Woodie’s is proud to be part of Grafton Group PLC, a European multinational distributor of construction related products and solutions comprising four geographic segments serving the Island of Ireland, Great Britain, Northern Europe and Iberia. In our home Irish market, Woodies operates as the leading home improvement retailer.
Trading from c. 490 branches with c. 10,300 colleagues, the Group's portfolio of brands includes:
* Island of Ireland: Chadwicks, Woodie's and MacBlair
* Great Britain: Selco, Leyland SDM, TG Lynes, CPI EuroMix and StairBox
* Northern Europe: Isero / Polvo (Netherlands) and IKH (Finland)
* Iberia: Salvador Escoda and Mercaluz (Spain) and the broader Iberian Peninsula
In 2025 the Group reported revenue of £2.5 billion and adjusted operating profit of £184.3 million. Grafton Group plc is headquartered in Ireland, and its shares are quoted on the London Stock Exchange where it is a member of the FTSE 250 Index. As of 1 May 2026, Grafton had a market capitalisation of £1.7bn.
Woodie's is the market-leading DIY, Home & Garden omni-channel retailer in Ireland, with 35 stores nationwide and a strong online presence. We are proud to be listed as Ireland's Top Retailer by Great Places to Work and as an official Best Workplace for Women. We are also recognised as one of the 75 Best Large Workplaces in Europe since 2020. Woodie’s employs approximately 1,500 colleagues across 35 stores.
Reporting to the Woodies CEO, the Finance Director is responsible for overseeing the finances of the Woodie's business. This role is also a key member of the broader Grafton Group Finance group leadership community, collaborating closely with Group colleagues and contributing to Group-wide initiatives.
Key Assessment Criteria
Outstanding leaders in Grafton Group and in Woodie’s are exceptional role models and innovators. They are inspirational, consistently outperform, delivering strong financial, strategic and people outcomes while maintaining accountability and resilience under ever changing conditions.
The successful candidate will therefore be expected to be a high performer who will lead and drive growth and innovation, as well as inspiring a high-performing inclusive culture across the team and business. Woodie’s is an important profit centre within the Grafton Group and as such, the appointed candidate would be expected to develop and show the capability of further promotion within the Grafton Group as opportunities arise. They will be considered a potential successor for Senior Leadership positions within the Group Finance Function.
The Woodie’s Finance Director will be expected to:
- Set a clear, ambitious long-term vision, drive sustained growth, adapting strategy proactively in response to market changes.
- Proactively create and execute a financial and business strategy to enable Woodie’s to out-perform the market in changing economic conditions, with increased operational productivity, achieving a return on investment that exceeds expectations.
- Build a high performing and inclusive team by attracting and retaining top talent, developing a strong leadership pipeline, championing a culture of continuous feedback and maintaining low regretted attrition with top quartile engagement scores.
- Deliver measurable improvements through innovation and transformation initiatives; be a thought leader on digital enablement and galvanise change and operational excellence.
- Be an inspirational leader, role-modelling behaviours and values that align with Woodie’s and Grafton Group’s expectations while demonstrating and supporting exemplary leadership in safety and strategic sustainability goals.
- Drive both organic and inorganic growth, including new store openings, M&A activity, and integration of acquisitions.
Roles & Responsibilities
* The Finance Director is a key member of the Leadership Team at Woodie's and contributes to all elements of business strategy.
* Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders in Grafton Group, particularly within the Group finance function.
* Ensure all tax, accounting, legal, sustainability, and compliance requirements are met.
* Manage the Finance team, ensuring clear targets and objectives are defined and achieved.
* Allocate and manage resources in line with changing business needs.
* Lead the budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes.
* Produce financial analysis and capital expenditure submissions to support organic development plans.
* Produce financial plans, lead financial due diligence and subsequent integration on any acquisitions.
* Lead the development and delivery of a Sustainability Strategy, partnering with cross-functional teams to meet Group and legislative requirements, and supporting Woodie’s development as a sustainable
business.
* Work with the CEO to develop and implement effective processes and procedures to drive operational efficiencies.
* Develop sustainable relationships with colleagues and suppliers to ensure compliance.
* Collaborate with the Commercial Team to deliver margin objectives across all business areas.
* Develop cost control measures, cost estimates, and forecasts to support business budgets and plans. Manage cash flow and ensure the company is fully funded to execute growth plans.
* Drive a strong culture across the business, creating a highly engaged and motivated team who understand their objectives and their role in achieving them.
* Foster and encourage an understanding of risk and a culture of compliance throughout the business.
* Lead on the timely completion of all external audit requirements, working with Group partners to ensure all requirements are exceeded.
* Own and maintain a strong, effective work programme with the Group Internal Audit team. Challenge, review, evaluate, and update existing internal controls and procedures.
* Ensure all company policies and procedures are followed, and improve processes and policies where needed.
* Represent Woodie’s in dealings with both internal and external stakeholders.
* Build and maintain strong relationships across the business.
Essential Skills and Behaviours
* Qualified Accountant with a minimum of 10 years PQE in industry, ideally within an operational leadership role.
* Significant experience managing a high-performing team.
* Proven experience in driving both organic and inorganic growth (e.g., M&A, new store openings).
* Recognised as an inspirational leader with a track record of building high-performance cultures and developing future leaders.
* Experience in adapting strategy in response to market conditions and leading business transformation.
* Excellent communication skills and the ability to set a strategic vision.
* Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to think laterally and offer creative solutions.
* Proven track record of adding value, particularly in driving improvements in operating margin and return on capital employed.
* Experience implementing finance technology to drive efficiency and support effective business decision-making.
* Experience in effective working capital management, ideally in a retail or fast-moving consumer environment.
* Excellent strategic and commercial acumen, coupled with a practical, pragmatic approach.
* Proven experience in leading and motivating people and driving operational performance.
* Knowledge and experience of working in the retail industry would be an advantage.
* Strong alignment with company values and leadership behaviors.