A finance director or chief financial officer (CFO), has many responsibilities such as implementing financial strategies, ensuring the company complies with international accounting standards and overseeing budgets across all of an organisation's departments. Working closely with the CEO and board level professionals, they play an important role in any business and as a result, finance director recruitment agencies are in demand to source and assess the best staff in the market. Due to the high level of qualifications and skills required for the role, a recruitment agency will generally use headhunting or executive search techniques to fill their clients' permanent or temporary positions.
The executive nature of the position means that finance directors are generally well paid and can potentially earn in the region of £100K per annum. This level of salary is usually dependent on experience or the size of company though, with the average worker more likely to earn between £30K-£50K. Starting salaries tend to be in the region of £17K-23K, although the highest pay and best job opportunities are typically concentrated in city locations such as London, Manchester and Leeds.
Entry requirements to become a finance director are high, with a number of qualifications expected by employers. Trainees will usually need a relevant degree in business, economics or maths related vocations, however many employers will also offer graduate schemes which can be undertaken whilst working towards becoming a professional accountant. From here, staff will typically work themselves up to the role of director, although they will be encouraged to take further qualifications. These will usually be accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) or the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). Specialist finance and accounting recruitment agencies will be experienced at sourcing finance directors or CFOs with these qualifications, as well the organisational and problem solving skills that will allow them to succeed in the job role.