CFO

Cedar; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Board exposure

PE investor interaction

Senior leadership opportunity

Job summary

Cedar in Manchester is seeking a commercially astute CFO to build a scalable finance function as it expands internationally. You will partner with the CEO and PE investors to shape financial strategy and governance while preparing for future exit.

This hands-on role requires a track record leading finance in scaling SaaS businesses, excellent planning, and the ability to operate across strategic and operational levels in a fast-paced PE-backed environment.

Qualifications

• Proven CFO or senior finance leader in a scaling SaaS business.
• Experience working with PE investors and boards, including governance and reporting.
• Experience supporting international expansion and complex multi-market finance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and scale the finance function to support international expansion and increased complexity
• Build robust financial planning, reporting, and forecasting processes for a multi-market SaaS business
• Partner with the CEO and board on strategic decision-making, growth planning, and capital allocation
• Act as the finance point of contact for the PE investor, managing board reporting and investor relations
• Develop and implement scalable systems, controls, and processes across finance
• Oversee cash flow management, treasury, and funding requirements as the business grows
• Build and lead a high-performing finance team, hiring ahead of growth
• Lead on exit readiness, including due diligence preparation and data room management
• Get hands-on in a fast-moving environment

Skills

CFO/finance leadership in SaaS

Investor relations & reporting

Strategic financial planning

Cross-functional leadership

PE-backed scaling experience

Job description

Location: Manchester (hybrid/office-based)
Sector: SaaS, PE-backed
Reporting to: CEO, with close engagement with the PE investor board

About the Business

Our client is a fast-growing, PE-backed SaaS business headquartered in Manchester. Having recently closed a new funding round, the business is now entering an exciting phase of international expansion, scaling operations, infrastructure, and teams to support growth into new geographical markets.

As the business matures, they are looking to appoint a commercially astute CFO who can build a finance function fit for an international, scaling SaaS company, and who can help position the business for a future exit.

About the Role

This is a hands-on, high-impact CFO role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, PE-backed environment. You will be responsible for building out the finance function from the ground up, ensuring it is scalable, robust, and capable of supporting the business as it expands into new markets.

You will work closely with the CEO, leadership team, and the PE investor to drive financial strategy, strengthen reporting and controls, and prepare the business for future milestones, including an eventual exit.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and scale the finance function to support international expansion and increased complexity
• Build robust financial planning, reporting, and forecasting processes suitable for a multi-market SaaS business
• Partner with the CEO and board on strategic decision-making, growth planning, and capital allocation
• Act as the key finance point of contact for the PE investor, managing board reporting and investor relations
• Develop and implement scalable systems, controls, and processes across finance
• Oversee cash flow management, treasury, and funding requirements as the business grows
• Build and lead a high-performing finance team, hiring ahead of growth where needed
• Lead on exit readiness, including financial due diligence preparation, data room management, and process improvements to support a future transaction
• Get hands‑on where required, rolling sleeves up to solve problems directly in a fast‑moving environment

About You

• Proven CFO or senior finance leadership experience within a scaling SaaS business, ideally PE-backed
• Track record of building and scaling finance functions to support rapid growth and increasing complexity
• Experience supporting international expansion into new markets
• Strong understanding of SaaS metrics and unit economics (ARR, churn, CAC, LTV, etc.)
• Experience working closely with PE investors and boards, including reporting and governance requirements
• Prior involvement in exit processes, fundraising, or M&A activity highly desirable
• A hands‑on, roll‑up‑your‑sleeves approach, comfortable operating at both strategic and operational levels
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to build and develop a growing finance team

What's on Offer

• The opportunity to lead finance through a high-growth, international scale‑up journey
• Direct exposure to PE investors and board‑level strategy
• A key leadership role in a business preparing for a future exit