3,200+
Finance Professionals Placed
98%
Client Satisfaction Rate
48 hrs
Average Time-to-Shortlist
50+
UK Cities Covered
When a business needs to fill a critical finance role — a Finance Manager, a Management Accountant, or a Financial Controller — the cost of getting it wrong is enormous. A poor hire at senior finance level can disrupt reporting cycles, damage board confidence, and create compliance risk that ripples through an entire organisation. That is precisely why hundreds of UK employers turn to Recruiting Today — a specialist permanent finance and accountancy recruitment agency with the expertise, network, and speed to deliver the right candidate, every time.
This guide explains who we are, how our finance recruitment process works, which roles we specialise in, and why our approach consistently outperforms that of generalist recruitment agencies operating in the finance sector.
Who Is Recruiting Today?
Recruiting Today is a UK-based permanent recruitment agency with dedicated practice areas across finance, accountancy, technology, construction, and professional services. Within the finance vertical, our consultants hold deep industry knowledge across commerce and industry, financial services, public sector, and not-for-profit — giving employers access to a pre-qualified talent pool that generalist agencies simply cannot match.
Our registered office is at International House, 64 Nile Street, London N1 7SR, and we serve clients from Glasgow to Exeter, Leeds to Norwich. Whether you are a FTSE-listed corporation, a PE-backed scale-up, or an SME preparing for its first full-time financial controller hire, we have the network and process to deliver.
"The right Financial Controller does not just close the books — they build the financial architecture that makes growth possible."
— Recruiting Today Finance Practice
The Finance Roles We Recruit
Our permanent finance and accountancy team specialises in mid-to-senior-level appointments. The three core disciplines at the heart of our practice are:
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Finance Manager
We recruit Finance Managers who bridge operational finance and strategic decision-making — professionals capable of managing month-end, business partnering with department heads, and driving cost efficiency. Typical salary bands we recruit into range from £45,000–£75,000 depending on sector and geography.
View Finance Manager Roles →📊
Management Accountant
Management Accountants are the analytical engine of any finance function. We source CIMA-qualified and part-qualified candidates skilled in variance analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting — the professionals who turn raw data into boardroom-ready insight. Salary range: £38,000–£58,000.
Browse Management Accountant Jobs →🏦
Financial Controller
The Financial Controller is often the most business-critical hire in a growing company. We find ACA/ICAEW-qualified controllers who own the entire finance function — from statutory reporting and audit management to treasury, tax compliance, and process improvement. Salary range: £55,000–£90,000.
Hire a Financial Controller →Beyond these three core disciplines, our finance desk regularly places Group Accountants, FP&A Analysts, Treasury Managers, Finance Business Partners, and Head of Finance professionals across every UK region. All permanent roles we fill are supported by our comprehensive candidate guarantee policy.
Our Finance Recruitment Process — Step by Step
Every successful finance placement starts with a structured process. Ours has been refined over thousands of assignments and is explicitly designed to reduce time-to-hire without compromising on candidate quality.
Deep-Dive Client Brief
We begin every mandate with a structured briefing call or meeting. We explore not just the technical requirements — qualifications, systems experience, reporting lines — but the cultural and leadership fit. A Financial Controller who thrives in a start-up environment will not necessarily thrive in a heavily process-driven corporate, and vice versa.
Targeted Candidate Search
Our consultants conduct a dual-track search — activating our proprietary candidate database alongside targeted headhunting of passive professionals. We also advertise across leading finance job boards and our own jobs portal, capturing both active and passive candidates. According to HMRC's labour market data, over 60% of senior finance professionals do not actively job-seek — making headhunting an essential, not optional, component.
Rigorous Pre-Screening
Every candidate presented to a client has been interviewed by a Recruiting Today consultant. We verify professional qualifications (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, AAT), check employment history, conduct a competency-based interview aligned to your brief, and take references from at least two previous finance line managers before submission. Our standard is a shortlist of three to five exceptional candidates — not a stack of CVs.
Interview Coordination & Offer Management
We manage the entire interview process — scheduling, candidate briefing, structured feedback collection, and offer negotiation. Our involvement at the offer stage consistently reduces the risk of counter-offers derailing placements, a particularly common issue at the management accountant and financial controller levels where passive candidates often receive competing bids mid-process.
Post-Placement Support & Guarantee
Our service does not end at the start date. We conduct structured check-ins at 30, 60, and 90 days to ensure both client and candidate are satisfied. Should a placement fall through within the guarantee period, we re-recruit at no additional cost — protecting your investment and ensuring continuity of your finance function.
Why Specialist Finance Recruitment Matters
Generalist agencies often treat finance roles the same way they treat warehouse operative or customer service positions — volume-based, CV-heavy, and insufficiently technical. The result is wasted interview time, misaligned candidates, and often a second recruitment process six months later. CIPD research consistently shows that a failed senior hire costs between 150% and 200% of the role's annual salary when training, lost productivity, management time, and re-recruitment are accounted for.
The Recruiting Today Difference
✔ Consultants with hands-on finance backgrounds — not generalists reading a job description
✔ Access to passive candidates via active headhunting, not just job board applications
✔ Qualification verification: ACA, ACCA, CIMA, AAT, and ICAEW credentials confirmed before shortlist
✔ Industry-matched sector knowledge across manufacturing, retail, healthcare, tech, and financial services
As a member of the wider Workers Direct group of staffing brands, Recruiting Today benefits from a shared infrastructure, compliance framework, and candidate network that gives us national reach with local consultant expertise. For finance teams in London, we can leverage our sister brand Recruitment Agency London for additional metropolitan market depth.
