HARPER MAY
Senior Finance Recruitment
Issue 01  ·  April 2026
Finance Hiring Is Changing
Salary data from 20,000+ finance professionals
Live roles  ·  Market insights  ·  Expert commentary

Welcome to the Harper May newsletter — a fortnightly snapshot of the UK senior finance hiring market, written by the people who do the placements.

No fluff, no filler. Just what we're seeing, what it means, and roles worth knowing about.

Market Intelligence
What We're Seeing Right Now
CFO demand is shifting from cost-control to strategic leadership
The businesses hiring right now want finance leaders who can drive working capital optimisation, restructure debt, and sit alongside founders as commercial partners. Read more →
PE-backed businesses are moving fast
Several of our live mandates are private equity-backed, and the pace is noticeably quicker than 12 months ago. If the CV isn't in front of the board within a fortnight, they've moved on.
FP&A is the bottleneck role
More briefs for FP&A Managers and Heads of FP&A than at any point in the last two years. Businesses that scaled quickly during 2024-25 are realising their forecasting can't keep up.
Founders still misunderstand the CFO role
The real value of a CFO begins long before any spreadsheet is opened. Cash flow becomes a lever. Forecasts become signals. The companies that understand this are the ones hiring well.
Exclusive Data
Salary Spotlight

Based on 20,000+ data points from our candidate database and salary survey.

Role Lower Median Upper Top
CFO £120k £150k £160k £300k
Finance Director £100k £115k £130k £200k
Head of Finance £75k £90k £110k £140k
Head of FP&A £90k £100k £120k £160k
Financial Controller £70k £80k £90k £120k
FP&A Manager £70k £80k £90k £120k
Finance Manager £60k £70k £80k £110k
Mgmt Accountant £50k £55k £65k £85k
57%
Private
Healthcare
3
Office Days
Per Week
25
Annual Leave
Days
ACA  and  ACCA  remain the dominant qualifications, with  CIMA  close behind
2026 UK Finance Salary Guide
Coming soon. Subscribers get it first.
Deep Dive
Finance Leadership Across Growth Stages

A £5m startup doesn't need a Big 4 CFO. A £60m scale-up can't survive on a part-time FD.

Our latest guide breaks down how finance team structure should evolve as a business grows — from first hire through to a full finance function. Drawn from 15 years of placing finance leaders at every stage.

Read the Guide →
Now Hiring
Live Roles

We're working on 99 live vacancies across London.

Finance Director
Financial Services · Covent Garden
£125,000
Permanent
FP&A Manager
Financial Services · City of London
£90,000
Permanent
Head of Finance
Construction · Mayfair
£100,000
Permanent
Finance Director
Technology · City of London
£125,000
Permanent
Financial Controller
Restaurants · Covent Garden
£80,000
Permanent
View All 99 Vacancies →
Are you hiring into your
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The Harper May Team
Senior Finance Recruitment
You're receiving this because you applied for a role through Harper May or shared your CV with us. No hard feelings if you'd rather not hear from us.

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