Fractional / Interim Finance Director - 6 Month Contract (Part-Time)

This fractional Finance Director role supports a public sector education organisation through a structured six-month engagement, running at 2-3 days per week initially before increasing to 4-5 days per week from January 2027. The assignment goes well beyond interim cover: the successful candidate will stabilise the existing finance function during a handover from the outgoing FD, then assess and improve its people, processes, systems and reporting to leave a demonstrably stronger platform for the permanent successor.

The role demands someone equally comfortable at strategic and operational level. You will maintain day-to-day financial control and compliance while simultaneously designing and delivering practical improvements. You will work closely with the Principal and Executive Team, raise financial literacy across the organisation, and help define and support the recruitment of a permanent Finance Director.

• Lead a structured handover from the outgoing Finance Director, capturing critical processes, relationships and institutional knowledge.
• Maintain financial control, regulatory compliance and business continuity throughout the transition period.
• Take leadership of a small finance team with three direct reports, establishing clear priorities and accountability.
• Review and redesign management reporting to deliver timely, forward-looking financial insight for the Executive Team.
• Strengthen cash flow reporting and forecasting, and improve visibility of budget versus actual spend and emerging pressures.
• Develop a prioritised transformation roadmap for the finance function and implement practical quick wins during the engagement.

• Qualified Finance Director with a demonstrable track record of transforming and improving finance functions.
• Commercially astute, able to connect financial data with organisational priorities and leadership decision-making.
• Experienced in developing management information and board-level reporting for senior stakeholders.
• Confident challenging existing processes constructively while bringing colleagues through change.
• Effective people leader who can create clarity, accountability and confidence within a small finance team.
• Pragmatic and proportionate, distinguishing where genuine transformation is required from where existing processes need tightening.

A public sector education organisation and registered charity based in Central and West London. The organisation is undertaking a confidential search for a fractional Finance Director to support a period of transition and improvement within its finance function.