Chief Finance Officer

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 140,000 - 200,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

25 days holiday (pro‑rata)

Employer pension contribution 10%

Job summary

Cellular Origins is seeking a Chief Finance Officer to lead finance strategy and execution as the company scales its cell therapy manufacturing platform. You’ll partner with the CEO, Board and executive team to shape capital strategy, funding decisions and long-term value creation.

You’ll build a high-performing finance function, own budgeting and forecasting, manage investor relations and ensure robust controls as the business grows towards impact in patients’ lives.

Qualifications

• Significant CFO experience in scaling tech or life sciences.
• Budgeting, forecasting and long-range financial planning ownership.
• Experience with equity and debt funding and investor relations.

Responsibilities

• Shape and lead the financial strategy that supports our mission to industrialise cell therapy manufacturing as an independent, privately owned company.
• Partner with the CEO, executive team and Board on strategic choices, trade-offs and long-term value creation.
• Develop our capital strategy, including the right timing and mix of funding across sources such as equity and debt.
• Own budgeting, forecasting and long-range planning, giving the leadership team clear and timely insight into performance, runway and future scenarios.
• Partner with the CEO and Board on funding strategy, investor reporting and scenario planning.
• Build and lead a high-performing finance team, creating the processes, tools and standards that make good decisions easier.
• Plan and manage the transition of accounting activities from our founding company, TTP.
• Develop and refine commercial models for our platform, helping ensure pricing and contracting support sustainable growth and strong customer partnerships.
• Oversee financial controls, reporting, audit and compliance, keeping the business disciplined as it grows.
• Work closely with operations, engineering and commercial teams to understand cost drivers, improve unit economics and support decisions on investment and resourcing.
• Champion clear communication around financial performance, helping the wider team understand how day-to-day choices connect to our mission and financial health.

Skills

CFO experience

Budgeting & forecasting

Investor relations

Capital strategy

Strategic finance leadership

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA

Job description

Cell therapies are creating new possibilities for people living with devastating diseases, but reaching more patients depends on solving one of the industry’s biggest challenges: how to manufacture these therapies reliably and at scale. At Cellular Origins, we’re building the technology and factory approach to make that possible. As our Chief Finance Officer, you’ll help shape the financial decisions that set us up for rapid and sustainable growth, giving the business the clarity and confidence to turn ambitious science into real patient impact. This role is a permanent role expected to require working between 2 to 3 days a week (Part Time) but will depend on the final agreed scope.

Job Description

About the role

As Chief Finance Officer, you’ll be the senior financial leader for Cellular Origins and a key member of the C-suite. You’ll work closely with the CEO, leadership team and Board to shape our capital strategy, guide major decisions and help us grow as an independent, privately owned company.

You’ll bring clarity to complexity. From long-range planning and funding strategy to pricing, investment and resourcing decisions, you’ll help the team understand not just the numbers, but what they mean and how they connect to our long-term goals.

You’ll get to shape the financial foundations of a company tackling a complex manufacturing challenge with huge potential impact. You’ll combine strategic thinking with enough detail to make sure the right decisions are being made at the right time.

You’ll get to:

• Shape and lead the financial strategy that supports our mission to industrialise cell therapy manufacturing as an independent, privately owned company.
• Partner closely with the CEO, executive team and Board on strategic choices, trade-offs and long-term value creation.
• Develop our capital strategy, including the right timing and mix of funding across sources such as equity and debt.
• Own budgeting, forecasting and long-range planning, giving the leadership team clear and timely insight into performance, runway and future scenarios.
• Partner with the CEO and Board on funding strategy, investor reporting and scenario planning.
• Build and lead a high-performing finance team, creating the processes, tools and standards that make good decisions easier.
• Plan and manage the transition of accounting activities from our founding company, TTP.
• Develop and refine commercial models for our platform, helping ensure pricing and contracting support sustainable growth and strong customer partnerships.
• Oversee financial controls, reporting, audit and compliance, keeping the business disciplined as it grows.
• Work closely with operations, engineering and commercial teams to understand cost drivers, improve unit economics and support decisions on investment and resourcing.
• Champion clear communication around financial performance, helping the wider team understand how day-to-day choices connect to our mission and financial health.

Qualifications

About you

You’ll thrive in this role if you enjoy building as much as refining, and if you’re motivated by the idea that better financial decisions can ultimately help more patients receive life-changing therapies.

You’ll be comfortable operating at C-suite and Board level, while staying close enough to the detail to understand what is really driving performance. You’ll enjoy working through ambiguity, bringing structure to complex questions and helping others make confident decisions.

You’ll bring:

• Significant CFO experience, ideally in a scaling technology, life sciences, automation or advanced manufacturing environment.
• A strong track record of owning budgets, forecasts and long-term financial plans, while partnering closely with executive teams and Boards.
• Experience of investor relations in a high-growth company.
• Experience developing capital strategies and working with different sources of funding, including equity and debt.
• Confidence moving between strategic questions and detailed financial analysis, and knowing when each is needed.
• A strong understanding of capital equipment, recurring consumables, platform or project-based commercial models, and how to align them with long-term value creation.
• A collaborative, low-ego approach, with the ability to build trust across technical, commercial and operations teams.
• A professional finance qualification such as ACA, ACCA or CIMA, or equivalent experience.

Additional Information

Cellular Origins is currently based on the TTP Campus, within purpose-built sustainable offices, labs and green surroundings, 10 miles south of Cambridge.

Our employee benefits include:

• Annual bonus
• 25 days holiday(pro-rata)
• Employer pension contribution of 10% of salary
• Private medical insurance for employees and dependants
• Enhanced family friendly leave
• Life insurance worth 6x salary
• Electric car leasing scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan