Senior Finance Manager

Harper May is partnering with an early-stage, mission-led climate-tech business developing high-integrity, nature-based carbon credits at scale. Backed by a strong founding team and an experienced group of investors, the business is now preparing for a Series B fundraise and building out the operating platform that will support the next phase of growth. A Senior Finance Manager, stepping into a Head of Finance seat, is being appointed to own the finance function end to end, partner directly with the COO on planning and controls, and be a key operator through the upcoming raise.

The Role
Reporting directly to the COO and working closely with the wider leadership team, the Senior Finance Manager / Head of Finance will own everything from the day-to-day close through to Series B fundraise-ready modelling, board reporting and financial controls. The role is genuinely hands-on and broad: a real chance to own the finance function of a fast-growing climate-tech business and shape the systems, processes and reporting as the company scales.

Key Responsibilities

Own the monthly close, with a target of audit-ready books by working day 10Manage the external bookkeeping partner, reviewing work for accuracy and completenessOwn statutory compliance across annual accounts, VAT and R&D tax credit filingsAudit and optimise the finance stack across Xero, CRM, payroll and banking, and design scalable SOPs, expense workflows and spend controlsDeliver monthly and quarterly financial packages, including P&L, balance sheet, cash flow and variance analysisOwn cash flow forecasting and working capital management in a pre-scale environmentPrepare investor updates and board decks in partnership with the COO and CEOBuild the multi-year integrated financial model for the Series B fundraise, standing up to VC scrutinyPartner with the leadership team on project finance models, unit economics and commercial decisions

What we are looking for

Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA), or equivalent fully completedPrior experience in an early-stage start-up or scale-up finance function is essentialDirect experience of a fundraise, ideally Series A or Series B, including building the model and supporting due diligenceStrong technical grounding in monthly close, statutory reporting, VAT and R&D tax creditsConfident with Xero and comfortable configuring and integrating finance systemsAble to build a multi-year integrated financial model that stands up to VC scrutinyCommercially minded, hands-on, and comfortable owning the numbers end to end in a lean teamUK-based, comfortable working remotely within +/- 2 hours of UK time