The Finance Director is the most senior finance appointment in most mid-market businesses and one of the most consequential hires a board makes. The FD sits at the board table, owns the strategic financial plan, manages investor and banking relationships, challenges the CEO commercially and leads the finance function. Get it wrong and the board ends up relying on numbers it does not fully trust.
We want to be plain about how we handle these appointments. Finance Director and CFO searches are the core work of our sister firm FD Capital, and FD searches that come to Accountancy Capital are run jointly with them. Accountancy Capital’s own focus is qualified finance below director level: the Financial Controllers, Finance Managers, FP&A professionals and management accountants who make up the team beneath the FD. Both firms belong to FD Capital Group, so a business that needs an FD and the team around them can brief once.
This page covers UK Finance Director salary benchmarks, how to decide whether you need a full-time FD, a Financial Controller or a fractional FD, what an FD appointment must deliver and how the search runs. For London specifically, see London Finance Director recruitment. For the role itself, see What Is a Finance Director? and our Finance Director job description.
How Accountancy Capital and FD Capital Work Together
- FD Capital runs the Finance Director, CFO, interim FD and fractional FD search: board-level candidates, investor-facing roles and urgent FD cover.
- Accountancy Capital recruits the team the FD relies on: Financial Controllers, Finance Managers, FP&A, financial and management accountants, on a permanent, interim and fractional basis.
- Together, we advise whether the right hire is actually an FD, a stronger FC, or a fractional FD over an existing team, and we sequence the hires if you need more than one.
FD, Financial Controller or Fractional FD: Which Do You Need?
Many businesses that start by asking for a Finance Director actually need something slightly different. Getting this right first saves a costly mis-hire: an FD who spends most of the week doing a Financial Controller’s job, or an FC pushed in front of investors before they are ready. A useful one-line test is that a Financial Controller makes sure the numbers are right, while a Finance Director decides what the business should do with them.
| Financial Controller | Fractional FD | Full-time FD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Accurate, timely numbers: close, audit, controls, team | Board-level judgement for part of the week | Owns financial strategy, the board and investor relationships |
| Typical fit | Reporting or controls need fixing first | Sound numbers and a capable FC; strategic input needed one to two days a week | Investors, lenders, M&A or a board that needs weekly FD engagement |
| Typical cost | Well below FD salary; see the FC salary guide | Typically £28k–£99k a year, depending on days and region | £95k+ base; around £120k–£200k all-in at London rates |
| Who recruits | Accountancy Capital | FD Capital, with Accountancy Capital | FD Capital, with Accountancy Capital for the team |
Hire a Financial Controller first if…
Month-end is late, the audit is painful, controls are weak or nobody fully trusts the balance sheet. An FD cannot build strategy on unreliable numbers, and a strong FC usually costs considerably less. Our guide to FC versus FD: when to hire goes through the signs, and the Financial Controller salary guide shows the cost difference. This is the part of the decision Accountancy Capital handles directly.
Consider a fractional FD if…
The numbers are already sound and you need someone to lead a bank refinancing, prepare for investment or sit in board meetings, but there is not five days a week of FD work. For businesses of roughly £8m–£30m revenue, a fractional Finance Director on a one to two day per week retainer over an existing FC is often the most cost-effective structure. Where the business needs CFO-level investor and fundraising work part-time, our fractional CFO recruitment page explains how that search works. If even a fractional FD is more than you need today, a fractional Financial Controller may be the right first step.
Hire a full-time FD if…
The business has institutional investors or a private equity fund, significant lending, active M&A, a sale on the horizon, or a board that needs financial challenge every week. At that point part-time leadership usually becomes a constraint rather than a saving.
What the FD Appointment Must Deliver
Every brief is different, but every successful FD appointment delivers the same five outcomes.
A strategic financial plan. The FD owns the long-range model that turns the CEO’s commercial strategy into a financial picture the board and investors can evaluate: the three to five year plan, the scenario analysis and the capital requirements forecast.
Investor and banking relationships. The FD is the main financial interface with the PE fund, institutional investors or the bank. Their credibility, and how early they raise risks, directly affects the terms the business gets.
Commercial challenge. The FD grounds commercial decisions in financial reality. That means saying the model does not support a deal at the proposed price, even when the commercial team is enthusiastic.
