About Charlie
Please double check you have the right level of experience and qualifications by reading the full overview of this opportunity below.
We’re Charlie and we exist to Make Work Better. We do this by helping small businesses automate their HR tasks so they can get the time, headspace and tools they need to build engaged, high‑performing teams.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
We’re looking for a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to join our leadership team and act as a strategic partner to the CEO, owning the financial strategy and operational backbone that enables CharlieHR to scale confidently and efficiently. If you’re excited by building, influencing, and shaping the future of a SaaS business — not just reporting on it — we’d love to hear from you.
What is a “CFO” at Charlie?
The role of CFO at CharlieHR goes far beyond traditional financial ownership. This is a senior, strategic, and commercial leadership role, operating as a co‑pilot to the CEO and a key voice on company direction, investment decisions, and long‑term value creation. You’ll sit on the Leadership Team and play a central role in how we grow, allocate capital, and position the business for future investment.
ResponsibilitiesFinancial strategy & leadership
- Owning our financial strategy, long‑term planning, and forecasting
- Leading annual budgeting and quarterly re‑forecasting
- Using financial insight to shape strategic decisions across the business
- Analysing unit economics and performance by customer segment to inform pricing, packaging, and investment priorities
- Acting as a trusted partner to the CEO, CRO, and Leadership Team on financial and operational matters
Commercial & strategic partnership
- Partnering closely with Revenue, Product, Engineering, Customer Experience and People Ops to evaluate ROI and growth trade‑offs
- Supporting pricing, investment, and prioritisation decisions with clear, data‑driven insight
- Helping the business balance growth, efficiency, and sustainability as we scale
Investor & board
- Leading investor and board financial communications
- Building investor‑grade reporting and data rooms
- Positioning the business for future funding or exit opportunities
- Ensuring the financial narrative is clear, credible, and compelling
Finance & reporting
- Owning management accounts, cash flow management, and financial reporting
- Ensuring accurate and timely reporting of key SaaS metrics (ARR, MRR, churn, LTV, CAC, payback, margins)
- Managing relationships with external accountants, auditors, and tax advisors
- Overseeing statutory compliance, tax planning, and financial risk management
Team Leadership (Finance & Operations)
- Line managing and developing the Finance Manager
- Line managing the Chief of Staff (Ops), overseeing operational delivery and process improvements
- Setting clear objectives and KPIs, fostering accountability and continuous improvement
- Ensuring we have the systems, processes, and tools in place to scale effectively
Requirements
You must have:
- Senior finance leadership experience in a SaaS business
- Deep understanding of SaaS unit economics, pricing, and growth levers
- Experience partnering closely with a CEO, CRO and leadership team as a strategic advisor
- Proven ability to influence complex, high‑stakes decisions with clarity and judgement
- Experience working with investors and/or private equity–backed businesses
- Strong communication skills — able to translate complex financial insight for non‑financial audiences
- A hands‑on, pragmatic mindset, comfortable operating in a scaling environment
- Self‑awareness and humility — you value honest feedback and continuous learning
- Exposure to M&A, fundraising, or exit preparations
- Experience balancing commercial growth with operational rigour in a PE‑style environment
- Experience acting as a “number two” to a CFO before stepping into the role
Desirable (not required)
- Experience building finance functions and infrastructure from earlier stages
- Comfort leveraging AI or modern tooling to accelerate insight and analysis
We will still consider applications even if you don’t meet every single one of the above — please don’t be put off if you don’t match them perfectly. This is a permanent, full‑time role. We cannot offer visa sponsorship and you must be able to work in the UK.
The way we work
How We’re Crafting Ownership, Belonging And Structured Flexibility
- A team of 39 who genuinely enjoy spending time together, with regular in‑person and remote events
- 9‑day fortnights — every other Friday off, plus meeting‑free Wednesdays on five‑day weeks
- Hybrid‑first: office and remote working are valued equally
- Live anywhere in the UK, with 5 set in‑person days per year in our London office
- 90 nomad working days outside the UK each year
- No fixed working hours — you take ownership over how you work
- A pet‑friendly office in East London’s Second Home plus access to their wider network
- “Exploration days” to work on ideas across the company
- Transparent progression framework with twice‑yearly reviews
You can find out more about how we work in the Charlie Handbook here.
Compensation Package
A benchmarked salary from £119,000 to £130,000 based on your level within our progression framework.
Benefits
- £750 yearly Work Your Way Budget
- Access to our Learn You Way Fund for additional L&D
- £30 monthly wellbeing budget
- Private Health Insurance through Vitality
- 25 days annual leave plus public holidays
- 4 personal days per year
- Sabbatical: up to one month at 50% pay after every 3.5 years
- Enhanced equal parental leave policy
Equal Opportunities Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and believe in the power of a diverse, inclusive team. xwzovoh We welcome applications from all suitably qualified people, regardless of race, sex, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or age. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to support you through the interview process.
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