At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the finance function, overseeing budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning.
- Company: Swoon, a dynamic design company revolutionising home decor.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, share options, wellbeing allowance, and remote work flexibility.
- Other info: Enjoy 27 days holiday, summer hours, and free furniture perks!
- Why this job: Join a fast-growing brand and make impactful financial decisions.
- Qualifications: Qualified accountant with 7+ years in finance and strong commercial acumen.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Description Swoon was founded in 2012 to create distinctive designs that owners will want to keep forever and a lofty goal to spark home obsession everywhere.
We design original pieces in-house, and our innovative NPD process quickly discovers the next trend.
Our testing platform ensures designs sell online at their intended price, and our data-led approach grows sales within families exponentially.
Our business model cuts out expensive overheads like shops and overstocked warehouses, making our prices affordable.
Our distinctive look unlocks collaborations with leading retailers like John Lewis and many more.
This diversified growth strategy is powering our brand to a significant market share.
And we're just getting started...
The Head of Finance oversees the entire finance function, from strategic FP&A and long-term planning to day-to-day management accounting, treasury, and reporting.
As the financial conscience of the business, you will act as a key gatekeeper for capital allocation and a trusted senior partner to the co-founders and leadership team.
Leading a capable finance team, you will provide robust control and constructive challenge to operational leads.
You will set the budgets within which they operate, approve capital expenditures, and validate the commercial logic of key business decisions to ensure strong financial governance as Swoon continues to scale.
- What you'll own
- Financial Planning, Forecasting and Reporting
- Strategy & Planning: Own the annual budget, quarterly reforecasts, and three-year strategic plan.
Build robust, ground-up models that connect commercial drivers to financial outcomes.
- Reporting: Manage the monthly management accounts, board packs, investor reporting and FP&A reporting.
- Trading Cadence: Oversee the weekly trading rhythm with marketing and merchandising; challenge plans and ensure every promotional or marketing spend has a clear business case.
- Cash Flow: Maintain weekly direct/operational cash flow forecasts and three-way model. Galvanise the internal team to execute the cash roadmap.
- BI & Insights: Develop an FP&A reporting suite within Sigma to ensure the business stays on track against targets.
- Operational Finance, Treasury and Day-to-Day
- Financial Integrity: Oversee the monthly close, balance sheet reconciliations, and the integrity of all board-level data.
- Treasury: Run payment run, manage banking relationships, debt facilities, covenant reporting, and lender communication.
- Compliance: Oversee VAT, payroll, and statutory filings; manage the year-end and external audit processes.
- Operations & HR: Oversee business insurance and annual renewals. Bring financial rigor to people-related decisions, including payroll, compensation, and benefits.
- Leadership: Lead, coach, and prioritise the finance team, building capabilities to scale alongside the business.
- Payment stack: own statutory reporting and relationship with payment providers
- Strategic Finance and Business Partnering
- Commercial
Advisor: Serve as a strategic partner to the co-founders, providing analysis and guidance on major commercial decisions, partnerships, new ventures, and CAPEX investments.
- Merchandising Controls: Uphold guardrails for inventory management, including budgets, stock investment, intake margin, clearance pricing, and markdown strategies.
- Working Capital: Set and enforce rules-based working capital frameworks, including CM3 floors, discontinuation thresholds, and cash recovery targets.
- Margin: partner with the B&M and operations teams to drive continuous improvements in the "Margin Stack" from factory to front door.
- Funding: Lead funding discussions with existing and prospective lenders.
- CAPEX Governance: Evaluate all tech CAPEX projects against projected ROI and rigorously review the tech roadmap budget.
- Controls, Governance and Risk
- Control Environment: Continuously evolve the financial control environment, including payment authorisation, segregation of duties, and procurement controls.
- Planning Cycle: Support the co-founders with the quarterly OKR-based planning cycle to ensure cross-functional alignment with profitability and cash targets.
- Risk
Mitigation: Proactively identify, model, and mitigate financial risks, such as supply chain disruption, pricing pressure, partner concentration, FX volatility, and working capital seasonality.
Requirements Essential
- Qualifications: Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent) with 7+ years of experience.
- Breadth: Proven track record leading or working within the full finance function, encompassing FP&A, management accounting, treasury, and statutory reporting.
- Commercial Acumen: Strong instincts developed in a consumer-facing, high-growth environment (e-commerce, retail, hospitality, or DTC).
