Executive Search: Finance Director for a Construction Business

Looking to hire a Finance Director (FD) for your construction business? Here’s a detailed breakdown of how our recruitment firm successfully placed a top-tier FD for a leading construction company based in Newcastle — and how you can apply the same principles to secure exceptional financial leadership.

✅ Who This Is For

• Construction companies seeking senior financial leadership.

• Executive hiring managers looking to optimise financial strategy.

• HR teams navigating recruitment for high-impact finance roles.

🎯 The Challenge: Hiring a Finance Director in a Complex Sector

Problem: How do you find a Finance Director who can both lead strategic financial planning and navigate the unique operational challenges of the construction sector?

Context: A Newcastle-based construction firm required a senior finance executive to:

• Steer financial strategy

• Drive sustainable, long-term growth

• Ensure fiscal responsibility in a competitive, project-driven environment

🔍 Our Executive Search Strategy: Step-by-Step

To meet this challenge, we developed a bespoke, data-driven executive search process tailored to the construction sector:

1. Role Definition and Client Alignment

• Conducted deep-dive consultations to understand:

  • Company culture and strategic goals

  • Specific financial challenges in the construction space

• Refined the role profile to focus on:

  • Strategic financial leadership

  • Commercial decision-making

  • Alignment with business expansion goals

2. Targeted Market Mapping

• Used advanced sourcing techniques and industry intelligence to identify:

  • Senior finance professionals with construction sector experience

  • Candidates with proven success in financial performance optimisation, investor relations, and risk management

3. Candidate Identification and Assessment

• Created a longlist of 51 high-potential candidates through proactive outreach and sector-specific networking

• Employed a rigorous vetting process:

  • Behavioural and competency interviews

  • Assessment of budgeting, forecasting, and reporting capabilities

  • Cultural and leadership alignment screening

4. Final Shortlisting and Placement

• Delivered a shortlist of 3 exceptional candidates, each with:

  • Strong financial strategy credentials

  • Experience leading finance teams in construction firms

  • Demonstrated impact in growth, compliance, and operational efficiency

📈 Outcome: A Finance Director Who Exceeded Expectations

• Successful Hire: The selected FD not only fulfilled all core requirements but brought added value in operational cost optimisation and strategic financial planning.

• Key Strengths:

  • Expertise in financial planning and stakeholder engagement

  • Strong track record in scaling financial functions

  • Ability to support M&A activity and capital structure optimisation

“The appointment transformed our financial governance and positioned us for our next phase of growth.” — Construction Company CEO

🔑 Key Takeaways for Recruiting a Finance Director in Construction

If you’re asking:

• How do I recruit a Finance Director for a construction company?

• What skills should a Finance Director have in this industry?

• What’s the best executive search strategy for finance leadership?

Here’s what matters most:

• Sector expertise is non-negotiable — candidates must understand the construction lifecycle.

• Strategic leadership trumps transactional skills — focus on vision and commercial insight.

• Cultural alignment drives longevity — match on values as well as skills.

📞 Need Help Finding a Senior Financial Leader?

Our recruitment firm specialises in executive search for the construction and infrastructure sectors, with a proven record in placing Finance Directors and CFOs who drive measurable impact.

👉 Contact us at 020 7160 6996 for a confidential consultation on your next finance leadership hire.

Whether you’re scaling your operations, preparing for investment, or strengthening governance, we can help you secure the financial talent that delivers.