Budgeting for strategic senior finance hires
posted 18 Sept 25
As budget season approaches, finance leaders naturally shift their focus to numbers, forecasts, and cost controls. Yet amid the spreadsheets, it’s easy to overlook a powerful lever for future success: strategic senior finance hires. The budgeting cycle is not just about allocating spend, it’s a rare opportunity to plan ahead and build the leadership capability your organisation will need in the year ahead.
The ROI of strategic senior hires
Recruiting a CFO, Finance Director, or Head of Finance is more than simply filling a vacancy. At senior levels, finance leaders directly shape the future trajectory of a business through:
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Sharper forecasting: Senior finance leaders bring discipline to financial models, ensuring strategic decisions are rooted in accurate, stress-tested scenarios.
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Cashflow optimisation: A seasoned CFO can unlock working capital, negotiate better funding, and keep growth ambitions aligned with financial reality.
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Risk management: From regulatory changes to macroeconomic uncertainty, senior finance professionals anticipate risks before they escalate and build resilience into the balance sheet.
According to McKinsey, finance leaders today spend 19% more of their time on value-added activities (like strategic planning, risk management, FP&A) than typical finance organisations did a decade ago, enabling clearer strategic decision-making.
While salaries for senior roles are significant, the return is measurable. In other words, the cost of a senior finance leader should be weighed not against salary, but against the opportunities unlocked, the risks avoided, and by having the right expertise paving the way.
Bonus structures at senior levels
Compensation for senior finance professionals often extends beyond salary, particularly in private equity-backed or high-growth businesses, where bonuses are typically performance-linked and may include equity or shares, with common ranges falling between 10–25%.
For many SMEs and mid-sized businesses (often in FMCG and ecommerce), performance-related bonuses are usually closer to up to 10%, tied directly to year-on-year growth. This means organisations budgeting for these hires must consider not only fixed salary but also the variable element, a crucial part of remaining competitive in a tight talent market.
Why planning ahead matters
One of the biggest factors in senior finance hiring is timing. On average, senior candidates at this level carry a three-month notice period. Add to this the interview process, which often involves multiple stakeholder rounds and detailed assessments, and businesses can easily face a four-to-six-month lead time from decision to hire, through to start date.
For companies hoping to strengthen finance leadership in Q1, decisions made today set the talent foundations for early 2026. Leaving hiring discussions until after year-end risks losing valuable momentum and market advantage.
What this means for building a business case
When presenting a senior finance hire to your board or stakeholders, the key is to frame it as an investment decision rather than a cost. A strong business case should answer three central questions:
- Strategic impact – How will this hire improve forecasting, cashflow, and risk control, enabling the business to scale or protect margins?
- Financial modelling – What’s the full cost of hire, including salary, bonus, and equity, and what ROI can you project against business objectives?
- Timing – With notice periods extending into the new year, what’s the risk of delaying versus the advantage of acting now?
By linking the hire to measurable outcomes including faster growth, reduced financial risk, improved investor confidence, the conversation shifts from cost to value.
A practical checklist for your business case
When mapping out a senior finance hire, consider:
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Benchmarking salary and bonus expectations for your sector
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Highlighting the ROI drivers (cashflow gains, growth enablement, risk reduction)
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Factoring in notice periods and recruitment timelines
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Including competitor or market intelligence to justify competitive packages
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Setting clear KPIs for what the role will deliver in year one
Positioning for growth
For many organisations, budget season is a time to delay hiring decisions. But those who treat it as an opportunity to plan strategically for senior hires often emerge ahead of the curve. With talent scarcity still a reality at the top end of finance, acting now ensures you secure the leadership needed to turn next year’s plans into performance.
Get in touch with our specialist team to discuss your senior finance hiring in more detail and strengthen your board discussions with tailored salary benchmarks and a proven business case template.
