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
£112,167 – £129,333
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 vacancyJob 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.