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TransactionRecruitment

Positions we recruit

Finance Director

Leading finance, shaping the business.

Day to day

What a finance director
actually does.

The senior finance voice in the business — from a first-time FD in an owner-managed SME through to an experienced leader in a demanding, PE-backed or listed environment. Here's what the role covers day to day across the businesses we recruit for.

  • Overall leadership of the finance function
  • Sitting on or reporting directly into the board
  • Leading financial strategy, planning and risk management
  • Overseeing statutory reporting, audit and compliance
  • Leading on funding, M&A or sale-process activity where relevant
  • Building and developing the senior finance team

What it pays

£90k – £138k

Real market rates, not a national average.

£90k+ suits a first-time FD in an owner-managed SME. £110k–£125k suits an experienced, technically astute leader, with up to £138k for high-profile, PE-backed or turnaround environments.

Salary calculator

See finance director pay by location and experience.

Medior Finance Director · Coventry

Typical: £121,000 per year

Medium-high confidence — strong regional evidence

Hiring or looking?

Either way, we can help.

Hiring

Need a finance director?

Permanent or temporary, we'll shortlist from a network we actually know — with working interviews to de-risk the hire.

Submit a vacancy

Job seeking

Ready to be one?

Send us your CV or browse live Finance Director roles across Coventry, Birmingham and Warwickshire.

Common questions

Finance Director FAQs.

What does a Finance Director do?

The senior finance voice in the business — from a first-time FD in an owner-managed SME through to an experienced leader in a demanding, PE-backed or listed environment.

How much does a Finance Director earn in the West Midlands?

Salaries for Finance Director roles across Coventry, Birmingham and Warwickshire typically sit at £90k – £138k. £90k+ suits a first-time FD in an owner-managed SME. £110k–£125k suits an experienced, technically astute leader, with up to £138k for high-profile, PE-backed or turnaround environments.

Is a Finance Director role permanent or temporary?

We recruit Finance Director positions on both a permanent and temporary basis, depending on what the business and the candidate need — many of our clients also use temp-to-perm as a low-risk way to trial a hire before committing.

What qualifications do I need to become a Finance Director?

Finance Director roles typically call for ACCA, CIMA or ACA (or being well into your studies towards one), alongside the relevant hands-on experience — exact requirements vary by employer, so it's worth talking to us about what a specific vacancy needs.

Is there career progression available from a Finance Director role?

Finance Director sits toward the top of its own progression path in our experience — from here, moves tend to be sideways into a broader remit or upward into wider finance leadership, and we're happy to talk through what that could look like for you.

Do you place candidates studying towards a qualification into Finance Director roles?

Yes — candidates part-qualified or finalist-level in ACCA, CIMA or ACA are a core part of who we place into Finance Director roles, alongside those already fully qualified.

How does the process work if I want to become a Finance Director?

Submit your CV and a Market Expert will be in touch to talk through your experience, what you're looking for, and any live Finance Director opportunities that genuinely fit — free, confidential, and no obligation.

Do you charge candidates anything to apply for Finance Director roles?

No — there's never a cost to candidates, for this role or any other. Our fee is paid by the employer, and only once a placement is successfully made.

Will my CV be shared with employers without my permission?

No — nothing about your CV or your situation is shared with any employer without your explicit permission first.

Do you help with interview preparation and salary negotiation for Finance Director roles?

Yes — briefing you properly on the role, the employer and realistic salary expectations before an interview is a standard part of how we support every Finance Director candidate, not an optional extra.

Can I see live Finance Director vacancies before speaking to someone?

Yes — you can search live jobs on our careers portal, but we'd always recommend a conversation with a Market Expert too, since not every Finance Director vacancy we're working on is advertised publicly.

What does it cost an employer to recruit a Finance Director through you?

There's no retainer and no ongoing contract — our fee is only payable on a successful placement, whether that's a one-off hire or an ongoing relationship.

How quickly can you fill a Finance Director vacancy?

Temporary cover can often be arranged within days. Permanent Finance Director roles vary with seniority, but our shortlists are built from people we already know rather than a fresh keyword search, so they typically move faster than a generalist agency's.

Can you provide temporary Finance Director cover at short notice?

Yes — covering absence, leave or an unexpected gap in a Finance Director position is one of the most common reasons employers come to us, and we aim for a same-day response.

What happens if a Finance Director hire doesn't work out?

Our rebate periods and money-back guarantees mean you're covered if a placement doesn't work out as expected — ask your Market Expert for the specifics for your vacancy.

Do you offer working interviews for Finance Director vacancies?

Yes — a working interview means the candidate spends a real day in the Finance Director role, on your systems, with your actual workload, before either side commits. It's one of the ways we take the risk out of a new hire.

Do you recruit Finance Director roles for SMEs as well as large employers?

Yes — we work with everyone from internationally recognised brands and shared service centres through to owner-managed SMEs needing a single, sole-charge Finance Director hire.

Will I get a shortlist of CVs, or do you actually vet candidates for Finance Director roles?

Every candidate we put forward has been spoken to and assessed against your specific requirement — not just keyword-matched from a database. That's the difference a Market Expert model makes.

What makes Transaction Recruitment different from a generalist agency for Finance Director roles?

We recruit transactional finance and payroll specifically, not as one line among fifty sectors — that focus means genuinely knowing the Finance Director market, the going rate, and who's actually looking, rather than running a keyword search against a generic database.

No waffle. Just the right person.

Let's find your
finance director.