Strategic Finance Lead

What The Future; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

What The Future in Amsterdam is seeking a Strategic Finance Lead to join our HQ. You will work with the leadership team to shape growth, model deployment economics, and plan capital needs as we scale.

This is a broad, strategic role spanning finance, business development and company strategy. You will build financial models for different deployment and commercial models, support fundraising and investor discussions, and ensure strong financial management, reporting, budgeting and controls as the

Qualifications

• Master's degree in business, economics, finance, or a similar field.
• 5+ years in strategic finance, venture capital, or a high-growth startup.
• Solid understanding of accounting principles and financial reporting.
• Comfortable building financial processes and systems in a growing company.
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Able to tackle problems independently with little guidance and travel locally and internationally.
• Legally authorized to work in the Netherlands without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Lead the company's financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, and long-term financial strategy.
• Manage capital raising and investor relations.
• Design and implement scalable financial processes, controls, and reporting systems.
• Develop financial models to support strategic decision-making, commercial planning, and growth initiatives.
• Provide financial analysis and business insights to support key commercial and operational decisions.
• Oversee monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting.
• Manage cash flow, liquidity planning, and financial risk.

Skills

Strategic finance

Financial modelling

Accounting principles

Financial reporting

Financial processes

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Travel willingness

Work authorization NL

Education

Master's degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, or similar

Job description

At What The Future, we're reinventing how products are made.

We've developed breakthrough manufacturing technology that enables scalable, local production, from small batches to mass production, with significantly lower environmental impact.

We're currently applying our technology to transform the footwear industry. By enabling on-demand production of shoes and footwear components made from natural materials, we're helping brands to build more resilient supply chains, reduce waste, and manufacture closer to where products are needed.

We're an ambitious, venture-backed team combining advanced manufacturing, and sustainability to reshape the future of production.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We're looking for a Strategic Finance Lead to join our team at our headquarters in Amsterdam.

The successful candidate will work closely with the leadership team to shape how WTF grows and how we finance that growth. This includes developing the financial and strategic models behind our machine deployment, evolving our business models, planning capital requirements, supporting fundraising, and building the financial foundations needed to scale the company.

This is a broad, strategic role sitting between finance, business development and company strategy. You will help us understand where we can go, what it will take to get there, and how we should structure and finance the journey. This includes scenario planning, capital planning, business modelling, investment decisions and translating our growth ambitions into clear financial plans.

You will play an important role in fundraising and investor engagement, helping prepare the company for future rounds, developing investment cases, supporting investor discussions and ensuring our capital strategy evolves alongside the business.

As we scale our technology deployment, you will also help develop the financial models and structures around different deployment and commercial models — from machine sales and licensing to other ways of financing and scaling our installed base.

The role will also work closely with the existing finance and accounting function to ensure strong financial management, reporting, budgeting and controls are in place as the company grows.

We’d love to hear from you if you have a strong track record in strategic finance, corporate finance, business modelling or growth strategy, ideally in a technology, innovation or scaling environment, and have an interest in building businesses that can have a meaningful impact on climate and manufacturing.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE

• Lead the company's financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, and long-term financial strategy
• Manage capital raising and investor relations
• Design and implement scalable financial processes, controls, and reporting systems
• Develop financial models to support strategic decision-making, commercial planning, and growth initiatives
• Provide financial analysis and business insights to support key commercial and operational decisions
• Oversee monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting
• Manage cash flow, liquidity planning, and financial risk

REQUIRED SKILLS AND COMPETENCES

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, or a similar field of study
• 5+ years of experience in strategic finance, venture capital, or a high-growth startup
• Solid understanding of accounting principles and financial reporting
• Comfortable building financial processes and systems in a growing company
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills
• Comfortable working in a dynamic and challenging environmentAble to tackle problems independently with little guidance
• Available for occasional travel, local and international
• Legally authorized to work in the Netherlands without sponsorship