Job Description: Finance Controller
Location: London, United Kingdom (Hybrid/On-site)
Employment Type: Full-time
Seniority Level: Senior Management
About the Role
We are a UK-licensed Electronic Money Institution (EMI) seeking a highly skilled and visionary Finance Controller to join our leadership team. This is a pivotal senior role where you will take ownership of the financial framework, treasury, accounting, and reporting functions, ensuring the business operates to the highest standards of financial integrity and regulatory compliance acting as the firm's primary point of contact with the Board and the Finance Director.
Given our rapid expansion, this role will require a proactive, commercially minded finance leader who is comfortable with the complexities of safeguarding, capital adequacy, multi-entity group structures, cashflow management, statutory audits and building internal financial processes. With a lean finance team in the early stages, this role will be very much "hands-on" - from reconciliations and management accounts to designing financial processes and liaising with external accountants, auditors, and regulators.
The successful candidate will be both strategic and hands-on: capable of designing, implementing, and scaling finance processes and procedures from the ground up, while also executing day-to-day responsibilities with precision. As volumes grow, you will build and lead a finance team to support sustainable growth, regulatory excellence, and investor confidence.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) who thrives in a fast-paced, high-growth, and highly regulated environment.
Key Responsibilities
Setting up processes and procedures
* Define and deliver the workflows, including service pricings across product lines (cards, accounts, acquiring, FX).
* Ensure effective management of regulatory capital, safeguarding arrangements, liquidity, and treasury operations.
* Lead financial planning, budgets, cashflow forecasting, and scenario modelling across group entities.
* Build and scale the future finance function (accountants, treasury specialists, controllers, analysts).
Financial Management & Reporting
* Oversee all aspects of financial management, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency.
* Produce and review monthly management accounts, P&L, balance sheet reconciliations, and cashflow statements.
* Ensure compliance with UK GAAP/IFRS, FCA returns, HMRC obligations, VAT, and corporation tax.
* Lead statutory and FCA reporting cycles.
* Manage the annual audit process, preparing all necessary documentation and liaising with auditors.
* Conduct reconciliations (bank, safeguarding, card schemes) and ensure timely resolution of variances.
* Design and maintain a strong internal control environment to prevent errors and fraud.
* Financial Planning, Business Partnering & M&A
* Provide timely financial insights to senior management to support decision-making.
* Prepare budgets, forecasts, and variance analysis with actionable recommendations.
* Partner with compliance, risk, operations, and commercial teams to optimise performance and support sustainable growth.
Systems, Processes & Treasury
* Lead the optimisation and automation of financial processes to improve efficiency and accuracy.
* Act as the key finance lead for accounting systems (Xero, QuickBooks), with roadmap to ERP implementation.
* Implement automated integrations between payment systems, accounting, and reporting tools.
* Manage daily safeguarding reconciliations, treasury movements, and liquidity planning.
* Ensure payroll, pensions, employee loan deductions, and HMRC submissions are completed accurately and on time.
Audit, Compliance & Risk Management
* Ensure full compliance with FCA requirements (PSRs, EMRs, safeguarding, capital adequacy).
* Lead risk management and financial governance across the group.
* Conduct regular internal audits of financial processes and systems for accuracy and compliance.
* Liaise with regulators and auditors to demonstrate ongoing compliance and financial resilience.
Leadership & Team Development
* Support and mentor junior finance staff, fostering a culture of high standards and continuous development.
* Work collaboratively across departments to embed financial discipline into all business operations.
Candidate Profile
Essential
* Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA).
* Significant financial leadership experience within financial services (EMI, payments, fintech, or banking).
* Proven track record as Financial Controller/Finance Manager in a multi-site or group structure.
* Strong knowledge of FCA frameworks (PSRs, EMRs, safeguarding, capital adequacy).
* Hands-on approach with the ability to manage both detail and strategy.
* Proficiency in Payroll Manager, Xero and/or similar accounting systems; comfortable leading system improvements.
* Skilled in cashflow forecasting, audit processes, and financial controls.
* Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.
* Ability to work under pressure in a rapidly growing environment.
Desirable
* Experience in regulated financial services, fintech, or private-equity-backed businesses.
* Familiarity with financial modelling and investor reporting.
What We Offer
* A unique opportunity to join a high-growth fintech at a senior leadership level.
* Ownership of the finance agenda, with the autonomy to design and build a best-in-class finance function from scratch.
* Competitive compensation package with potential long-term incentives.
* A dynamic, innovative, and collaborative environment where finance is central to growth, governance, and regulatory excellence.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £50,000.00-£60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
* Sick pay
* Work from home
Ability to commute/relocate:
* London EC2A 4PS: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Application question(s):
* Experience in regulated financial services, fintech, or private-equity-backed businesses
Experience:
* Finance Controller: 3 years (required)
Licence/Certification:
* ACA / ACCA / CIMA or other equivalent degree (required)
Work authorisation:
* United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person