Permanent Finance Recruitment for Accountants, Finance Managers & CFOs Across the UK

From Finance Chaos to £1.2M in Recovered Margin — CFO Placement in 18 Days

The Challenge: A £45M turnover East Midlands manufacturer had operated for 14 months without a permanent CFO following a sudden resignation. The interim cover had stabilised cashflow but the business lacked a coherent financial strategy heading into a major capital investment. Management were losing confidence and the Board required a permanent, board-ready CFO before their investor presentation.

Our Approach: Recruiting Today activated a targeted executive search, reaching out to 38 ACA-qualified candidates in our finance leadership network. We conducted competency interviews assessing manufacturing sector knowledge, board-level communication, and M&A experience. A shortlist of four candidates was delivered on day seven.

The Outcome: A commercially sharp ACA-qualified CFO with direct manufacturing sector experience was placed on a £115,000 package within 18 days. Within the first six months, she identified and eliminated £1.2M in margin leakage through supply chain renegotiation and revised contract pricing — delivering an immediate 10× return on recruitment investment.

Building a Finance Team From Scratch — £280K Payroll Saving in Year One

The Challenge: A Glasgow-based professional services firm expanding from 40 to 120 headcount needed to build its entire internal finance function from scratch — replacing an outsourced accounting arrangement that had grown prohibitively expensive. Roles required included a Finance Manager, two Management Accountants, and a Finance Analyst. All four positions needed to be filled within eight weeks.

Our Approach: Recruiting Today ran concurrent searches for all four roles, leveraging our Scottish finance talent network — spanning candidates across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and surrounding areas. We ran combined briefing sessions with the client's Operations Director and CEO to ensure cultural alignment across the shortlists, then coordinated a single two-day interview process to minimise business disruption.

The Outcome: All four permanent finance roles were filled within six weeks. The combined salary cost of the in-house team was £228,000 against the previous outsourced arrangement of £508,000 — delivering a saving of £280,000 in year one alone. Three of the four candidates were sourced from our passive candidate network — professionals not actively searching jobs in Nottingham or temp jobs Aberdeen, but open to the right opportunity.

We had tried two other agencies for our Financial Controller role with no success. Recruiting Today gave us four outstanding candidates in under a week. We made an offer within the fortnight. The quality of the screen was exceptional — they truly understand what a Controller role demands.

As a fast-scaling tech business, we needed a Finance Manager who could handle complexity from day one. Recruiting Today found us someone with exactly the right blend of startup resilience and technical rigour. She's been transformational. Already looking at the role above.

We placed three management accountants through Recruiting Today across two years. Every single hire has been brilliant — both technically and culturally. Their consultants ask better questions than any recruiter we've worked with. It shows in the quality.

I'd been looking for a CFO for nearly six months through various channels. Recruiting Today found me a board-ready candidate with direct sector experience in three weeks. The whole process was smooth, professional and — most importantly — the right person. Couldn't recommend them more highly.

London & South East

East Midlands

West Midlands

Yorkshire & Humber

North West

North East

Scotland

South West

Wales

Remote & Hybrid UK

How long does it take to fill a permanent finance role?

For well-defined roles (Management Accountant, Finance Analyst), we typically deliver a shortlist within 5–7 working days and complete the hire within 14–21 days. Senior roles such as Financial Controller or CFO typically take 3–6 weeks depending on notice periods and complexity of brief.

Do you recruit for finance roles outside major cities?

Absolutely. While we are active across all major UK cities — from jobs in Leicester and Nottingham to Aberdeen — we also regularly recruit for finance positions in smaller towns and rural business hubs. Remote and hybrid finance roles are increasingly common, which has expanded our reach significantly.

What finance qualifications do your candidates hold?

Our candidate network includes ACA (ICAEW), ACCA, CIMA, and AAT-qualified professionals across all levels. We also recruit part-qualified and qualified-by-experience candidates for the right roles. Qualification verification is carried out as standard before any candidate is presented to you.

Can you provide temporary or interim finance cover while we recruit permanently?

Yes. We can provide interim or temporary finance professionals — from management accountants to FC-level cover — to bridge the gap while your permanent search is underway. Many of our clients run both processes concurrently, and we manage both within a single engagement. Whether you need temporary jobs in Aberdeen covered or interim finance support in London, we can respond quickly.

Is there an upfront cost to use Recruiting Today?

For contingency permanent finance recruitment, there is no upfront cost. Our fee — typically 12–18% of first-year salary — is only payable upon a successful placement. Retained executive search for CFO or Director-level roles involves a staged fee structure, which we discuss transparently at the outset of any engagement.