Finance Director – Strategic Projects

Dublin | Hybrid working

Abrivia Recruitment has been retained to recruit a Finance Director – Strategic Projects for a large, Irish-headquartered international organisation experiencing a period of exceptional growth and transformation.

Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, this is a broad, commercially focused position that will work across a portfolio of strategic and business-critical initiatives.

The successful candidate will support the continued development and maturity of the organisation as it expands its international presence. This will include evaluating new market opportunities, establishing the financial and operational requirements for successful market entry, strengthening internal capabilities and leading complex projects through to delivery.

This is not a traditional financial reporting or controllership position. It will suit a commercially minded senior finance leader who can operate across finance, strategy and operations, using financial insight to influence decisions and turn strategic objectives into practical action.

Key responsibilities

• Partner directly with the CFO on a portfolio of strategic, commercial and business-transformation initiatives.

• Support the continued development and maturity of the organisation during a period of significant international growth.

• Evaluate potential new markets and establish the commercial, financial, operational and compliance requirements for successful entry.

• Develop robust business cases, financial models and recommendations for consideration by the CFO, senior leadership team and board.

• Assess strategic opportunities and identify the investment, resources, infrastructure and capabilities required for delivery.

• Use financial and operational data to support decision-making and provide clear, commercially grounded recommendations.

• Lead complex, cross-functional projects from initial assessment and planning through to implementation.

• Work closely with senior leaders across finance, operations, commercial, technology, compliance and other business functions.

• Identify gaps within existing processes, structures and capabilities and recommend practical improvements.

• Strengthen financial discipline, governance, reporting and accountability across strategic initiatives.

• Monitor the commercial and financial performance of major programmes against agreed objectives.

• Identify emerging risks, dependencies and delivery challenges, escalating these appropriately and recommending solutions.

• Present complex financial and commercial information clearly to executive and board-level stakeholders.

• Constructively challenge assumptions and ensure strategic decisions are supported by reliable analysis.

• Manage multiple competing priorities within a rapidly changing international environment.

• Support other high-value initiatives as the organisation continues to evolve.

The person

The successful candidate will be a commercially astute and adaptable senior finance professional who is comfortable operating within a fast-paced and evolving organisation.

They will combine strong financial understanding with the ability to look beyond the numbers, assess the wider needs of the business and take personal ownership of delivery.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Significant experience in a senior finance, commercial finance, strategy or business-transformation position.

• A strong understanding of how finance, commercial strategy and operational delivery interact.

• Experience supporting organisational growth, international expansion, market entry or significant business change.

• The ability to take an initially broad or undefined objective and develop it into a structured, deliverable plan.

• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to interpret financial and operational information in a wider business context.

• Experience developing business cases, investment proposals and executive-level recommendations.

• The credibility and confidence to engage with, influence and constructively challenge senior executives.

• The ability to manage upwards and communicate clearly with CFO, executive and board-level stakeholders.

• A proven record of leading complex, cross-functional initiatives through to completion.

• Strong project leadership, stakeholder management and problem-solving capabilities.

• The ability to adapt quickly as business priorities and market conditions change.

• A proactive and hands-on approach, with a genuine preference for execution and delivery.

• The resilience and judgement required to operate effectively within a high-growth international organisation.

• A recognised professional accountancy qualification or equivalent senior financial experience.

Why consider this opportunity?

This is an opportunity to join a substantial international organisation at an important stage of its development.

The successful candidate will benefit from:

• Direct exposure to and sponsorship from the CFO.

• Regular engagement with the senior leadership team and board.

• A broad remit extending beyond traditional finance responsibilities.

• Involvement in strategically important market-entry and business-development initiatives.

• The opportunity to influence how a rapidly growing organisation develops its future capabilities and operating model.

• Considerable autonomy and visibility across the organisation.

• A varied pipeline of meaningful, business-critical projects.

• Hybrid working

• A role with an international remit but relatively limited travel requirements.

This position will suit a senior finance professional who enjoys complexity, pace and variety and who wants to play a visible role in shaping the next stage of an organisation’s growth.

For further information or a confidential discussion, please contact Mark Donnelly at Abrivia Recruitment.