Key Responsibilities

• Build the finance systems stack from scratch with AI and automation at its core, alongside engineering and ops, so the function scales without headcount scaling with it.
• Own cash: a rolling forecast, long-term runway visibility, working capital, banking and payment operations, and the collateral and margin requirements that come with trading counterparties.
• Own the money flows across the full counterparty chain, from what comes in from customers through to what goes out to suppliers, intermediaries and market counterparties, and the payment terms that govern both sides.
• Design the revenue collection and payment engine: credit control policy, invoicing accuracy, terms, aged debtor reporting and escalation, built to scale and automated so it largely runs itself.
• FP&A duties including lead budgeting, reforecasting and planning directly with the founders, grounded in the unit economics and the real drivers of the business.
• Design and own month-end close and get the business to a faster, tighter reporting rhythm, producing the management accounts and the board and investor pack.
• Partner with the trading desk so that market exposure, cashflow and P&L forecasts line up, and own customer credit risk end to end.
• Own broker and third-party commission accounting: calculate, accrue and reconcile against statements, and resolve discrepancies fast.
• Own statutory accounts, audit, payroll and tax compliance, and build proportionate internal controls: payment approvals, delegation of authority, segregation of duties.

Essential Experience

• Experience inside a start-up or high-growth business. This is not an environment with the structure to absorb someone learning how a young company works at the same time as learning the sector.
• Experience of complex, multi-party operational businesses rather than pure SaaS. Energy or commodities is the obvious home, but marketplaces, two-sided partnership models, consumer fintech built on partnership or credit structures, and healthcare and health-tech all carry comparable complexity.
• Direct experience of complex cashflow environments: many counterparties, differing payment terms and timelines, and multiple cost and revenue streams.
• A track record of building or significantly improving finance processes, controls and systems, rather than running a machine somebody else built.
• Exceptional numerical ability, diligence and thoroughness.
• A first-principles problem solver who can take a problem, break it down logically, reach a clear conclusion and explain it simply.
• Open to building the function a new way rather than reinstalling the one you have run before.

Desirable Experience

• Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA or equivalent).
• Experience in an energy business, trading house, commodities business or fintech.
• Experience as an early finance hire building a function from scratch.
• Already AI-native in how you work, using AI and automation in your finance work today.

Salary

Candidate dependent, benchmarked at £100,000 to £150,000 + equity

Location

London, office first culture with ideally four days a week in the office with the founders and team, plus ten remote-working days a year

Start Date

ASAP. The client would ideally have someone in seat before the end of the year, with flexibility for the ideal candidate.

At Harmonic, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. We actively welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and assure you that every candidate will be thoughtfully considered for the roles we represent, without regard to race, religion, gender expression, disability, or sexual orientation.