Full job descriptionAn exciting opportunity based in Northants for a commercially minded Head of Finance & Compliance to shape and develop the finance function within a growing, ambitious business. Combining strong financial control and compliance expertise with a hands-on, start-up mindset, you’ll build robust processes, establish best practice and provide the commercial insight needed to support business growth and drive better decision-making.

What you’ll do
*Take ownership of the finance and compliance function, bringing structure, pace and best practice to a growing business.

*Build and embed robust financial processes, controls and SOPs, ensuring the business operates in line with relevant governance.

*Manage a lean finance function of 3-4 heads.
*Oversee core finance activities, including management reporting, payments, payroll and purchase-to-pay processes.

*Develop meaningful management information, providing clear financial insight to support business performance and strategic decision-making.

*Partner with operational leaders to challenge spend, assess investment opportunities and improve capital allocation.

*Support the evaluation of business cases and capital expenditure proposals, providing financial rigour and commercial challenge.

*Ensure the business has the right contractual, financial and compliance foundations as it continues to grow.

*Develop an effective, well-structured finance team and drive greater efficiency through systems, processes and automation.

What you’ll bring*Proven experience in a senior finance leadership role, ideally within an early-stage, start-up or fast-growing business.

*A strong technical grounding across financial control, reporting, compliance and financial operations.

*A track record of building or transforming finance functions, implementing processes and establishing effective controls from the ground up.

*A commercially astute mindset, with the ability to translate financial information into practical business recommendations.

*Confidence challenging stakeholders, questioning expenditure and influencing investment decisions.

*A proactive, hands-on approach, with the ability to identify what needs doing and take ownership of making it happen.

*Experience implementing or working with finance systems and ERP platforms would be advantageous.

*The ability to balance attention to detail and compliance with the pace and pragmatism required in a growing business.

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates