The five most sought-after interim finance jobs in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, demand for interim finance professionals is growing fast, because businesses need specialist knowledge both for projects and for long-term absences.  

This article gives some insight into the five most sought-after interim finance jobs in the Netherlands. We talk about why these interim jobs are so keenly sought-after, what the advantages are of being an interim finance professional, what skills it’s important to have, and finally we give you some practical tips on how to find the best interim finance jobs.

The top five interim finance jobs

First let’s look in a bit more detail at the most sought-after interim finance professionals, what their assignments entail and what expertise is required of them.  

1. Interim Tax Advisor

Interim Tax Advisors are in great demand due to their expert knowledge of tax legislation and tax planning. Businesses often look for Tax Advisors to provide temporary support in resolving difficult problems regarding tax declarations, compliance issues and tax strategies. As an interim Tax Advisor, you help businesses not just to comply with all their legal obligations but also to make tax savings and work out strategies.

What expert knowledge will be required of you?

• Tax legislation: tax laws are terribly complicated, which is why it’s so important for you as Tax Advisor to bring with you your specialist knowledge of all the laws and regulations.
• Compliance and risk management: you will help businesses comply with all legal requirements and with managing tax risks.
• Cost saving: by drawing up smart tax plans, you’ll help businesses make appreciable savings.  

2. Interim Financial Controller

Interim Financial Controllers see to it that a business is financially sound and remains so. In this position, you’re responsible for drawing up financial reports and budgeting and you keep an eye on all financial processes in the business. Interim Financial Controllers are often called upon to provide temporary support, for example in the case of mergers, acquisitions or restructuring operations.  

What expert knowledge will be required of you?

• Strategic insight: as Financial Controller, you have valuable insights to offer and your analyses are very helpful for the strategic decisions that have to be made in an organisation.
• Improvement of processes: with your knowledge and experience you help businesses to adopt best practices and improve their current financial processes.
• Flexibility: when a business is reorganising, for example, your expertise is extremely valuable in filling a temporary need during this period and supporting the business with the thorny financial issues that so often arise with such reorganisations.

3. Interim Claims Handler

As interim Claims Handler, you’ll be responsible for assessing, processing and ultimately dealing with insurance claims. Your knowledge is crucial for insurance companies in need of temporary support during especially busy times or when specialised knowledge is required, for a new project for example.

What expert knowledge will be required of you?

• Handling of claims: thanks to your know-how, you handle claims fast and efficiently, which leads to greater customer satisfaction.  
• Specialist knowledge: your in-depth knowledge of insurance products and processes means you can start working for the client straight away. With your knowledge and expertise, you’ll help them to improve their processes, making a highly valuable contribution to the business.
• Flexibility: if there’s a peak in the number of claims, your temporary support helps reduce the workload.

4. Interim Finance Manager

Interim Finance Managers oversee the company’s finance department and see to it that things run smoothly in the department. In this role, your responsibilities include drawing up financial strategies, managing budgets and optimising the company’s financial performance. People able to fill this position are particularly in demand in times of transition or growth.

What expert knowledge will be required of you?

• Leadership and expertise: as interim manager, you bring good leadership qualities with you. You’re responsible for the performance and the growth of the members of the team, so it’s very important that you guide and coach the team well.
• Optimising performances: as well as making sure your team performs as well as possible, you also take steps to improve the company’s financial performance and you strive for and attain strategic objectives.  
• Rapid implementation: with your knowledge and experience you can start work straight away, which is a crucial consideration in times of transition.  

5. Interim Financial Analyst

In this job, you analyse the organisation’s financial data and support the decision-making processes. Your experience with in-depth analyses enables you to make forecasts, which help the business to make the right decisions.

What expert knowledge will be required of you?

• In-depth analyses: you carry out in-depth analyses of the current financial status of the business and provide insights that are essential for the business to grow and take the right decisions.
• Decision-making: you support and advise management on the basis of the analyses you’ve carried out. You help them to take decisions based on accurate information plus your knowledge and expertise.
• Flexibility: as an interim professional, you can start work immediately, helping businesses with specific projects or temporary requirements.  

