Head of Finance in London

Core3 are delighted to partner with a high-growth, VC-backed scaling tech business to appoint a Head of Finance in a newly created leadership role. This is an exceptional opportunity for an ambitious Financial Controller, Head of Finance or junior Finance Director looking to accelerate their journey towards CFO (fast-tracked to CFO in the next 18 months). Our client is a profitable, founder-led scale-up with a highly recognisable brand and ambitious growth plans.

There are two sides to their business model – a tech marketplace, and an operationally heavy business similar to hospitality. Having established themselves as a market leader within their niche, the business is now entering its next phase of growth. Recent strategic investment, acquisitions and expansion initiatives have created the need for their first dedicated Head of Finance. They need someone capable of building a finance function, whilst supporting on strategy, which involves a focus on M&A and integration work.

This is a rare opportunity to join a business where the finance function is still relatively early in its journey. Rather than inheriting a mature structure, you’ll have genuine ownership to shape it. The founders are deliberately looking for someone with the ambition and capability to become their long-term finance leader. You’ll initially own the controllership and operational finance agenda before progressively taking on the commercial, strategic and corporate finance responsibilities expected of a CFO.

With meaningful equity participation and a business targeting an exit in the coming years, this is one of those opportunities where your impact can directly influence both your career trajectory and your financial upside.

How you’ll make an impact

Reporting into the senior leadership team, you’ll become the day-to-day owner of finance across the group. You’ll take responsibility for the core controllership activities, ensuring robust reporting, controls, cash management and financial processes while gradually becoming an increasingly commercial voice within the leadership team.

Responsibilities include:

• Full ownership of financial reporting, management accounts and month-end close
• Cashflow, treasury and working capital management
• Building scalable financial controls and processes
• Business partnering senior stakeholders
• Budgeting, forecasting and strategic planning
• Supporting acquisitions and integration activity
• Preparing the business for due diligence and a future exit
• Driving finance systems, automation and AI
• Building and developing the finance team

Why our client is excited about you

We’re looking for an established Financial Controller, Head of Finance or junior Finance Director who is ready to become a CFO, rather than someone looking to stay as a Head of Finance. Technical credibility is important, but equally important are your commercial instincts, emotional intelligence and stakeholder management skills.

What we’re looking for:

• Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA)
• Experience as a Financial Controller, Head of Finance or junior Finance Director within a high-growth entrepreneurial business
• Strong technical accounting and financial control experience
• Commercial mindset with the ability to influence decisions
• Process, systems and controls improvement experience
• Comfortable in a founder-led, fast-paced environment
• M&A, due diligence, multi-entity or exit preparation experience (desirable)
• Exposure to both an operationally heavy business (hospitality, travel, events, logistics etc) and tech (marketplace, eCommerce etc)
• A genuine interest in automation and AI

What you’ll get in return

This is an opportunity to join an ambitious business at exactly the right stage of its journey. You’ll work alongside an impressive leadership team, have genuine influence over how the finance function evolves, receive meaningful equity participation, and have a clear pathway towards becoming CFO within approximately 18 months.

Equity incentive
Genuine CFO progression opportunity

We invite applications from all qualified candidates who believe they meet the requirements of the role whilst supporting equality, diversity and inclusion. If this advert sounds like it was written for you then please apply or contact.