The Role
The Finance Lead is responsible for the overall financial health of the company, with end‑to‑end ownership of financial processes, planning, analysis, budgeting and reporting. The role oversees outsourced accounting services, while ensuring that financial processes, controls and insights are fit for a growing, regulated organisation.
As a key contributor to the company’s strategic direction, the Finance Lead supports data‑driven decision‑making across the business, works closely with other functions and the senior management team (including the CEO on fundraising activity), and drives continuous improvement in financial operations. This is a hands‑on role, combining strategic leadership with practical execution in a lean environment.
The role reports to the COO and will be part of the broader Ops team. It is supported by outsourced bookkeepers and by a part‑time contractor. This role will not be right for you if you want to manage a large team.
The role is hybrid (Leeds) or fully remote in the UK only. We cannot sponsor visas to work in the UK.
What you will do:
Running an effective, scalable and compliant finance function
- Own day‑to‑day financial operations, including payroll, invoicing, A/P and A/R, bookkeeping, VAT and tax, ensuring transactions are accurate, timely, and well controlled.
- Ensure financial, corporate and regulatory compliance, including timely statutory reporting, adherence to UK and US regulatory requirements, oversight of audits, tax planning and financial risk management.
- Lead cash flow, working capital and treasury management, maintaining liquidity, forecasting cash requirements and ensuring the business is well positioned to fund operations and strategic investment.
- Manage outsourced bookkeeping partner and external advisors (as needed).
- Improve finance processes, systems and controls, raising the quality, speed and usefulness of financial information as the business scales.
Supporting business strategy, growth and reporting
- Own financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and analysis, providing forward‑looking insight to support strategic planning, growth initiatives and operational decision‑making.
- Deliver high‑quality financial reporting and analysis, including monthly management accounts, board reporting, financial modelling and scenario planning, improving understanding of unit economics and key financial levers.
- Act as a trusted finance business partner to the senior management team and departmental leaders, translating financial data into clear insights, challenging assumptions where appropriate, helping teams grow their financial understanding and ensuring cost controls.
- Support capital strategy and fundraising activity, working closely with the CEO and COO on fundraising (including financial modelling, investor due diligence support), investor reporting and debt or equity financing.
Requirements
- Proven experience in a senior finance role (e.g., Finance Lead, Head of Finance), with end‑to‑end responsibility for the finance function in a growing business at a similar stage (Start‑up/scale‑up, Series A/B).
- Experience supporting a B2B business, ideally with exposure to different revenue models.
- Strong experience in financial planning, forecasting, management reporting, budgeting and cash flow management, with clear ownership of outputs and quality.
- Demonstrated ability to define, analyse and improve profitability, including developing a clear understanding of margins, unit economics and financial performance across different parts of the business.
- Track record of producing high‑quality board‑level reporting, including clear narrative, insight and recommendations to support strategic decision‑making.
- Experience working as finance leader for a PE/VC portfolio company.
- Exposure to fundraising, investor reporting or financial (and customer) due diligence, supporting senior leaders through investment processes.
- Professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or equivalent experience.
Desirable
- Track record of improving finance processes and reporting in a scaling business.
- Background in healthcare, life sciences or adjacent B2B sectors.
- Experience presenting to boards and investors.
Capabilities and behaviours we are looking for
- Living our values.
- Highly collaborative, working effectively across teams and functions to build strong relationships and trust.
- Excellent communicator, able to explain financial concepts clearly to non‑financial colleagues and adapt style for different audiences.
- Credible and confident with senior stakeholders, including the Board and investors, with the ability to challenge constructively and influence outcomes.
- Comfortable moving between strategic leadership and hands‑on execution, taking ownership of outcomes and stepping into detail when needed in a lean environment.
- Detail‑oriented, pragmatic and resilient, maintaining accuracy and sound judgement while operating at pace and managing competing priorities.
- Able to introduce appropriate structure, controls and discipline, improving clarity and robustness without creating unnecessary complexity.
Benefits
- Gross salary: £85‑92 k per year for FTE.
- EMI share options.
- Up to 6 % pension match (salary sacrifice).
- 28 days annual leave (plus public holidays).
- £500 annual training budget.
- £200 home working budget (one‑off).
- Flexible working with core hours.
- Enhanced (family & parental) leave policies.
Diversity & Inclusion
We encourage people from all walks of life to apply and strive to eliminate unconscious bias in our recruitment process. We do not discriminate on ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or parental status or disability. We encourage candidates from under‑represented groups to apply. If you need adjustments made to our application process, to help accommodate any disabilities, please let us know at hr@littlejourney.health.
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