Finance Director - Imagine Cruising, UK

Job Purpose

Imagine Cruising, part of dnata and the Emirates Group, is a leading international travel provider specialising in extraordinary cruise holidays that offer more than just a cruise. Established in 2011, with operations across the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States, Imagine Cruising combines exceptional cruise experiences with immersive tours, luxury rail journeys, exclusive events and carefully selected hotel stays to create unforgettable travel experiences. Driven by creativity, innovation and a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences, Imagine Cruising continues to evolve its offering and expand its international presence.

In 2026, Imagine Cruising welcomed Travelbag into the business. Bringing together Travelbag’s expertise in tailor-made land holidays with Imagine Cruising’s cruise experiences broadens choice for customers. It also gives Imagine Cruising its first high street presence through Travelbag’s seven UK stores. Driven by creativity, innovation and a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences, the business continues to evolve its offering and expand its international presence.

We are looking for a commercially minded Finance Director to join our UK leadership team, playing a pivotal role in shaping financial strategy, driving profitable growth and supporting the next chapter of the business's success.

As a Finance Director, Imagine Cruising, your role will be to lead the end-to-end Finance function for Imagine Cruising, acting as the most senior Finance leader in the business. The role is accountable for financial strategy, performance management, governance, control, and cash stewardship, supporting the CEO and leadership team in driving profitable growth and operational efficiency. You will also have to ensure robust financial management across the business, while embedding a high-performance culture and aligning with Group governance and reporting requirements. Based at our Royal Wooton Bassett head office, near to Swindon. This is an office-based role, with business travel required. We are looking for a leader who brings the same energy, ambition and drive that define Imagine Cruising, thriving in a dynamic, and entrepreneurial environment.

In this role, you will

• Act as a strategic and commercial partner to the Managing Director and leadership team, influencing investment decisions, growth strategy, and business priorities.
• Lead the end‑to‑end financial planning cycle, including budgets, forecasts, and long‑range plans, aligned to business objectives.
• Own delivery of EBITDA, PAT, and cash flow targets, providing insightful analysis of performance drivers, risks, and opportunities.
• Oversee accurate, timely, and insightful management reporting, including monthly management accounts, forecasts, variance analysis, KPIs, cash flow reporting, and quarterly balance sheet reporting.
• Ensure a strong financial control environment in line with Group Policy, supporting clean internal and external audits and timely statutory reporting.
• Act as the primary interface with Group Finance, internal and external auditors, and regulatory bodies, including ownership of the CAA relationship and ATOL licence requirements.
• Maintain balance sheet integrity, regulatory, legal, tax, and HMRC compliance, including Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) sign‑off responsibilities.
• Lead treasury, cash flow forecasting, liquidity management, working capital optimisation, and banking relationships.
• Identify and mitigate financial risks, including liquidity, credit, and foreign exchange exposure.
• Lead delivery of an efficient Finance function, overseeing end‑to‑end Order‑to‑Cash (O2C) and Procure‑to‑Pay (P2P) processes.
• Drive standardisation, automation, and continuous improvement across finance operations and systems.
• Own the Finance systems strategy, ensuring effective use, development, and governance of ERP and reporting tools.
• Lead Finance input into wider business transformation initiatives.
• Set clear objectives, develop talent, and build a high‑performance, accountable, and collaborative finance culture.

Qualification

To be considered for the role, you must meet the below requirements:

• Professional accounting qualification is essential (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent).
• Significant post‑qualified experience, including proven success in a senior Finance leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience leading multi‑functional Finance teams.
• Strong background in financial control, reporting, FP&A, and cash management.
• Experience operating at senior leadership level, with exposure to board‑level engagement.
• Experience working within a large, complex, global matrix organisation and shared services environment.
• Experience operating in a multi-country or multi-site environment, with a proven ability to lead, collaborate with and influence geographically dispersed Finance teams.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to translate financial data into clear business insight.
• Proven stakeholder management and influencing capability across senior leaders and corporate teams.

You’ll have an edge if you have

• Experience within the travel, aviation, or broader services sector.
• Prior responsibility for regulatory engagement and statutory licensing environments.
• Experience leading finance transformation, automation, or ERP enhancement programmes.
• A track record of improving profit‑to‑cash conversion and capital efficiency.

Salary & benefits

Join our growing team and enjoy a competitive remuneration package, including a contributory pension scheme, flexible salary sacrifice options, private medical cover, life assurance, employee wellbeing support, discounted dental and critical illness cover, preferential travel rates and retail discounts.