terms in Interim Finance Recruitment
Interim Finance Director (FD)
A senior finance leader engaged on a temporary contract to provide full strategic and operational financial management, typically for three to twelve months.
Interim CFO (Chief Financial Officer)
A temporary executive overseeing financial strategy, capital structure, investor relations and board-level financial governance. Senior to an FD, typically engaged by larger or more complex organisations.
Fractional CFO
A part-time CFO working a fixed number of days per week, shared across one or more businesses. Ideal for SMEs and scale-ups that need strategic financial leadership without a full-time appointment.
IR35
UK tax legislation determining whether an interim contractor is treated as employed (inside IR35) or self-employed (outside IR35) for tax purposes. Critically important in structuring interim finance engagements compliantly.
Turnaround Finance Director
A specialist interim FD with expertise in financial distress situations — covenant renegotiation, HMRC time-to-pay arrangements, creditor management, and restructuring — engaged when a business faces serious financial difficulty.
Browse Live Roles
Current Temporary & Contract Job Opportunities Across the UK
Beyond our senior finance interim division, Recruiting Today operates a full-service temporary and contract staffing operation covering roles from scaffolding jobs and construction labouring to customer service, administrative and technology contract roles. Whether you're looking for bricklayer jobs in the North East or temp jobs in Aberdeen, explore our live vacancies below.
| Job Title | Location | Type | Hourly Rate | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Centre Advisor | Leicester | Temp | £12.50–£14.00 | View Job |
| Warehouse Operative | Cardiff | Temp | £11.44–£13.00 | View Job |
| Bricklayer | Sunderland | Contract | £20.00–£26.00 | View Job |
| Skilled Site Labourer | Feltham | Temp | £13.50–£16.00 | View Job |
| Customer Service Representative | Nottingham | Temp | £12.00–£14.50 | View Job |
| Scaffolder | Westminster, London | Contract | £22.00–£28.00 | View Job |
| Administrative Support Officer | Southampton | Temp | £12.00–£14.00 | View Job |
| Painter & Decorator | Doncaster | Contract | £16.00–£20.00 | View Job |
| Temp Data Entry Clerk | Aberdeen | Temp | £11.44–£13.50 | View Job |
| Hotel Receptionist | Glasgow | Temp | £12.00–£14.00 | View Job |
| General Labourer | Nottingham | Temp | £11.44–£13.00 | View Job |
| Remote Account Assistant | Reading | Remote | £13.00–£16.00 | View Job |
All hourly rates shown are above UK National Living Wage (£11.44/hr from April 2024). Rates reflect typical market range and may vary by client. View individual job listings for confirmed rates.
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Address
344–348 High Road, Ilford, IG1 1QP
Website
recruitingtoday.netAvailability
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