Are you an experienced finance leader ready to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of a growing technology business? Overview is seeking a highly capable Financial Director to join our senior leadership team and take full ownership of our financial strategy, governance, and compliance. This is a hands‑on, in‑office role based in Woking, where you will partner closely with the CEO, guide critical commercial decisions, and help steer the business through its next phase of growth.
Please note: Because of Overview's work in the Defence and Security domains, many roles are subject to security vetting processes such as BPSS and SC clearance. Candidates who already hold a relevant clearance may be able to transfer their clearance if successful. It is a requirement of this role that any applicant must be eligible for SC clearance, which requires a minimum of 5 years' residency in the UK, and may be affected by current or previous nationalities.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the Finance function
Own, provide leadership and manage all finance and compliance-related aspects of Overview's operation, including accounting, management information/reporting, treasury, and foreign currency hedging.
Deliver all aspects of the business's finance and accountancy functions (purchase ledger, sales ledger, cash books, nominal ledger, ERP finance functions and processes, month-end accounts).
Prepare (and analyse the meaning of) financial reports for the Board and Management team as required to manage and lead the business.
Deliver all required external statutory reporting e.g. VAT, payroll, pensions, ONS, HMRC.
Own timely creation and maintenance of budgets and forecasts.
Own cash flow management, forex requirements, bank deposits, investments.
Ownership of Year End audit; liaising with and managing relationships with the auditors.
Ownership of payroll, ensuring all payments and reports are accurate and timely.
Ownership of R&D Tax claims.
Ownership of the relationships with all banking facility providers.
Fully understand costs and pricing, providing input to all pricing decisions.
Ensure that project cost controls and management are undertaken effectively and accurately across the business and that project costs align with management accounting. Ownership of the standards, processes and appropriate accuracy of project financial reporting.
Ownership of labour rates and overhead recovery.
Company Secretary
Undertake all Company Secretarial duties, including the provision of minutes for all Board meetings.
Preparation of Board Packs on behalf of the Chairman.
Submission of statutory reporting, including returns to Companies House, accurately and on time.
Ensure that Overview carries the required levels of insurance meeting our needs and obligations, and that this is always delivered as cost-effectively as possible. Manage any claims.
Commercial and Legal
Lead contract and agreement reviews and approvals. Understand and advise the CEO and leadership team as to the terms of contracts which Overview is considering. Approval of commercial terms and legal terms.
Approval of costs and commercial aspects of the proposal made by Overview.
Approval of product pricing.
Act as the primary PoC within Overview for any legal matters arising, liaising and coordinating with external advisors where needed.
Import and Export Compliance
Ownership and maintenance of Country-of-Origin calculations.
Ownership of the commodity code identification and maintenance of these.
Ownership of HMRC import/export interactions and any resulting investigations.
Ownership of export controls and export licensing and any other legal compliance requirements of the company, acting as the main export licence administrator on the DIT Spire Export Licence platform.
IT
Membership of the IT Steering Group, providing financial and compliance contributions.
Ideally, in due course, take responsibility for Overview IT.
Facilities and Buildings Maintenance
Ownership of the company's facilities. Managing repairs and maintenance of the building, facilities and services.
Liaise with the CEO and landlords on the Property lease and service charges.
Business Rates negotiations.
Senior Leadership Team (SLT) Member and Business Leader
Contribute to the leadership and management of Overview in collaboration with the leaders of other functional areas. This role requires the flexibility to support peers in the Senior Leadership Team to ensure that all functions of the business succeed together.
Deputise for the CEO when required.
Personal Profile
Chartered accountant
MBA or equivalent
Demonstrable understanding of ERP systems (maintenance, use and implementation)
Determination and drive for business success - going the extra mile when needed.
Inquisitive, and driven to learn - challenging the status quo.
Computer literate, adanced excel user.
Strong communication skills - fluent in english both written and verbal.
Experienced line manager - skilled in getting the best out of teams
Able to analyse market trends for use in decision making and forcasting (e.g. foreign exchange movements, inflation rates etc).
Experience in reviewing and drafting commercial terms in both commercial and defence markets.
Experience of ISO 9001
Previous experience in Engineering, R&D, manufacturing environments.
Why work for us?
We are an exciting, growing company committed to excellence and innovation.
We greatly value the hard work, ingenuity and integrity of our team.
We provide an environment for rapid personal development.
Benefits
Salary £80,000 - £110,000 depending on experience.
27 days holiday + bank holidays (increasing with service)
Employee discount platform
EAP & online GP
Early Finish Friday
Discretionary Bonus Scheme
BUPA Medical Insurance & Cashback plan
Flexible start & finish times & hybrid working (role dependent)
Cycle to work scheme & Rail season ticket loan
Company-funded professional subscriptions (up to £250 per year)
Personal development supported
Free refreshments, fruit and snacks
Free Parking
What we do.
Overview, a rapidly growing UK SME, develops and manufactures market-leading Autonomous Sensors Systems and Integrated Servo Drives for global markets.
Overview's Intelligent Autonomous Sensors Systems (Pods) use multiple sensors and sophisticated edge intelligence to autonomously provide users with actionable digital information. Pods can autonomously detect, classify, alert users and track targets of interest, all at machine speed. Developed for use in critical domains such as defence, surveillance, security, emergency response and counter-UAS, applications include ground-based solutions and those mounted on manned and autonomous vehicles.
Overview's expertise includes the development and manufacture of innovative, precision, brushless, Integrated Servo Drives. These Integrated Servo Drives are sold to a rapidly growing global customer base for a range of exacting positioning applications and used by Overview in the development of Sensor Systems.
Technology leadership is core to Overview's strategy and is underpinned by the investment of more than 20% of turnover in R&D. Specialist capabilities exist in motor design and control, mechanics, electronics, embedded software, AI/ML and sensor integration, plus systems engineering.
Overview is committed to growing exceptional business value through customer focus and providing a leading capability to rapidly define and develop unique, innovative, and market-leading products.
Our Values
Overview's operations and reputation are based on the following company Values and Behaviours. These Values and Behaviours, consistently applied, make us what we are and are a key element of the value that we bring to our customers.
Work together to Win Together
Creativity and Innovation
Integrity and Respect
Customer Focus
Continuous Improvement
Positive Impact
The Process
Most of our interviews will take place over one or two stages, typically a phone/teams interview followed by a face-to-face interview on-site. We do ask all candidates who are coming to a face-to-face interview to carry out a short Psychometric assessment to help us understand how you tick
If you wish to discuss any reasonable adjustments to our process, we are happy to discuss this to see what we can do. We are committed to employment practices that promote diversity and inclusion in employment regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief.
Please note that this is a UK-based role, and therefore, employment will be subject to satisfactory right-to-work and reference checks.
We reserve the right to close or extend this position depending on application numbers. Therefore, we would urge you to apply as soon as possible.