Finance Director – EMEA
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
This isn’t a “steady-state” Finance Director role.
It’s a chance to step into a fast-evolving, international business and shape how finance operates across EMEA — commercially, operationally, and strategically. You’ll be joining a global technology solutions business operating at the intersection of workplace experience, digital media, and immersive environments. With strong growth and increasing complexity across the region, they are now looking for a senior finance leader to bring structure, visibility, and direction.
Location: Egham (Hybrid)
Salary: £119,000
Contract: Permanent
Reference: 16033
Finance Director – EMEA | Benefits
- Performance-related bonus scheme
- Significant influence at senior leadership and regional decision-making level
- Opportunity to shape and lead finance transformation across EMEA
- Exposure to a fast-scaling, international business environment
- Hybrid working
Finance Director – EMEA | About the Role
The business has scaled rapidly across EMEA, and finance now needs to evolve from a strong operational base into a more forward-looking, insight-driven function. Most Finance Director roles are focused on maintenance. This one is different; fix, shape, and elevate.
You will lead finance across EMEA, partnering closely with regional and global leadership to bring clarity and control to a complex, multi-entity, project-driven environment. Your focus will include:
- Leading planning, forecasting, and performance analysis that drives real business decisions
- Improving visibility, reporting quality, and financial control across the region
- Playing a key role in an ongoing ERP implementation, ensuring successful integration and adoption
- Building a high-performing finance function aligned to the next phase of growth
This is a role where your impact will be visible and quick.
The successful Finance Director – EMEA will bring:
You’ve operated in complex environments and understand what “good” looks like at scale. You’ll likely have experience:
- Working within a multi-entity or multinational business
- Operating in private equity-backed or transformation-led settings
- Supporting project-based businesses, including exposure to POC accounting
- Driving improvements in cash flow and working capital
You’ve also played a key role in improving finance functions, whether through:
- Implementing or enhancing ERP or finance systems
- Driving automation, standardisation, and better reporting
- Strengthening controls and navigating complex audit environments
Just as importantly, you’re a strong leader that is comfortable managing teams across regions and time zones, and able to build consistency without losing local effectiveness.
Howett Thorpe are acting as a recruitment agency in relation to this role and comply with all relevant UK legislation and do not discriminate on any protected characteristics. Due to the high volume of applications we currently receive, we are unable to respond to all candidates. If you do not hear from a Consultant within 5 working days, please assume that you have not been successful.
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Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Highlight your ERP implementation experience prominently as this is a key ongoing project mentioned in the role
📊 Quantify your finance transformation results: 'Led ERP rollout across 8 entities, reducing month-end close by 5 days'
🌐 Emphasise your multi-entity and EMEA regional experience given the complex international structure
🎯 Showcase specific POC accounting and project-based finance expertise as this is their business model
🤝 Demonstrate your ability to manage remote teams across time zones and build regional consistency
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Led ERP implementation across 12 EMEA entities, reducing month-end close from 15 to 8 days and improving reporting accuracy by 95%
- •Transformed finance function for £180M private equity-backed technology business, implementing POC accounting controls that improved project margin visibility by 40%
- •Optimised working capital across 8-country EMEA operation, reducing DSO by 12 days and generating £2.4M additional cash flow within 18 months
Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.
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Letter preview — tailored to Howett Thorpe
Dear Hiring Manager,
Howett Thorpe's Finance Director EMEA role represents exactly the type of transformational finance leadership opportunity I've been seeking. My background in multi-entity finance operations and ERP implementations across international markets aligns perfectly with your need to evolve finance from operational to insight-driven across the EMEA region.
My background in leading finance transformations within private equity-backed, project-based businesses has equipped me with the skills to drive the improvements you're seeking. I've successfully implemented ERP systems across multiple entities, optimised working capital in complex environments, and built high-performing finance teams that operate effectively across regions and time zones.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How would you approach implementing financial controls across multiple EMEA entities?
- ›Describe your experience with POC accounting in project-based businesses
- ›What's your approach to ERP implementation and system integration?
- ›How do you optimise working capital in a multi-entity environment?
- ›Explain your methodology for improving financial reporting quality and visibility
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you transformed a finance function in a scaling business
- ›Describe a situation where you had to manage teams across different regions and time zones
- ›Give an example of how you've driven improvements in cash flow management
- ›Tell me about a complex audit environment you've navigated successfully
- ›Describe a time when you had to bring structure to a rapidly growing organisation
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you transformed a finance function in a scaling business
Describe a situation where you had to manage teams across different regions and time zones