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- Tasks: Lead financial strategy, manage capital structure, and drive international expansion.
- Company: Dynamic tech company in London with a focus on growth and innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, bonus opportunities, and hybrid working model.
- Other info: Join a fast-paced environment with significant career advancement potential.
- Why this job: Be the financial brain behind exciting growth and make impactful decisions.
- Qualifications: Qualified accountant with strong commercial judgement and leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 90000 - 120000 £ per year.
Reports to: COO / Founders
City of London, Hybrid
Competitive Basic salary + bonus
The role:
The commercial and financial brain of Wave's leadership. Models the future of the business, structures the capital that funds it, and owns the decisions founders would otherwise have to make themselves. Thinks like the founders and backs it up with rigour. A senior visible presence in the business, the final point of escalation before founder involvement on finance and commercial decisions, and the person investors meet before they meet the founders. This is a CFO-equivalent role with heavy commercial judgement, not a financial controller. The Interim Finance Manager owns the execution layer beneath; this role owns the strategic, commercial, and capital thinking above it.
What you own and what success looks like:
- Financial strategy and growth modelling: Own Wave's live financial model across revenue trajectory, EBITDA bridge, cash position, and valuation. No significant decision reaches the founders without a financial model attached. Produce the board and investor financial narrative at a consistent cadence.
- Capital structure: debt, equity, and growth investment: Own the capital structure strategy across three geographies and three business lines. Manage the invoice finance facility and evaluate alternative debt instruments. Own the equity financing strategy: when, at what valuation, from whom, on what terms. Manage the cash cycle proactively, not reactively.
- International expansion finance: Own the financial architecture for US and UAE growth: investment cases, funding models, inter-company structures, and return expectations. Build break-even headcount models and entity funding structures for each new geography. Own the intercompany accounting framework and country-specific finance briefings.
- Group P&L and financial governance: Own the group P&L and margin discipline across all three business lines. Own the financial governance framework: sign-off thresholds, approval levels, escalation structure. The final escalation point before founder involvement on finance and commercial decisions. Maintain the financial risk register.
- Finance systems and Mothership integration: Own the requirements brief for the Xero to Mothership financial data integration. Define what the financial reporting layer in Mothership needs to surface. Lead the R&D tax credit programme.
- Statutory compliance and multi-entity risk: Own all statutory obligations across UK entities and active international jurisdictions. Maintain the group compliance calendar and risk register. Manage the external advisor network.
- Direct report leadership: Lead and develop the Interim Finance Manager at pace with the business's growth.
Who we are looking for:
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA) with significant post-qualification experience in a scaling professional services, SaaS, or tech-enabled business.
- Heavy commercial judgement, not just financial discipline; reads a business situation and identifies the financial implication without being asked.
- Senior presence and gravitas with clients, investors, and advisors.
- Thinks like a founder and backs it up with rigour; builds models from scratch that drive decisions, rather than reporting on outcomes.
- Capital markets experience: managed debt facilities, participated in equity raises, or structured growth financing.
- Multi-entity, multi-jurisdiction finance experience.
- Willing to challenge founders and SLT with data and back their own calls with conviction.
- Comfortable being the final escalation point on decisions that do not need founder involvement.
- AI-literate; restructures working practices around AI tools.
- High trust, high accountability.
Financial Director in City of London employer: Wave Group
Contact Detail:
Wave Group Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Financial Director in City of London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the finance sector. Attend industry events, join relevant online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on your dream job!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by doing your homework. Research the company’s financial strategies and recent developments. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals. Show them you’re not just another candidate; you’re the one they need!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or mentors. Focus on articulating your commercial judgement and strategic thinking. The more comfortable you are discussing your expertise, the more confident you’ll appear to potential employers.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We’ve got loads of opportunities that might just be the perfect fit for you. Plus, applying directly shows your enthusiasm and commitment to joining our team. Let’s make it happen!
We think you need these skills to ace Financial Director in City of London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Financial Savvy: When you're crafting your application, make sure to highlight your financial expertise and commercial judgement. We want to see how you think like a founder and can model financial strategies that drive decisions.
Tailor Your Narrative: Don’t just send a generic CV! Tailor your application to reflect the specific requirements of the Finance Director role. Use the job description as a guide to showcase your relevant experience and skills.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application clear and to the point. We appreciate straightforward communication, so avoid jargon and focus on what makes you the best fit for this strategic role.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures it gets into the right hands quickly!
How to prepare for a job interview at Wave Group
✨Know Your Financial Models Inside Out
As a Financial Director, you'll need to demonstrate your expertise in financial modelling. Be prepared to discuss how you've built and used financial models in previous roles. Bring examples of how these models influenced strategic decisions, as this will show you think like a founder.
✨Showcase Your Commercial Judgement
This role requires heavy commercial judgement, so be ready to share specific instances where you've identified financial implications in business situations. Think about times when your insights led to significant outcomes, and articulate these clearly during the interview.
✨Prepare for Capital Structure Discussions
Since you'll own the capital structure strategy, brush up on your knowledge of debt, equity, and growth investment. Be ready to discuss your experience with managing debt facilities and structuring financing deals. This will demonstrate your capability to handle complex financial scenarios.
✨Exhibit Leadership and Gravitas
As a senior presence in the business, it's crucial to convey confidence and authority. Prepare to discuss your leadership style and how you've developed teams in fast-paced environments. Highlight your ability to challenge decisions with data, as this shows you're not afraid to back your calls with conviction.