FWB
Head of Finance - Sports Labs
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About Sports Labs
Sports Labs is a world-leading, independent sports technology and testing company, specialising in the assessment, certification and development of sports surfaces, equipment and performance technologies. Founded in Scotland in 1998, the business has grown from a niche turf testing provider into a globally recognised authority in sports surface science, operating across laboratory, field and consultancy environments.
Today, Sports Labs supports clients across the full lifecycle of sports infrastructure – from design, procurement and construction through to testing, certification and ongoing performance monitoring. The business works with a diverse international client base including global governing bodies, professional sports organisations, contractors and facility owners, ensuring that surfaces and technologies meet the highest standards of safety, quality and performance.
Headquartered in Livingston, with an expanding international footprint, Sports Labs combines deep technical expertise with a highly commercial, client-focused approach. Its multidisciplinary team spans engineering, data, agronomy and sports science, and the business continues to invest in innovation across areas such as advanced surface testing, data-led performance insights and emerging sports technologies. At its core, Sports Labs is driven by a clear purpose: to enhance player safety and improve performance through better, more reliable sports environments.
As the business enters its next phase, Sports Labs is poised for accelerated growth, supported by imminent investment from King Group and the recent appointment of experienced finance and non-executive leader Ron Robson as Chair. Ron brings family office, private equity and sports sector experience, including being a NXD with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and this investment represents a significant inflection point, bringing both capital and strategic leadership to support international expansion, broaden the service offering and further strengthen its position as a global leader in the sector.
Central to this next stage is a deliberate investment in the management team and infrastructure required to scale. In particular, the business is establishing a high-calibre, forward-looking finance function to underpin growth, enhance commercial insight and support investor engagement. This begins with the recruitment of a Head of Finance, forming the foundation of a scalable finance capability aligned to the company’s long-term value creation ambitions.
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About The Role
The Head of Finance will take ownership of financial control and reporting across the business, including the consolidation of UK and European operations. The role will bring greater consistency and visibility to financial performance, ensuring robust reporting and control across the business.
A key focus will be on margin analysis and cost discipline across laboratory and field service delivery, alongside maintaining the integrity of revenue recognition for project-based and milestone billing. The role will also lead cash flow forecasting and working capital optimisation.
The Head of Finance will oversee the transition from outsourced bookkeeping to a controlled in-house model, establishing the systems, processes and controls required to support the next stage of growth.
This is a hands-on role requiring strong technical capability, commercial judgement and the ability to operate effectively across both the detail and the wider business.
Key Responsibilities
FINANCIAL CONTROL & GOVERNANCE
- Own monthly management accounts across group entities.
- Establish robust consolidation processes (multi-currency where relevant).
- Ensure appropriate revenue recognition policies (project-based, stage-of completion, milestone or delivery-based as applicable).
- Strengthen internal controls, particularly across international operations.
- Oversee statutory accounts and audit processes.
- Manage tax compliance across UK and Europe (with external advisors).
FP&A & COMMERCIAL INSIGHT
- Develop forward-looking budgets and rolling forecasts.
- Introduce project-level profitability analysis (by service line, geography, customer type).
- Analyse laboratory utilisation, field team productivity and margin by contract type.
- Provide insight into pricing strategy and cost-to-serve dynamics.
- Support capital investment decisions (e.g. lab equipment, accreditations, technology systems).
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WORKING CAPITAL & CASH MANAGEMENT
- Improve billing discipline and debtor management.
- Manage milestone invoicing and contract cash profiles.
- Enhance cash forecasting and liquidity planning.
SYSTEMS & PROCESSES
- Assess current finance systems and introduce scalable reporting capability.
- Gradually insource bookkeeping currently handled externally in Europe.
- Standardise chart of accounts and reporting across subsidiaries.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
- Act as finance partner to operational leaders (lab, field operations, commercial).
- Work closely with Executive Chair and King Group on performance reporting.
- Prepare board-quality financial packs with KPI dashboards.
Candidate Requirements
Experience:
- Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA or equivalent).
- Experience within services-led, project-based or testing / certification / technical consultancy environments.
- Multi-entity or international reporting exposure preferred.
- Experience in revenue recognition under project or milestone billing models.
- Comfortable operating in a scaling SME or investor-backed environment.
- Experience transitioning from outsourced to in-house finance models desirable.
Capabilities:
- Strong FP&A and commercial analysis capability.
- Detail-oriented with high standards of control and governance.
- Systems-aware and process improvement focused.
- Able to operate both strategically and operationally.
Personal Attributes:
- Hands-on, technically proficient and pragmatic.
- Credible with technically strong operational leaders.
- Comfortable in a growth and change environment.
- Ambitious and capable of evolving into Finance Director over time.
To apply, please send your CV to Daryl Harper at applications@fwbltd.com. For an initial confidential discussion, contact him on 0131 539 7087.
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