Come and join the crew...
Sladen Consulting is bursting with energetic, talented, and passionate people. People who want to make a difference in others and the world in which we live. Would you like to join our crew?
At a truly exciting and changing time for Sladen we have an opportunity to welcome a new Chief Finance Officer to our adventurous Sladen family. Do our five guiding beliefs (the Sladen Way) resonate with you? Are you looking for a role with a company that takes every opportunity to make a positive impact in this ever-changing world? Then this could be the role for you!
Find out more about Sladen here on our website and if you get that warm feeling when reading about us, then we would love to hear from you. If you don’t have a background in consultancy – it doesn’t matter, if you don’t have a background in leadership development – it doesn’t matter, if you don’t have a background in coaching – it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you bring the whole of you to the workplace.
Success in the role means that you do need to bring the ability to: manage multiple stakeholders, have amazing commercial and business acumen, be used to working at Board level, ensuring fiscal compliance, and definitely a ‘roll your sleeves up’ attitude. But, the most important aspect is a great sense of humour! This is a non-negotiable!
Why the opportunity?
The company has been trading since 2005 founded by Richard Colley and his wife Julie. It enjoyed a very successful trading history, then a strategic conversation in 2018 meant a change of pace and direction. Richard decided he would like to really grow the organisation and wanted to ensure the Sladen legacy would continue. With this in mind he started the search for a very special business partner to work with him. Enter Sonja Skopp, our CEO. Sonja was appointed in 2021 as business partner to Richard and latterly became CEO. As the company was growing the need for a CFO was apparent and in 2020 our current CFO was appointed. There was already a shared history, trust and knowledge and although no experience of being an internal CFO, it was a partnership that has worked superbly for both Sladen and the CFO.
The company has been growing ever since and in 2024/25 turned over £3m with a view to continue growing at circa 10% – 20% year on year. This current year is likely to see a turnover of £4m of delivered work for our clients. This delivery is worldwide for global organisations mainly, but not solely, in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector.
The current role has evolved into a hybrid of multiple roles (as happens in a small, growing consultancy) with many hats being worn concurrently. This has served us well but now is the time for change for both parties. We seek an CFO who will lead Sladen into the next phase of growth.
Curious to know more?
A bit about the role of Chief Finance Officer
- Acting as a member and strategic advisor to the Board, driving the strategic planning and performance of the business
- Drive sustainable growth by shaping and executing financial strategies that balance growth with sound financial discipline
- Leading the finance team and ensuring the motivation and development of staff
- Preparing, reporting and clearly communicating financial information to non-financial colleagues
- Have excellent commercial and general business awareness and ensuring there is a good understanding of our client base and the sectors in which we operate
- Ensuring financial compliance
- Preparing, managing and monitoring annual budgets and making sure that there is proactive monitoring to ensure operational/financial trends and issues are clearly highlighted and communicated early
- Managing risk and ensuring strategic goals are on track
- Ensuring a comprehensive understanding of technology and how it’s use impacts the Company
- Develop and continuously refine financial processes, systems, and reporting structures that support transparency, efficiency, and informed decision-making across the business
And…….having fun!
Is it you we're looking for?
A bit about our ideal Chief Finance Officer
- You must have a financial qualification (ACCA, ACA or CIMA)
- Ideally you will have experience of the consulting sector
- Excellent communication and leadership skills
- Brilliant written and verbal communication
- Ability to work in a fast-paced growing business with the skills to meet deadlines and manage a wide variety of tasks simultaneously
- The ability to cope with ambiguity and complexity including dealing with tax legislation of multiple countries to ensure compliance wherever we trade
- Strong team player with a client centric approach
- A can-do attitude is essential
- Ability to be curious, analytical and problem solve and make decisions based on data
- A ‘twinkle in eye’, an easy smile and a great sense of humour is a must!
Doing our bit to save the world
We believe talk is easy and it’s actions that count. Using the ‘earning to give’ rationale we work hard to make a profit that we can put a healthy slice of straight into our Butterfly Fund. The Fund aims to support organisations around the world who are furthering the cause of our chosen UN Sustainability Goals: ‘Clean water and sanitation’ and ‘Life below water’.
How can the Butterfly Fund help these organisations? Well, our strengths lie in engagement, change management and creating movements – which is exactly what is needed to turn the world around. Using our core skills of coaching, facilitating, teaching and consulting we want to create the change-makers of tomorrow. To nurture influential and successful individuals who together will contribute to building a sustainable and thriving planet.
The biggest way Sladen can play it’s part, is to focus on working with our ‘Sladen family’ to galvanise action and create a multiplier effect through our clients, partners and relationships.
So, do you want to work for an organisation that walks the talk? An organisation that measures it’s performance against the triple bottom line: People, Planet, Profit?
Best read on then ……………..
Location - Remote
Our working policy is ‘work where you do your best work’. We focus on outcomes not how we get there! Our ideal Chief Finance Officer will be based in the UK, however, other locations would be considered.
We do expect all employees to join us at our team meetings, which are a valuable time for us to see our colleagues face to face. These take place typically 3 times a year near our HQ in Hathersage in the English Peak District (and a beautiful place it is too!). In addition, as a Board member there are at least 3 face to face meetings a year. Some may coincide with the team meetings and some not. We also have a German office in the Frankfurt area. And occasional overseas travel will be required as part of the role.
What's next?
We would love to hear from you whether it is to answer any questions you might have about the company, or the role. Please feel free to send us your CV or write to us expressing your interest.
Our desire is for someone to join us in this role as soon as possible, so please get in touch today.