Finance Director

Harper May is working with a founder-led media and events business that produces premium content and live experiences for consumer and corporate audiences. The organisation has grown steadily over the past five years through organic expansion and strategic partnerships, building a diversified income base across sponsorship, ticketing, and content licensing. The business now operates across multiple platforms and has recently strengthened its operational infrastructure. As the leadership team scales the business further, finance needs to evolve from transactional support to strategic partnership, with clearer visibility into project-level profitability and cash performance. They are now seeking a Finance Director to lead this evolution.

The Role
Reporting to the Chief Executive, you will build and lead the finance function, acting as a strategic business partner to the executive team. You will own all financial planning, analysis, and control across the organisation, providing clear insight into performance across events, content, and commercial partnerships. The role is a blend of hands-on leadership and strategic direction, requiring someone who can embed process while remaining flexible in a dynamic, creative environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop financial strategy aligned with business growth, managing budgets, forecasts, and cash flow across all revenue lines
• Build and manage the finance team, establishing strong processes, systems, and reporting disciplines
• Create management accounts and financial dashboards that track event and project profitability in real time
• Work with operational and commercial leads on pricing, cost control, and margin optimisation across the portfolio
• Own statutory accounts, audit, and tax compliance; manage external stakeholder relationships
• Lead financial due diligence on partnerships and potential acquisitions
• Embed robust controls and governance frameworks that scale with the business

What we are looking for

• ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified, with 7+ years in senior finance leadership roles
• Proven experience in media, publishing, events, or entertainment sectors
• Strong commercial instinct; ability to communicate financial insight to non-finance stakeholders
• Track record building finance teams and establishing systems in growing, fast-moving businesses
• Comfortable with complexity and comfortable working hands-on across multiple projects simultaneously
• Genuine interest in the business and sector, not just the role