Job title: interim CFO
Job type: Interim
Emp type: Full-time
Industry: Business Services
Pay rate: negotiable
Job published: 18/12/2025
Job ID: 126657

Job Description

Interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Location: Hybrid | Weekly travel to Central Europe (2–3 days per week at HQ)
Start: ASAP
Contract: Interim (with potential interim-to-permanent)
Day Rate: Negotiable (aligned to large-cap, PE-backed complexity)

The Opportunity

A large, international, private equity–backed group (c. €700m+ turnover) is seeking an Interim CFO to provide immediate leadership and stability during a transition period while a permanent appointment is made.

The business is operating a buy-and-build growth strategy, with regular M&A activity across Europe. The Interim CFO will play a central role not only in core financial stewardship, but also in supporting transactions and ensuring disciplined post-merger integration.

This is a role requiring a senior finance leader who can operate credibly at board and investor level, act as a trusted right hand to the CEO, and simultaneously adopt a hands-on, in-the-trenches approach to ensure accuracy, control, and momentum.

  • Ensure accuracy, integrity, and consistency of financial numbers across the group

  • Improve forecasting quality, cash flow visibility, and working capital discipline

  • Support and shape M&A activity, from diligence through integration

  • Professionalise the finance function to large-cap, PE-backed standards

  • Provide confident leadership through transition, supporting continuity and handover to a permanent CFO

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Business Partnering

  • Act as a core member of the executive leadership team and strategic partner to the CEO

  • Provide commercial insight to support growth, capital allocation, and value creation

  • Lead board-level and investor-style reporting, including performance, cash, and covenant metrics

  • Support longer-term finance strategy, organisation design, and capability development

Financial Control, Reporting & Governance

  • Own group financial reporting, ensuring robust controls, reconciliations, and data integrity

  • Oversee month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close across multiple entities and jurisdictions

  • Ensure compliance with local statutory, tax, and regulatory requirements

  • Standardise accounting policies, reporting formats, and governance across the group

Forecasting, FP&A & Working Capital

  • Stabilise and improve short-, medium-, and long-term forecasting accuracy

  • Drive improved working capital performance (AR, AP, inventory, cash conversion cycle)

  • Enhance management information, KPIs, and dashboards to support operational decision-making

  • Challenge assumptions and translate financial data into actionable insight

M&A Support & Transaction Activity

  • Act as the finance lead on M&A activity, working closely with the CEO and deal teams

  • Support financial due diligence, valuation analysis, and deal structuring

  • Assess target businesses’ financial quality, systems, controls, and working capital profiles

  • Identify deal risks, synergies, and integration considerations pre-close

  • Support rapid assessment of bolt-on opportunities in line with the group’s growth strategy

Post-Merger Integration (PMI)

  • Lead or oversee post-merger integration from a finance perspective

  • Ensure timely integration of:

    • Financial reporting and close processes

    • Accounting policies and controls

    • Forecasting, budgeting, and KPI frameworks

    • Cash management and working capital practices

  • Support integration of finance teams, clarifying roles, responsibilities, and operating cadence

  • Track delivery of deal assumptions, synergies, and integration milestones

  • Balance pace of integration with business continuity and operational realities

Transformation & Hands-On Delivery

  • Lead elements of finance transformation, including:

    • Process standardisation and simplification

    • Strengthening of finance operating rhythm and controls

    • Improving data quality, systems usage, and reporting outputs

  • Be close to the detail where needed, particularly in newly acquired or under-developed entities

  • Step into problem areas to resolve issues pragmatically and at pace

  • Build capability within the existing finance leadership team

Candidate Profile

Essential Experience

  • Proven Interim CFO or senior CFO experience within large-cap organisations (€700m+ turnover)

  • Strong track record in PE-backed and/or acquisitive buy-and-build environments

  • Hands-on experience supporting M&A transactions and post-merger integration

  • International, multi-entity experience across European operations

  • Demonstrable success improving:

    • Forecasting and cash visibility

    • Working capital performance

    • Finance control and reporting at scale

Style & Mindset

  • Gravitas to operate at board and investor level, with a pragmatic delivery mindset

  • Commercial, outcomes-focused, and comfortable operating in ambiguity

  • Able to build credibility quickly with senior stakeholders and finance teams

  • Willing to operate both strategically and operationally as required

Practical Requirements

  • Willing and able to travel weekly to Central Europe (2–3 days on site)

  • Available to start immediately or at short notice

  • Open to interim or interim-to-permanent arrangements