Head of Finance in Bicester

Location: Hybrid (Upper-Heyford office, three days per week)

Reports to: Chief Financial Officer

Direct Reports: Group Financial Accountant; broader finance team via the GFA

About FAT Karting League

FAT Karting League is disrupting the pathway from karting to F1, and you’ll be part of the team turning a transformative idea into a worldwide movement. FAT Karting League has taken the UK & US by storm with our electric karting series, a community driven sports brand breaking down barriers to entry, removing 95% of the traditional costs, and redefining racing culture for a new generation. With plans to expand to 50+ markets in the next five years, we’re moving fast and looking for a Head of Finance who shares our ambition.

Role Summary

FAT Karting League is building a finance function for a fast-growing, multi-entity and multi-jurisdiction group. The role requires someone who can bring control, accuracy and pace to a finance operation that is still being built. As Head of Finance, you sit between the CFO and the finance team. You own the quality of the finance output, including the close, consolidation, audit, statutory accounts, technical accounting positions, controls, systems and core finance processes. You will lead the team, but this is not a hands-off role. Execution sits primarily with the Group Financial Accountant and the team beneath, but you are expected to understand the detail, review the output properly, resolve issues and improve how the function operates. This role is for an experienced industry operator who can run the finance function, own the numbers, strengthen controls, improve processes and make better use of systems and automation as the Group scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team - Lead and develop the Group Financial Accountant; own performance of the broader finance team via the GFA. Own the quality of everything the team produces. The CFO should be able to use the output without re-checking it. Set the standard for technical accuracy, close discipline, and process across the function.
• Close, Consolidation & Reporting - Own the Group close timetable and standards; review and approve close journals, adjustments, reconciliations and system-generated postings. Own Group consolidation across a multi-entity, multi-currency, multi-jurisdiction structure, including intercompany eliminations and FX translation. Sign off entity and consolidated management accounts; own the numbers feeding into Board and investor reporting.
• Technical Accounting, Audit & Tax - Be the final technical authority below the CFO on revenue recognition, deferred revenue, payment plans, refunds, chargebacks, intercompany and other judgemental areas across UK GAAP and US GAAP, including how those treatments are applied through finance processes and systems. Own the auditor relationship and statutory reporting across all jurisdictions; sign off statutory accounts and run audits to a clean and timely close. Own tax compliance and tax accounting through external advisors; approve all returns and filings before submission.
• Controls & Systems - Own the internal control framework across finance: controls design, segregation of duties, approval authorities, audit trails and remediation of control gaps. Own financial systems and ERP governance, including configuration, dimensions, workflows, integrations, change control and data quality. Ensure key finance processes are properly designed, documented, controlled and scalable, including revenue recognition, deferred revenue, payment plans, refunds, chargebacks, reconciliations, recurring journals and close activities. Work with the Group Financial Accountant, developers, implementation partners and external advisors to improve finance processes and reduce unnecessary manual effort. Ensure system-generated reports, imported journals and automated outputs are understood, reconciled, auditable and fit for management, statutory and investor reporting. Build and scale the function as the Group expands internationally, balancing efficiency, control and practical execution.

Job requirements

• Qualifications & Experience
• ACA or CIMA qualified with 4+ years post-qualification experience in industry. Practice-only candidates will not be considered.
• Demonstrable hands-on ownership of group consolidation in a multi-entity, multi-currency, multi-jurisdiction group, including intercompany eliminations and FX translation. Non-negotiable.
• Strong working experience across UK and US jurisdictions, including UK GAAP, US GAAP, and US sales tax.
• Sector experience in ticketing, live events, sports, hospitality, or a comparable deferred-revenue, high-volume environment preferred however not essential.
• Sage Intacct experience preferred; equivalent experience owning ERP configuration, workflows, reporting structures, integrations and system controls in another mid-market ERP will be considered.
• Track record managing external auditors and tax advisors, and line-managing qualified finance professionals.
• Demonstrable experience improving finance processes in a growing or multi-entity business.

Personal Attributes

• Systems-aware: Comfortable working with finance systems, reports, reconciliations, workflows and data. Able to spot when a system process, mapping or control is not working properly.
• Owns the output: Takes responsibility for the accuracy, quality and timeliness of everything produced by the finance team. The CFO should not need to rework or second-guess the numbers.
• Gets into the detail: Senior enough to lead the team, but close enough to the work to understand how the numbers are produced, where the risks are, and what needs fixing.
• Process-focused: Looks at how work is actually done and improves it. Builds clear, repeatable processes rather than relying on manual fixes or individual knowledge.
• Automation-minded: Actively looks for ways to reduce manual effort, improve accuracy and strengthen controls through better systems, cleaner data and simpler processes.