Fractional CFO (2/3 days a week)
Location: London / Kent
Industry: Complex Manufacturing business in the Life Science sector
SM12526
A fast-growing advanced manufacturing business serving the Life Sciences sector, with EBITDA of sub-£10m, is preparing for a near-term private equity transaction. The business benefits from strong commercial momentum, long-term customer relationships, and a differentiated manufacturing capability; however, the finance function requires significant professionalisation to meet PE-grade standards.
The shareholders are seeking an experienced Fractional CFO to work closely with the CEO, senior leadership team, and external advisors to elevate financial reporting, implement robust systems and controls, and support transaction preparation and execution.
Role Summary
The Fractional CFO will take ownership of the end-to-end finance agenda, acting as a strategic partner to the CEO and a key interface with prospective private equity investors, advisors, and the board.
This is a hands-on role combining strategic leadership with operational delivery, focused on introducing financial rigour, transparency, and decision-making insight within a historically founder-led environment. The CFO will play a critical role in producing PE-quality financial information, upgrading systems and processes, and ensuring full readiness for diligence and post-transaction ownership.
Key Responsibilities
- Partner with the CEO to develop and deliver a clear financial strategy aligned to growth, margin optimisation, capacity utilisation, and exit objectives.
- Provide commercial insight across manufacturing operations, including product profitability, pricing strategy, cost of goods, yield, and overhead absorption.
- Support decision-making around capital investment, automation, tooling, and scaling production capacity in a regulated Life Sciences environment.
- Build and embed KPIs covering revenue mix, gross margin, utilisation, working capital, inventory management, and operational efficiency.
- Lead financial readiness for a private equity transaction, working closely with corporate finance, tax, legal, and financial due diligence advisors.
- Own budgeting, forecasting, historical analysis, EBITDA normalisation, cashflow modelling, and balance sheet preparedness.
- Act as a key management representative throughout diligence and management presentations.
- Introduce PE-grade board reporting, governance, and structured investor communications.
- Professionalise the finance function through systems implementation (ERP/MRP as relevant), strengthened financial controls, cashflow discipline, and development of a PE-ready finance team.
Candidate Profile
- Experienced CFO / FD / Fractional CFO with a strong track record supporting PE-backed or PE-bound businesses.
- Background in advanced manufacturing, engineered products, Life Sciences supply chain, or regulated industrial environments strongly preferred.
- Proven experience leading finance function professionalisation, systems implementation, and reporting upgrades in growing SMEs.
- Hands-on transaction experience, including sell-side PE processes and financial due diligence.
- Strong commercial and operational mindset, with the ability to partner founders, engineers, and non-finance stakeholders.
- Comfortable operating in imperfect, fast-scaling environments and building structure at pace.
- ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent professionally qualified.
