Head of Finance and Operations in Esher

Our Client is a growing software business that provides specialist platforms used by research‑intensive organisations to manage complex governance, compliance, and operational processes with confidence. Its technology is trusted by universities, healthcare institutions, and regulatory bodies internationally, supporting large volumes of high‑value research activity. The company is now entering a new phase of scale, with increasing commercial and operational complexity. To support this growth, our client is seeking an experienced Head of Finance & Operations to lead the finance function and strengthen operational execution across the business.

This is a senior leadership position, reporting to the CEO, with responsibility for financial oversight, performance insight, and operational discipline. The role will suit a commercially minded finance leader who wants influence beyond core finance and enjoys partnering closely with a CEO and leadership team.

The Head of Finance & Operations will take ownership of financial management and reporting, including oversight of statutory obligations, audit, VAT, tax (including R&D), and financial controls. The role line‑manages the Financial Controller, reviews management accounts and financial reports ahead of CEO and investor review, and works with the finance team to improve the clarity and usefulness of financial insight.

In addition, the role plays a central part in business and performance analysis, consolidating financial, sales, and operational data to support decision‑making. This includes sales and pipeline analysis, KPI definition and tracking, trend identification, and scenario modelling to help leadership understand performance and plan ahead. The role also provides oversight of people and office operations, line‑managing the HR & Office Administrator and ensuring onboarding, payroll coordination, recruitment processes, and day‑to‑day operations run smoothly.

At leadership level, the role runs the weekly Leadership Team meeting, supports quarterly planning, and acts as the internal owner of strategic initiatives and key projects, ensuring priorities are clear and delivery is tracked. This role also supports the CEO with strategic analysis, including market and competitor insight, partnerships, and potential M&A activity, and plays a key role in internal and investor communications, helping translate financial performance and strategy into clear, credible narratives.

The successful candidate will bring a strong finance background with experience operating at leadership level in a growing organisation. They will be commercially focused, analytically strong, and comfortable balancing detail with big‑picture thinking. A calm, low‑ego approach and the confidence to constructively challenge and influence senior stakeholders are essential. This is an opportunity for a senior finance leader to step into a broader, high‑impact role at a pivotal stage of growth.

The assessment process for the Head of Finance & Operations role will focus on the candidate’s ability to operate as a senior, commercially minded leader who brings structure, clarity, and momentum to a scaling organisation.

• Financial oversight and reporting: Will assess the candidate’s ability to provide confident leadership of the finance function, including oversight of statutory obligations, financial controls, and management reporting. This includes the ability to improve the quality of financial insight, support the CEO with analysis and scenario modelling, and maintain strong financial discipline across the business.
• Sales, performance, and business analysis: Will explore how effectively the candidate uses data to support commercial decision‑making. This includes interpreting sales and pipeline performance, identifying trends, defining meaningful KPIs, and translating financial and operational data into clear, decision‑ready insight for the leadership team.
• HR and office oversight: Will focus on the candidate’s ability to provide pragmatic, common‑sense leadership of people and office operations. This includes oversight of onboarding, payroll coordination, recruitment processes, and day‑to‑day people issues, ensuring the organisation runs smoothly without unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Leadership team cadence and delivery: Will assess the candidate’s presence and effectiveness in running leadership forums and driving execution. This includes setting and facilitating leadership meetings, supporting quarterly planning, and ensuring strategic priorities are clearly owned, tracked, and delivered.
• Strategy, M&A, and competitive insight: Will examine the candidate’s ability to support strategic decision‑making through structured research and analysis. This includes contributing to market and competitor understanding, supporting partnership or acquisition opportunities, and preparing clear briefing materials for senior stakeholders.
• Internal and investor communications: Will assess the candidate’s ability to bring clarity and consistency to how the business communicates. This includes translating performance and strategy into clear narratives, supporting investor updates, and ensuring leadership decisions and priorities are well understood across the organisation.
• Process and operational discipline: Will focus on the candidate’s ability to embed practical, scalable ways of working. This includes defining and improving core processes, identifying operational gaps, and driving continuous improvement while maintaining pace and flexibility as the business grows.

If your experience covers the areas above and you can confidently communicate its relevance to the role please apply here with your CV.