Why a Part-Time Finance Director might be exactly what your business needs

Why a Part-Time Finance Director might be exactly what your business needs

Here’s a conversation we have a lot as a finance recruitment agency in Yorkshire: a growing business needs senior finance leadership, proper strategy, not just bookkeeping – but assumes a full-time Head of Finance, Financial Controller or Finance Director is either too expensive or more than they need right now.

Nine times out of ten, that assumption is wrong.

Some of the strongest senior finance leaders we represent at Campbell Grove Talent are actively looking for 3 or 4 day a week roles – not coasting, but choosing flexibility on their own terms. For a lot of Yorkshire businesses, hiring one part-time isn’t a compromise. It’s the smarter option.

Senior-level thinking, without the full-time price tag

A part-time Finance Director or Financial Controller gives growing SMEs and scale-ups real strategic finance – forecasting, control, board-ready reporting – without a full-time salary before revenue justifies it. Same calibre of experience, same track record, just for the days you really need them.

The workload often genuinely fits fewer days

Not every business needs five days of senior finance input. If yours is smaller, seasonal, or steady rather than sprawling, three or four days might be exactly right – not a limitation. Stretching the budget for work that fills three days rarely ends well, and it risks a talented hire feeling under-used within the year.

You gain access to a genuinely brilliant talent pool

Some of the best senior finance professionals on the market are only looking for part-time or flexible roles, not because they’re settling, but because they’re choosing how they work next:

• Portfolio career professionals deliberately building 2–3 part-time or non-exec roles rather than one full-time job
• Career returners proving themselves again on reduced hours after parental leave, caring responsibilities or ill health
• Those in phased or semi-retirement, winding down from demanding full-time careers but not ready to stop

Insist on full-time only, and you lock yourself out of some outstanding FDs, FCs and Heads of Finance.

It scales with you

Three days can become four, four can become five, or the role can expand to bring in support underneath them as you grow. You get a finance leader who already knows your business – not a fresh start with someone new.

Who else benefits from a part-time senior finance hire

It’s not just start-ups. We regularly place part-time FDs and FCs with:

• Post-funding businesses needing investor-ready governance and reporting fast, without inflating cost base overnight
• Businesses preparing for sale or exit, where an FD who’s done due diligence before gets the numbers sale-ready cost-effectively
• Post-acquisition integrations, merging processes and reporting without doubling finance headcount
• Family businesses bringing in an outside financial voice to professionalise finance ahead of generational handover
• Maternity, paternity or sabbatical cover, drawing on flexible, senior-minded candidates rather than a traditional interim search
• Owners with multiple businesses, sharing one experienced FD across all of them
• Specific projects – fundraising, refinancing, systems implementation – led by an expert, then scaled down once delivered
• Charities and not-for-profits, needing FD-level input on a sustainable budget

Strategic input, not just number-crunching

A good part-time FD doesn’t switch off on their days off. Most stay reachable for urgent queries, join key meetings when it matters, and structure their time so budgeting, forecasting and reporting genuinely get done properly.

Worth asking yourself

• Does your business actually generate five days of senior finance work each week?
• Would you rather have a brilliant FD three days a week, or stretch the budget on a less experienced full-timer?
• Could a flexible senior hire free up cash for elsewhere in the business?

For a lot of growing businesses, the answer points towards part-time senior finance leadership.

We know some brilliant people looking for exactly this

At Campbell Grove Talent, we’re currently working with excellent Heads of Finance, Financial Controllers and Finance Directors looking for 3 or 4 day a week roles across Yorkshire. Experienced, commercially sharp, ready to make a real impact – just on a schedule that works for both sides.

Get in touch on 0113 418 0877 or hello@cgtalent.co.uk and let’s talk about what you actually need