Finance team leadership. The FD builds and leads the finance function: recruiting, structuring and developing the FC, Finance Manager, FP&A Manager and the rest of the team. This is where Accountancy Capital usually comes in once the FD is in post.
Financial governance. The FD maintains the controls environment, the audit relationship and the statutory reporting cycle. A statutory FD also carries the legal responsibilities of a company director, and in listed or larger businesses works within the Financial Reporting Council‘s governance and reporting expectations.
Finance Director Salary Benchmarks
Typical base salary ranges for permanent UK FD roles by business context and region, with typical interim day rates and fractional retainers.
| Business context | London | South East | Midlands & North |
|---|---|---|---|
| FD — first FD above FC, £10m–£25m | £95k–£130k | £82k–£112k | £73k–£100k |
| FD — owner-managed, £25m–£60m | £115k–£158k | £97k–£135k | £86k–£120k |
| FD — PE-backed, £15m–£60m | £125k–£168k | £105k–£142k | £93k–£127k |
| Group FD — £50m+ multi-entity | £145k–£205k | £122k–£172k | £108k–£153k |
| Interim FD — day rate | £600–£1,100/day | £505–£845/day | £450–£750/day |
| Fractional FD — 2 days/week | £57k–£99k/year | £48k–£84k/year | £42k–£75k/year |
PE-backed FD packages typically include target bonuses of around 20–35% of base salary and, at some funds, co-investment or management equity. Ranges vary with sector, complexity and bonus structure, so treat them as a starting point. Remember that the all-in cost of a permanent FD is well above base salary once employer’s National Insurance (15% from April 2025), pension and benefits are added; a London FD on a typical package often costs £120,000–£200,000 all-in. See the UK Finance Director salary guide and our full salary guides for more pay data.
Brief a Finance Director Search — 0204 553 8893
FD searches run jointly with FD Capital, with the finance team beneath the FD recruited by Accountancy Capital. We respond the same working day and give a direct view of the candidate pool and likely timeline before the search begins. Email recruitment@accountancycapital.co.uk.
What We Look For in FD Candidates
Board and investor engagement. We distinguish between candidates who have presented at board meetings and those who attended them, and between those who managed an investor relationship directly and those who prepared material for someone else.
Commercial financial modelling. A three to five year plan with scenario analysis that the candidate built and presented, and that was used in a real investment or strategy decision.
Finance function leadership. Evidence of building a function — recruiting the FC, restructuring the team, implementing systems — rather than only inheriting a well-run one.
Transaction experience. At PE-backed and growth-stage businesses, leading the financial workstream on due diligence, an exit or a fundraising, not just supporting it. Our pages on what boards look for in a Finance Director and what PE investors expect of an FD go further.
How an FD Search Runs
FD searches are run through direct candidate engagement rather than job-board advertising. The strongest Finance Directors are usually in post and not visibly on the market, so joint searches with FD Capital draw on its established FD and CFO network rather than responses to an advert.
For a permanent FD, a shortlist typically follows within one to two weeks of an agreed brief. The overall timeline from brief to offer is typically eight to twelve weeks, and the start date often several months away because FD notice periods are commonly two to three months. Below-market salaries, slow board approvals and vague briefs are the usual causes of delay.
Where an FD has left suddenly and the permanent search will take time, an interim Finance Director can provide continuity while the permanent search runs in parallel; interim candidates can usually be put forward within days. Interim and fractional engagements through a limited company need an assessment under HMRC’s off-payroll working (IR35) rules. Fees for any search are agreed in writing before it starts.
Writing a Brief That Completes
The most useful investment a board can make in an FD search is the specificity of the brief. Compare “we need a strong FD” with “we need a Finance Director who will own the PE reporting cycle, build the long-range model to support a funding round in eighteen months and develop the FC to own the board pack within twelve months”. The second produces a targeted search, a stronger shortlist and a better first hundred days. A good brief covers:
- Ownership and investor context — owner-managed, PE-backed, VC-backed or listed, and, if PE-backed, where the fund is in its investment period;
- Board composition — who the FD reports and presents to;
- The current finance team — the FC and Finance Manager and their strengths, since developing the team is a large part of the role;
- Financial complexity — single entity or group, UK-only or international; and
- Strategic context — organic growth, M&A, exit preparation or restructuring.
