Head of Finance and Commercial Strategy (East London) - Datafin IT Recruitment

ENVIRONMENT:

A premier Distributor of Healthcare Products seeks a commercially minded Head of Finance & Commercial Strategy to lead the company’s financial function and support strategic growth within a fast-growing manufacturing environment. This role goes beyond traditional financial management and requires a leader who can partner with operations, sales, and executive management to drive profitability, optimise manufacturing efficiency, and support expansion initiatives. The successful candidate will play a critical role in strengthening financial controls, improving operational visibility, and guiding investment decisions. The successful incumbent will hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or Economics (CA(SA), CIMA, or CFA advantageous) with 5 years’ experience in finance leadership roles & Advanced Excel and ERP/accounting system experience.

DUTIES:

Financial Leadership -

• Lead the company’s financial strategy, ensuring strong financial governance and sustainable business growth.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning across the business.
• Provide clear financial insight to the executive team to support strategic decision making.
• Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting, including management accounts and performance analysis.

Commercial & Strategic Finance -

• Partner with Sales and Marketing teams to evaluate commercial strategies, pricing models, and promotional investments.
• Provide financial modelling and scenario analysis for strategic initiatives and growth opportunities.
• Translate financial data into actionable insights that support business performance.

Manufacturing & Operational Finance -

• Oversee manufacturing cost structures including COGS, production efficiency, labour, and overhead allocation.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and reduce financial leakage across the production environment.
• Implement financial controls and reporting systems that improve visibility into production costs and margins.
• Work closely with operations to ensure optimal inventory management and working capital control.

Capital Investment & Expansion -

• Evaluate and model ROI for capital expenditure including machinery, production capacity increases, and facility improvements.
• Support strategic decisions relating to manufacturing expansion, operational investments, and infrastructure development.
• Lead financial feasibility assessments for new projects and business initiatives.

Cashflow & Funding Strategy -

• Manage cashflow planning and working capital requirements.
• Support funding discussions with banks, investors, and other financial stakeholders where required.
• Ensure financial resilience as the company scales its operations.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or Economics (CA(SA), CIMA, or CFA advantageous).
• 5 Years experience in finance leadership roles, ideally within manufacturing, FMCG, or production environments.
• Strong experience in financial modelling, operational finance, and commercial analysis.
• Solid understanding of manufacturing costing, inventory management, and margin optimisation.
• Advanced Excel and ERP/accounting system experience.

ATTRIBUTES:

• Strong leadership capability with the ability to work cross-functionally with operations, sales, and executive management.
• Highly analytical with strong commercial acumen and strategic thinking ability.