New Career Opportunity
Position – