At a Glance
- Tasks: Manage finance operations and help build a finance team from the ground up.
- Company: Join Apollo Research, an innovative AI safety organisation with a friendly culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible hours, unlimited vacation, and professional development budget.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for career growth and development.
- Why this job: Be part of a mission-driven team tackling one of the most important problems of our time.
- Qualifications: Part-qualified in finance with 2+ years in transactional processing and strong Xero skills.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
ABOUT APOLLO RESEARCH
Apollo Research is an AI safety organisation that works on the detection of scheming (e.g. building evaluations), the science of scheming (e.g. model organisms), and scheming mitigations (e.g. anti-scheming, and control). We closely work with multiple frontier AI companies. At Apollo, we aim for a culture that emphasizes truth-seeking, being goal-oriented, giving and receiving constructive feedback, and being friendly and helpful.
We're a team of ~35 in London/Europe, starting a new office in San Francisco and we're growing fast.
THE OPPORTUNITY
You'll be Apollo's second full-time Finance hire. You'll work with our Senior Finance Manager to execute the day-to-day engine that keeps Apollo running and convert business activity into consistent, trusted numbers for management and investors. You'd be able to help build a finance team from the ground up at a company tackling one of the most important problems of our time. As our finance team develops, you'll have the chance to focus on Controllership or FP&A, taking on more responsibility based on your interests and strengths. This is a rolling expression of interest posting. We don't always have a live vacancy, but we review submissions on an ongoing basis and reach out when a strong fit emerges.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Run the Procure-to-Pay and Order-to-Cash cycles
- Handle supplier invoices and receipts
- Create customer invoices
- Prepare supplier payments
- Follow up on overdue balances
- Ensure every transaction is recorded accurately in Xero.
- Reconcile bank accounts across our multi-entity and multi-currency operations to keep our cash positions accurate every week
REQUIREMENTS
- You're at least part-qualified (ACA, CIMA, ACCA, AAT). You understand double-entry bookkeeping intuitively and can visualise how a transaction flows through the ledger without guidance.
- You have 2+ years experience in a transactional processing role managing high-volume Order-to-Cash and Procure-to-Pay cycles without letting quality slip.
- You're a wizard with Xero and modern finance platforms like Payhawk, Revolut, Mercury, or similar tools.
- You use AI tools daily to work faster and smarter. You can pick up new AI tools quickly and know when to use them and, just as importantly, when not to.
- You are meticulous. You spot the £0.01 variance in a bank rec and the wrong VAT code on an invoice. Mistakes genuinely bother you.
- You act with integrity. You meet deadlines and make sure nothing falls through the cracks between working days.
- You are high-agency. You don't wait for permission to solve a problem. You spot issues, look for solutions, suggest fixes, and drive it through to resolution. You just get stuff done.
- You are hungry to develop. You want this role to become full-time and are looking for a place to develop your career. You take feedback well and apply it immediately.
BENEFITS
This role offers market competitive salary and competitive benefits.
- Salary: £40,000 - £50,000
- Flexible work hours and schedule
- Unlimited vacation
- Unlimited sick leave
- Up to 6 months of paid parental leave
- Comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance
- Retirement savings with competitive employer matching (e.g. 401(k) for US employees)
- Lunch, dinner, and snacks are provided for all employees on workdays
- Paid work trips, including staff retreats, business trips, and relevant conferences
- A yearly $1,000 (USD) professional development budget
LOGISTICS
Target start Date: Q3/4 2026
Location: This is an in-person role working out of our London office.
Equality Statement
Apollo Research is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and are committed to providing equal opportunities to all, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
Finance Associate (Expression of Interest) in London employer: COL Limited
Apollo Research is an exceptional employer, fostering a culture of truth-seeking and collaboration within a dynamic team in London. As a Finance Associate, you'll not only contribute to vital AI safety initiatives but also enjoy flexible work hours, unlimited vacation, and a strong focus on professional development, making it an ideal environment for growth and meaningful impact.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Finance Associate (Expression of Interest) in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the finance industry, especially those who work at Apollo or similar companies. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insights that might just land you an interview.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you’ve got experience with Xero or other finance platforms, make sure to highlight that in conversations. Maybe even prepare a quick demo of how you use AI tools to streamline processes – it’ll impress them!
✨Tip Number 3
Be proactive! Don’t just wait for job openings to pop up. Send in your expression of interest through our website and let us know why you’d be a great fit for the finance team. We love seeing enthusiasm!
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare for the culture! Apollo values truth-seeking and constructive feedback. Think about examples from your past where you’ve demonstrated these qualities and be ready to share them during any discussions.
We think you need these skills to ace Finance Associate (Expression of Interest) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for finance and AI shine through. We love seeing candidates who are genuinely excited about the work we do at Apollo Research!
Tailor Your CV:Make sure to customise your CV to highlight relevant experience that matches our requirements. We want to see how your skills in managing high-volume transactions and using tools like Xero can benefit our team.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so make sure your achievements and experiences are easy to read and understand. No need for fluff!
Apply Through Our Website:Don't forget to submit your application through our website! It helps us keep everything organised and ensures your application gets the attention it deserves.
How to prepare for a job interview at COL Limited
✨Know Your Numbers
Make sure you brush up on your double-entry bookkeeping and financial principles. Be ready to discuss how transactions flow through the ledger, as this will show your understanding of the role and impress the interviewers.
✨Familiarise with Xero and AI Tools
Since you'll be using Xero and possibly other finance platforms, it’s a good idea to get comfortable with them before the interview. If you can demonstrate your proficiency and share examples of how you've used AI tools to enhance your work, that’ll definitely set you apart.
✨Show Your Meticulous Side
Prepare to discuss specific instances where your attention to detail made a difference. Whether it was spotting a small variance in a bank reconciliation or correcting an invoice error, these examples will highlight your meticulous nature and integrity.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Growth
Apollo is looking for someone who is hungry to develop. Think about your career goals and how this role fits into them. Be prepared to talk about how you handle feedback and your eagerness to take on more responsibility as the finance team grows.