Our guide on how to hire a Finance Director covers the process, and Finance Director first 100 days sets out what the incoming FD should prioritise.
The First Finance Director Above an Existing FC
The most common brief from owner-managed businesses is the first FD, typically at £12m–£25m revenue and often triggered by PE investment or by the FC performing FD scope without the title or authority. The brief should say clearly what the first FD will do that the current FC cannot: usually board presentation, investor relationship management, strategic planning and commercial challenge of the CEO. Without that, the search attracts strong FCs at the top of their current role rather than genuine FD-level professionals.
Managing the existing FC through the change matters as much as the appointment: they need to know what they keep and what moves to the FD, or the business risks losing them. Our guide on how CEOs should work with their Finance Director covers the wider relationship.
Promoting the FC instead
Sometimes the right FD is already in the building. Promotion works best when it is complete — title, board seat, FD-market salary and mandate — and it usually creates the need for a new FC, which we recruit. See From Financial Controller to Finance Director.
FD or CFO: Which Title?
Finance Director is the more common title at owner-managed and mid-market businesses of £10m–£100m revenue. CFO is more common at PE-backed and listed businesses and above about £50m revenue, where the finance leader also answers to an institutional investor or audit committee. See Finance Director vs CFO for the full framework and CFO recruitment for the senior end of the market.
Building the Finance Team Beneath the FD
A new FD’s first months often expose gaps below: a close that depends on one person, no FP&A, or an FC stretched across too many entities. We recruit Financial Controllers, Finance Managers, financial and management accountants and FP&A professionals across the UK, permanent, interim and fractional, with permanent shortlists typically within one to two weeks and interim or fractional candidates within days. Our guide to how to structure a finance team sets out common shapes at different revenue levels.
The Candidate’s Perspective
FD candidates at £95,000–£160,000 are selective. They weigh the quality of the investor relationship, the strength of the team they inherit, whether the CEO genuinely wants financial challenge and where the business is heading. A brief that scores well on these attracts stronger candidates than one relying on salary alone.
FDs and senior FCs considering a move are welcome to register confidentially. FD-level profiles are shared with FD Capital and FC-level briefs stay with Accountancy Capital, so one registration covers both. Professional bodies such as the ICAEW also publish leadership resources for members making the step up.
Finance Director Recruitment: FAQs
Does Accountancy Capital or FD Capital run my FD search?
FD and CFO searches are run jointly with FD Capital, whose core work they are. Accountancy Capital recruits the Financial Controllers, Finance Managers and FP&A staff beneath the FD. You can brief either firm.
What does a Finance Director earn in the UK?
Typically £73,000–£130,000 for a first FD above an FC at a £10m–£25m business depending on region, rising to £145,000–£205,000 for a London Group FD. PE-backed roles usually pay a premium at the same scale.
How quickly can you produce a shortlist?
Typically within one to two weeks for a permanent FD, and within days for interim or fractional cover. We respond to every brief the same working day.
Should I hire an FD or a Financial Controller?
If the numbers are unreliable, hire an FC first. If they are sound but you need board-level input part-time, consider a fractional FD. If investors, lenders or transactions need weekly FD attention, hire a full-time FD.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on whether the role is permanent, interim or fractional and are agreed in writing before a search starts. Call 0204 553 8893 or email recruitment@accountancycapital.co.uk. Our offices are at 167–169 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PF and Watling Court, Orbital Plaza, Watling Street, Cannock WS11 0EL.
Adrian Lawrence FCA — Founder, Accountancy Capital
Fellow of the ICAEW | Chartered Accountant holding an ICAEW practising certificate | Part of FD Capital Group
Adrian is a former listed-company Finance Director with a BSc from Queen Mary College, University of London, and founded FD Capital and Accountancy Capital as part of FD Capital Group. Having sat in the FD’s chair, he knows a Finance Director is only as effective as the team beneath them, which is why our recruitment team treats the FD search and the finance team as one conversation.
Related Pages and Resources
FD Role Guides
What the role involves.
Interim and Fractional
Urgent or part-time FD cover.
Salaries and Careers
Pay benchmarks and the FC to FD step.
Finance Director Recruitment — 0204 553 8893
FD searches run jointly with FD Capital, and the finance team beneath the FD from Accountancy Capital. Same working day response. Email recruitment@accountancycapital.co.uk.