Sector 03 — Finance
Finance
recruitment
Permanent recruitment for finance roles, built on a clear view of scope, control responsibilities and the decisions the role supports.
- Employment
- Permanent
- Model
- Contingent or retained
- Status
- Requirement to be defined
01Finance context
A finance title is not a finance brief.
“Finance Manager”, “Financial Controller” and “Commercial Analyst” can mean very different things depending on the size, structure and systems of the organisation. Expectations around month-end, reporting, controls and business partnering vary widely.
Axiom defines the role through its responsibilities: the ledgers and processes it owns, the reporting it produces, the stakeholders who depend on it, the systems it uses and the qualifications that are genuinely required.
That clarity makes it easier to identify candidates whose experience relates to the requirement — and easier for candidates to judge whether the move is right.
02 Defining the requirement
What shapes
the finance brief.
Six dimensions that are clarified before the search begins. Each one changes where relevant experience is likely to be found.
- 01Dimension
Scope
Transactional, technical, analytical, commercial or leadership — and the balance between them.
- 02Dimension
Controls
Ownership of month-end, year-end, reconciliations, controls and audit relationships.
- 03Dimension
Reporting
Management, statutory, regulatory or board reporting, and to whom.
- 04Dimension
Systems
ERP, consolidation and reporting tools, plus the expected level of system ownership.
- 05Dimension
Qualification
Whether a professional qualification is required, part-qualified is suitable, or experience leads.
- 06Dimension
Business partnering
How much the role advises, challenges and supports non-finance colleagues.
03 Functional areas
Assignments may span
The functions below are examples of where finance assignments may sit. They describe potential scope — each search is defined by its own requirement.
- 01Accounting
- 02Financial Analysis
- 03Commercial Finance
- 04Control
- 05Finance Operations
- 06Audit
- 07Tax
- 08Senior Finance
04 Search approach
Contingent or retained,
the same method.
Finance roles can be supported through contingent recruitment or a retained search. The choice depends on the requirement, the market and how dedicated a search the role warrants — and it is discussed openly.
Either way, the search moves through the same seven stages: from a defined requirement to an appointment decision that remains with the employer.
See the full search approach- 01
Define
Clarify what the role must deliver, the environment it sits in and the parameters of the search.
- 02
Map
Understand where relevant experience is likely to exist and how the market may respond to the brief.
- 03
Search
Identify and approach people whose background relates to the defined requirement.
- 04
Align
Discuss the opportunity openly and test candidate experience, motivation and practicalities against the brief.
- 05
Introduce
Introduce relevant candidates to the employer with role-specific context, with the candidate’s agreement.
- 06
Interview
Coordinate interview stages, preparation and feedback between employer and candidate.
- 07
Appoint
Support communication through offer and acceptance. The hiring decision remains the employer’s.
05 Responsible recruitment
Clear about what
recruitment support is.
Where professional qualifications or membership are relevant to a finance role, verification requirements are determined according to the employer, role and recruitment process.
Candidates
Working in finance?
If you work in finance, Axiom will be specific about scope, reporting lines, systems and expectations — so you can compare an opportunity with what you do now.
No public vacancies are currently listed.
Other sectors
- Sector 01EngineeringTechnical roles where the environment, the equipment and the standards matter as much as the job title.
- Sector 02IT & TechnologyTechnology hiring that begins with the problem the role needs to solve, not the list of tools in the advert.
- Sector 04Professional ServicesDelivery, commercial, operational and client-facing roles where judgement and context carry as much weight as experience.
Define the role. Find the alignment.
What does the next hire
need to solve?
Start with the role, the requirement and the market you need to reach.
Considering your next move?First conversation covers
- 01 What the role must deliver
- 02 The requirement and its parameters
- 03 The market you need to reach
- 04 Contingent or retained