Head of Finance (Director) in London

Auquan develops autonomous AI agents that eliminate the repetitive, manual work slowing down financial institutions. Our technology supports credit, investment, ESG, and compliance workflows for leading firms including MetLife, T. Rowe Price, BC Partners, and ERM. Today, 40% of the world’s top 50 financial institutions use Auquan to remove manual processes, speed up decision-making, and achieve greater strategic impact.

With teams growing across the US, UK, and India, we’re building an elite force of innovators ready to redefine what’s possible with AI and machine learning.

We are looking for a hands-on, systems-oriented Director of Finance to build and lead Auquan’s finance function from the ground up. This is our first dedicated finance hire. You will own financial reporting, forecasting, cash management, compliance, and investor reporting across our UK, US, and India entities. You will streamline and operationalize reporting workflows, bring rigor to financial metrics, and ensure the company is audit-ready and investor-grade.

The right candidate combines strong UK jurisdiction expertise with startup pragmatism. You are comfortable managing outsourced accountants across multiple regions while building scalable processes that support growth.

• 7+ years of experience in finance, accounting, or FP&A, preferably within a high-growth SaaS or technology company.
• Strong expertise in UK financial jurisdiction and UK GAAP; familiarity with US GAAP a plus.
• Experience managing multi-entity structures (UK, US, India preferred).
• Proven track record owning monthly close and building forecasting models from scratch.
• Deep understanding of SaaS metrics (ARR, NRR, CAC, LTV, gross margin).
• Experience managing external accountants and audit processes.
• Strong financial modeling skills and comfort with scenario analysis.
• Systems-oriented mindset; experience implementing or optimizing finance tools (e.g., Xero, NetSuite, Stripe, payroll systems).
• Clear communicator capable of preparing investor- and board-ready materials.
• High ownership mentality and comfort operating as a solo finance leader in an early-stage environment.

• Financial Operations & Close: Own monthly close across UK, US, and India entities, managing outsourced accountants and bookkeepers. Establish clear close timelines, controls, and reconciliations to ensure timely and accurate reporting. Implement scalable systems and workflows across billing, revenue, payroll, and expense reporting. Maintain internal financial controls and documentation standards.
• Planning, Forecasting & Cash Management: Build and maintain the annual budget and 3-year forward looking model. Own cash runway management and scenario planning (growth, hiring, fundraising cases). Own internal reporting and budget vs actuals analysis. Provide clear visibility into burn, gross margin, and operating leverage. Support annual planning in partnership with leadership.
• Revenue & SaaS Metrics: Own revenue recognition in line with UK GAAP (US GAAP familiarity a plus). Maintain accurate ARR, bookings, GRR, NRR, and expansion reporting. Partner with Sales and Customer Success on pipeline tracking, bookings accuracy, and expansion analysis. Evaluate pricing strategy, margin profile, and infrastructure cost per ARR.
• Compliance, Payroll & Statutory Reporting: Oversee payroll, tax compliance, and statutory filings across UK, US, and India. Act as subject-matter expert on UK financial and regulatory requirements. Ensure compliance with VAT, corporate tax, R&D credits, and other jurisdictional obligations. Own audit readiness and manage external auditors and advisors.
• Investor & Board Reporting: Prepare board-level financial reporting packages, including KPI dashboards and variance analysis. Support investor updates, fundraising processes, and due diligence requests. Translate financial performance into clear strategic insights for leadership and the board.
• Vendor & Cost Management: Manage vendor contracts and drive cost optimization initiatives (particularly cloud and infrastructure spend). Implement spend controls and approval workflows. Improve visibility into unit economics and contribution margin by product or client segment.
• Team & External Partner Management: Manage outsourced accountants, bookkeepers, payroll providers, and tax advisors across jurisdictions. Evaluate when and how to build internal finance capabilities over time. Serve as a trusted partner to the CEO and leadership team on financial decision-making.

This is a London or NY-based, hybrid role; we work together in the office 3 days per week, with flexibility. You should also be comfortable collaborating across time zones (US, UK, India). We offer a competitive package designed to support you both inside and outside of work:

• Base Salary: £100,000 – £140,000 for London and $180,000 - $220,000 for New York. Factors that may impact the agreed upon salary within the range for a particular candidate include years of experience, level of education obtained, skill set, and other external factors.
• Performance Bonus: 10-25% bonus target
• Equity: Meaningful stock options so you share in our growth
• Time Off: Flexible PTO
• Health & Wellbeing: Private Medical Insurance (UK) / comprehensive health coverage (US)
• Retirement: Pension / 401(k) options depending on jurisdiction