Strategic Finance Director

Finance Director – Elite PE-Backed FinTech Scale-Up - London - Permanent

Remuneration: Up to £180,000 + Substantial Equity / Exit Upside

The Opportunity: JSS Search are exclusively partnering with a high-growth, market-leading FinTech payments provider backed by a premier Tier-1 Private Equity firm. Boasting a first-class track record and an aggressive three to five year exit horizon, this business sits at the intersection of regulated global payments and institutional technology. As the financial number two, you will work hand-in-hand with an experienced Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to steer the business through its next phase of rapid scaling. This is a high-impact, board-facing position combining strategic commercial leadership with rigorous financial stewardship. This mandate requires a balanced, agile finance leader. While the position demands a heavily commercial outlook spearheading FP&A, business transformation, and supporting future fundraising/M&A initiatives, the lean nature of this high-growth environment requires a candidate who remains grounded in technical financial discipline.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Partnership: Act as the primary trusted advisor to the CFO, delivering commercial insights, rigorous scenario modelling, and strategic challenge to the Executive team and board.
• Commercial FP&A & KPIs: Own the budgeting, forecasting, and long-term planning cycles. Drive the optimization of sophisticated SaaS and transactional infrastructure metrics to guide corporate decision making.
• Financial Oversight & Governance: Maintain ultimate accountability for robust accounting principles across the group. Oversee internal controls, financial reporting, compliance, and tax strategy within a complex, FCA-regulated framework.
• Investor Relations & Scaling: Partner with the CFO on investor engagement, board presentations, and future capital-raising or strategic M&A activity.
• Team Leadership: Manage and mentor an established finance team, including a strong Group Financial Controller, ensuring the function scales seamlessly with the business.

Candidate Profile

JSS are seeking a high-achieving, ambitious finance professional with a proven track record within the high-growth, investor-backed ecosystem (Series B through E).

• Sector & Investment Experience: Direct experience operating within Private Equity (PE) or Venture Capital (VC) backed environments is essential. You must bring deep domain expertise from high-growth FinTech, regulated payments, fintech banking, or a similarly fast-growing, regulated business landscape.
• The Right Balance: A commercially driven mindset (FP&A, transformation, IR) paired with an absolute command of core accounting principles and regulatory governance.
• Background: An ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualification is essential. A foundational background in top-tier Audit/Practice (Big 4 preferred) is highly desirable but not a deal-breaker.
• Gravitas: Exceptional communication skills with the resilience and intellectual curiosity required to influence institutional investors and board members.