Head of Finance & Operations

Cedar Recruitment; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Cedar Recruitment is seeking a Head of Finance and Operations for a London-based, hybrid role in a PE-backed SaaS platform. You will own the financial model, lead planning and forecasting, and report to the CEO, Board and lead investor.

You will build the finance and operations function as the company scales, starting hands-on and progressively growing a team around you. Strong SaaS metrics know-how is essential.

Qualifications

• Qualified Accountant with 5+ years PQE.
• Proven SaaS finance experience with ARR/MRR knowledge.
• Experience in PE/VC-backed environments with board reporting.
• Strong financial modelling and scenario planning skills.
• Ability to turn numbers into actionable recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Own the financial model and lead annual planning, budgeting and forecasting.
• Produce monthly management accounts and board-ready packs.
• Maintain rolling 18-month cash flow forecast and flag capital risks.
• Own unit economics framework and pricing/packaging impact.
• Prepare investor materials and manage investor relationships.
• Define KPIs and build reporting for functional leads.
• Hire and develop future finance and operations team.

Skills

Qualified Accountant

SaaS finance experience

ARR/MRR knowledge

Unit economics

Financial modelling

Scenario planning

Commercial judgement

Communication of numbers

Job description

Head of Finance and Operations | PE-Backed SaaS Platform

Location: London (hybrid)
Team: Senior Leadership Team
Type: Full-time
Salary: £110-120k base plus bonus & equity

The opportunity

A PE-backed SaaS business is looking for a Head of Finance and Operations to join its Senior Leadership Team. You’ll be the commercial finance partner to the CEO, the Board and the lead investor. You’ll own the financial model, the planning cycle and the reporting rhythm, and you’ll build the finance and operations function as the company scales.

This is a hands-on, high-visibility role. You’ll start as an individual contributor and progressively build a team around you.

What you’ll do

Financial stewardship

• Own the financial model and lead annual planning, budgeting and forecasting, built bottom-up from pipeline and capacity data
• Produce monthly management accounts, variance analysis and a Board pack that leadership can act on
• Maintain a rolling 18-month cash flow forecast and flag capital risks early
• Attend Board meetings as a credible, independent financial voice

SaaS metrics and commercial partnership

• Own the unit economics framework (ACV, gross margin, CAC, CLTV, NRR, payback) and make sure it drives commercial decisions
• Partner with Sales, CS, Product, Partnerships and Marketing, and review contracts for pricing, terms and margin impact before signature
• Model the impact of pricing and packaging changes
• Own revenue recognition policy and keep ARR/MRR reporting accurate and audit-ready

Investors and fundraising

• Prepare investor-grade materials, models and data rooms for fundraises
• Manage the relationship with the lead investor, including monthly platform reporting and covenant tracking
• Keep the business building towards enterprise value

Operational excellence

• Define the KPIs for each function and build the reporting that lets team leads manage against their own targets
• Create practical playbooks, process guides and compliance checklists so the team is self-sufficient and compliant by default
• Own the finance and operations tech stack (accounting, FP&A, expenses, BI) with a single source of truth for data
• Keep controls, statutory compliance, R&D capitalisation, EMI administration and the contractual framework stage-appropriate, not bureaucratic

Building the function

• Hire and develop future finance and operations team members
• Decide where headcount, technology, specialist partners or outsourcing give the best return per pound spent

About you

Essential

• Qualified Accountant (5+ years PQE)
• Proven SaaS finance experience. You know ARR/MRR, subscription revenue recognition, SaaS unit economics and the metrics investors care about.
• Strong operational experience. You’ve built processes, controls, reporting infrastructure and tooling in a growing business, not just run an existing function.
• Experience in a PE- or VC-backed environment, including Board reporting, investor relations and covenants
• Strong financial modelling and scenario planning skills
• Commercial judgement, with confidence reviewing contracts and challenging deal economics
• Clear communicator who turns numbers into recommendations for non-finance colleagues
• A pragmatic approach: you build what the stage of the business needs