Finance Lead

Valarian Technologies Limited; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A dual-use technology company in London seeks a Finance Lead to oversee financial health, manage accounting, budgeting, and reporting. The ideal candidate has strong analytical skills, a professional accounting qualification, and proven experience in financial leadership roles. The position offers a competitive salary, equity grants, and benefits like employer pension contributions and hybrid work arrangements.

Benefits

Competitive salary and equity grants

Employer pension contributions

Full cost of Private Medical Insurance (PMI)

Generous holiday calendar and PTO

Relocation assistance

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Finance Lead, Senior Accountant, or similar role.
• Strong understanding of accounting principles and reporting standards.
• Demonstrated experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial modelling.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all financial operations including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
• Prepare accurate financial statements in line with accounting standards.
• Lead budgeting and forecasting processes, working with department heads.

Skills

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Problem-solving skills

Education

Professional accounting qualification (e.g., ACCA, CIMA, ACA)

Tools

Excel

Financial reporting tools

Job description

Valarian Technologies is a dual‑use technology company building critical tools to safeguard the future in an era of evolving global security challenges. We're rethinking security beyond traditional military domains, addressing asymmetric threats that impact our technological advantage, economic strength, and democratic institutions.

We build Acra – the platform foundation for everything we do as a dual‑use technology company. The platform’s name, rooted in the Greek word for citadel (or, fortress), reflects the design and purpose of our infrastructure‑agnostic secure enclaves: protecting critical data. Some of the government and commercial workflows include increased operational resiliency for mission‑critical systems and functions; enabling organizations to more quickly and widely adopt emerging technologies while ensuring the integrity of their intellectual property; information flow during disaster response scenarios; and zero‑trust / least‑privilege environments for M&A, attorney‑client privileged communications, etc.

At our core, we're driven by a shared mission and a belief in making a tangible impact on our world. Whether you join our London HQ or the wider global organization, you’ll be a part of collaborative, high‑performing teams, creating cutting‑edge software, platforms, and infrastructure.

The Role

As a Finance Lead, you will play a critical role in overseeing the financial health of the organisation, ensuring accurate reporting, strong financial controls, and effective budgeting. You will work closely with senior leadership and cross‑functional teams to provide financial insights that support strategic decision‑making and sustainable growth.

This role combines hands‑on financial management with leadership responsibilities, requiring strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to influence key stakeholders.

What You’ll Do:

• Oversee all financial operations, including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting
• Prepare accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in line with accounting standards
• Lead the budgeting and forecasting process, working with department heads to create clear, actionable financial plans
• Monitor financial performance, analysing variances and providing insights to drive strategic business decisions
• Manage cash flow, ensuring sufficient liquidity and effective working capital management
• Enhance financial controls and processes to improve efficiency, accuracy, and compliance
• Collaborate with external auditors, tax advisors, and financial institutions to ensure regulatory and statutory compliance
• Provide financial analysis to support strategic initiatives, business cases, pricing decisions, and investment opportunities
• Implement and manage financial systems and tools that support reporting and planning
• Lead, coach, and develop finance team members to foster a high‑performance culture
• Advise senior leadership on financial risk, opportunities, and long‑term planning
• Support company‑wide initiatives, contributing to a strong, collaborative, and growth‑oriented culture

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Finance Lead, Senior Accountant, or similar financial leadership role
• Strong understanding of accounting principles, financial analysis, and reporting standards
• Professional accounting qualification (e.g., ACCA, CIMA, ACA) preferred
• Demonstrated experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial modelling
• Advanced proficiency with Excel and financial reporting tools
• Analytical and problem‑solving skills with exceptional attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to explain financial information to non‑finance stakeholders
• Experience managing or supervising finance team members
• Strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise in a fast‑paced environment
• Proactive mindset with a commitment to continuous improvement

Salary & Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity grants
• Employer pension contributions (UK roles include enhanced employer pension contributions; US roles include 401(k) retirement savings plan – traditional and Roth)
• Platinum healthcare benefit – for US roles we offer comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans at little to no cost; for UK roles Valarian will cover the full cost of the Private Medical Insurance (PMI) premium for an employee and dependents
• Basic Life / AD&D and long‑term disability insurance 100% covered by Valarian
• Hybrid work arrangements are managed at team level
• Generous holiday calendar and PTO
• Relocation assistance (depending on role eligibility)

Valarian Technologies Ltd is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran, amnesty, or any other legally protected characteristic. We are committed to ensuring a fair and inclusive recruitment process and providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants. Decisions on recruitment, hiring, and employment are based solely on qualifications, skills, and experience relevant to the job requirements.