Your advantages as an interim finance professional

Working on an interim basis offers many advantages, including:

Flexibility

One of the main advantages of being an interim professional is flexibility. As an interim finance professional, you decide yourself which assignments best suit you and for how long you wish to commit.  

Varied experience

As an interim finance professional, you have the opportunity of seeing many different businesses, which gives you wide and varied experience. By seeing different businesses from the inside and working in a variety of different sectors, you increase your knowledge and skills. You not only increase your own knowledge, but you also make yourself more attractive to future clients.

Remuneration

Interim finance professionals can often command higher hourly rates than fixed employees or ask to be paid by project rather than by time spent, particularly since they offer temporary support and bring specialised know-how and experience with them.  

Skills and qualities for interim finance assignments

When businesses seek interim finance professionals, there are various skills they might be looking for, ranging from technical abilities to soft skills. Let’s look at a number of skills and qualities that are most often requested.

Technical abilities

Financial analytical knowledge: having strong analytical skills is crucial for assessing the financial health of a business.

Knowledge of tax legislation: for many roles in the finance area, it’s important to have knowledge of tax legislation.  

Reporting and compliance: you know how to produce and present financial reports to management and to use them as the basis for advice on which management in turn bases its strategic decisions. At the same time, you’re responsible for making sure that the business complies with laws and regulations.  

Soft skills

• Communication: effective communication skills are essential if you are to convey financial information successfully to colleagues that don’t have a financial background.  
• Leadership: for jobs such as interim Finance Manager, it’s essential to have good leadership skills. Apart from that, if you're going to be an interim professional it’s very important to have personal leadership qualities - apart from anything else, to be able to monitor and control your own personal planning.
• Problem solving: as an interim professional, you need to be able to solve problems quickly and effectively if you are to be of great value to the client.  

General skills

• Qualifications: as an interim finance professional, you will normally have a degree in accounting or finance or other relevant education.  
• Certifications: you keep your knowledge up to date with the relevant certificates, such as CMA, CPA or ACCA. These certificates can increase your chances of getting attractive assignments.
• Experience: the more experience you have, the more pertinent you are for clients. For senior interim roles several years of experience is required.

Practical tips for finding an interim finance assignment

Networking

Networking is one of the most effective ways of finding interim finance assignments. Keep in touch with people you’ve worked with before. Stay in touch with your network, for example via LinkedIn. Or reach out to former classmates or colleagues to see if they know of anything.  

You can find more tips on the importance of networking for interim professionals in this article: The Importance of Networking for Interims.  

A good CV

The door’s open, but remember to make sure that your CV is in order. Highlight all relevant experience and skills and fine-tune your CV to the assignment you’re applying for.

You can find more tips on how to optimise your CV here: Interim Advice: Make Your CV Work for You.

Working together with specialist agencies

Specialist agencies have access to a large customer base. They tend to know exactly what their clients are looking for, which means they are often able to match supply and demand very quickly. So working together with an agency can help you quickly find a suitable interim assignment.  

Searching online

There are numerous online job portals specialising in interim (finance) assignments. Send them your CV and react to vacancies that appeal to you with a view to meeting the people concerned.

Be proactive

Don’t wait for the right assignment to come along - take the initiative yourself. For example, by sending an open application to a company you’d like to work for. Or you can contact previous employers and clients to see if they know of any opportunities.

The future of interim finance assignments

Your knowledge and experience make you highly valuable to companies seeking temporary financial expertise. Many businesses face challenges when, for example, there’s a peak in the workload, or a key member of personnel suddenly leaves, or someone is on the long-term sick list. As an interim finance professional, at such times you can offer businesses the expertise and breathing room they need to be able to continue growing. In addition, the financial sector will continue to face challenges with the advent of new technologies such as Data Science, Blockchain and AI. Continuous training and specialisation will keep your expertise up to date and of great value for a wide range of clients.

Are you looking for your first interim finance assignment? Or a follow-up one? Contact us!