Finance Recruitment Across Every UK Region
The finance talent market varies significantly across the UK. London commands premium salaries and has a deeper active candidate pool, but competition for top-tier Management Accountants and Financial Controllers is intense. Regional markets — Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh — often offer better value for hiring businesses but require a recruiter with genuine local networks, not simply someone posting to a national job board.
| UK Region | Key Cities | Finance Manager (avg.) | Financial Controller (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| London & South East | London, Reading, Oxford | £62,000–£78,000 | £75,000–£95,000 |
| North West | Manchester, Liverpool | £48,000–£62,000 | £58,000–£78,000 |
| Yorkshire & Humber | Leeds, Sheffield, Doncaster | £46,000–£60,000 | £55,000–£74,000 |
| Midlands | Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester | £47,000–£63,000 | £57,000–£76,000 |
| Scotland | Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen | £44,000–£59,000 | £54,000–£72,000 |
Salary data indicative for 2025 permanent placements. Actual offers will vary by sector, company size, and candidate profile. Source: internal placement data cross-referenced with ONS Labour Market Statistics.
What Finance Professionals Need to Know
If you are a finance professional exploring your next permanent move, registering with Recruiting Today places your profile in front of hiring managers you will never reach by applying directly. Our consultants will take the time to understand your career trajectory, your preferred sectors, and your development goals — not just match you to the first vacancy on the system.
We regularly place candidates who hold qualifications from ACCA, ICAEW, CIMA, and AAT. Part-qualified candidates are also welcome — many of our clients actively seek talented individuals still completing their professional exams, particularly at the Management Accountant level. You can browse all current finance vacancies on our dedicated jobs portal or contact our finance team directly to register your CV in confidence.
Recruiting Today found me a Financial Controller role with a PE-backed manufacturer in Leeds within three weeks of registering. My consultant understood exactly what kind of business I wanted to move into and didn't waste my time with irrelevant opportunities. The whole process was efficient, professional, and genuinely career-focused.
James H.
Financial Controller · Manufacturing · Leeds
For Employers: How to Engage Recruiting Today
Engaging our finance recruitment desk is straightforward. You can submit a vacancy online, call us directly on +44 (0) 20 3740 6776, or use our 24/7 line at +44 333 2422 711. A consultant will contact you within two hours during business hours to discuss your requirements and confirm a search timeline.
We work on both retained and contingency mandates depending on the seniority and complexity of the role. For CFO, Head of Finance, and Director-level appointments, we recommend a retained search model to ensure full market coverage and dedicated consultant resource. For Finance Manager and Management Accountant roles, a contingency model typically delivers excellent results within our standard 48-hour shortlist commitment.
You can also explore our full suite of recruitment services to see how our finance practice fits within our broader offering, which includes technology, construction, healthcare, and administrative staffing across all major UK regions.
Conclusion: The Finance Recruitment Partner Your Business Deserves
Permanent finance recruitment demands more than a job board and a good keyword search. It requires genuine sector knowledge, a proactive approach to passive candidates, and the judgement to distinguish technical competence from real cultural fit. Recruiting Today has built its finance practice on exactly those foundations — and the results speak for themselves.
Whether you are hiring your first dedicated Finance Manager, replacing a departing Financial Controller under time pressure, or looking to build out a whole finance function from scratch, our team is ready to deliver the shortlist you need — typically within 48 hours. And if you are a finance professional seeking your next challenge, we offer a confidential, career-focused service that puts your long-term interests first.
The right hire changes everything. Get in touch with Recruiting Today and let us find yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about finance and accountancy recruitment with Recruiting Today
How quickly can Recruiting Today fill a permanent Finance Manager or Financial Controller vacancy?
For most Finance Manager and Management Accountant roles, we deliver a curated shortlist within 48 hours of receiving a confirmed brief. For Financial Controller and Head of Finance appointments, where the candidate profile is more specific, we typically present a first shortlist within five working days. Our average time-to-offer across all finance placements is 14 days — significantly faster than the industry average. Submit your vacancy here to start the process today.
Do you only recruit ACCA- or CIMA-qualified candidates for Management Accountant roles?
No. While many of our clients specify fully-qualified candidates, we regularly place part-qualified Management Accountants — those working towards their CIMA or ACCA final exams. For SMEs and growing businesses, a bright part-qualified candidate with strong systems knowledge (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite) can represent exceptional value. We will always discuss whether the role specification is open to part-qualified applicants and advise accordingly based on current market availability.
Which sectors does Recruiting Today's finance recruitment team cover?
Our finance practice covers a wide range of sectors including Manufacturing, Retail, Healthcare, Technology, Financial Services, Property & Real Estate, Professional Services, Not-for-Profit, Education, and the Public Sector. We also have a growing practice in PE-backed and VC-funded scale-ups, where the demands on finance leaders are particularly distinctive. You can review the full breadth of our recruitment services here.
As a finance professional, is my registration kept confidential?
Absolutely. Confidentiality is a cornerstone of our candidate service. Your CV and personal details are never shared with any employer without your explicit, prior consent. We will discuss every role with you in detail before putting your profile forward. This is particularly important at the Financial Controller and Finance Manager level, where candidates are often still employed and need discretion throughout their job search. Register confidentially via our contact page or by calling us directly.
Does Recruiting Today offer any guarantee on permanent finance placements?
Yes. All permanent placements made by our finance team come with a structured rebate and replacement guarantee. The exact terms are confirmed in our engagement letter prior to the search commencing, but as a standard benchmark we offer a full replacement or pro-rata fee rebate should a candidate leave or be dismissed within the guarantee window. This guarantee underlines our confidence in the quality of every hire we deliver and aligns our interests directly with yours. Learn more about why clients choose Recruiting Today.
Ready to Move Forward?
Find Your Next Finance Hire — or Your Next Finance Role
Call us on +44 (0) 20 3740 6776 · 24/7: +44 333 2422 711
International House, 64 Nile Street, London N1 7SR