- Controls & Governance: Demonstrable experience in designing, implementing, and managing robust financial controls.
- Business Partnering: Ability to build credibility with non-finance functions and challenge leadership constructively.
- Technical Proficiency: Advanced financial modelling and forecasting skills; comfortable building complex models from scratch and comfortable with 3 way financial modelling.
- Hands-on Leadership: A strategic thinker who is unafraid to "roll up their sleeves" during month-end; comfortable working directly with the numbers.
- Strongly preferred
- Experience in a multi-channel business (Direct-to-Consumer + Wholesale).
- Familiarity with retail / merchandising finance, including stock investment economics and markdown management.
- Proficiency with modern BI tools (e. g., Sigma).
- Experience working with or reporting to a strategic board—specifically understanding the standard required by institutional partners.
- Prior experience in the furniture, homeware, or interiors sectors.
Benefits Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive salary
- Share options programme
- Profit share scheme
- Wellbeing allowance
- Pension scheme
- Private medical cover for you and your family
- Holidays, working environment and other perks
- 27 days holiday rising to 30 with tenure
- 4 months of summer hours finishing at 1 PM on a Friday (we're currently trialling rolling this out permanently!)
- Free furniture on each anniversary of employment
- Friends & family discount of 20%
- Remote working 4x days per week
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Remote Head of Finance - Remote, one day travel to London per week in Norwich
✨Tap into Campus Networks
If you're still in uni, don’t forget to engage with your campus's career services and attend finance-related events. Banks often do presentations and recruitment drives on campus, so put yourself out there and make use of these opportunities to show off your passion for the field.
✨Get Certified
Consider pursuing relevant certifications like the CFA or ACCA while you’re job hunting. They not only beef up your CV but also connect you with professional bodies which can lead to networking opportunities and even job openings in banking and financial services.
✨Connect on Professional Platforms
Join finance-focused groups on platforms like LinkedIn and engage in discussions. This can really help you stand out from the crowd, allowing potential employers to see your knowledge and interest in industry trends. Plus, you might stumble upon job postings shared exclusively within the group.
✨Apply Directly and Be Proactive
Don’t shy away from reaching out directly to firms like Grabjobs. Use their websites and apply through them, but also consider following up with a polite email to express your enthusiasm. Being proactive can make a huge difference in getting noticed in the competitive financial services sector.
We think you need these skills to ace Remote Head of Finance - Remote, one day travel to London per week in Norwich
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Numbers!:In the banking and financial services world, quantifiable achievements are key. Make sure your CV highlights your grades in relevant subjects, any financial certifications you hold, and specific projects where you've delivered measurable results. Employers love to see how your skills translate into real-world success.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to the Role:When applying for a full-time position, your cover letter should make a direct connection between your experience and the job description. Don't just state your enthusiasm for finance—dive into how your background in banking or financial analysis sets you apart. Let your passion shine through while being specific about what you can bring to Grabjobs.
Include Relevant Financial Software Experience:If you've worked with financial modelling tools or software like Excel, SAP, or specific analytical tools during your studies or internships, bring that up! Highlighting your proficiency can really make your application pop and show you're ready to hit the ground running in a full-time role.
Research and Reflect:Before hitting that 'apply' button on Grabjobs's website, do a little digging. Look up their recent projects, values, and culture. Reflecting their ethos in your application can make a huge difference and show you’re genuinely interested in being part of the team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Grabjobs
✨Brush Up on Financial Analysis Skills
Make sure you're well-versed in financial concepts and analytical techniques relevant to banking and financial services. Get comfortable with tools like Excel for modelling or financial forecasting, as technical questions in this area are common during interviews with Grabjobs.
✨Prepare for Case Studies
Expect to tackle case studies that demonstrate your problem-solving skills in real-world banking scenarios. Familiarise yourself with the types of problems you might face—think risk assessments or investment evaluations—and be ready to articulate your thought process clearly.
✨Show Your Passion for Finance
Since this is a full-time position, employers at Grabjobs will be keen to see your genuine interest in finance. Be prepared to discuss recent industry trends or news articles that excite you, showcasing your enthusiasm and engagement with the field.
✨Network with Industry Professionals
Before your interview, reach out to current or former Grabjobs employees on platforms like LinkedIn. They'll offer unique insights into the company's culture and the interview process, which can give us a delightful edge in showcasing a good fit for the team.
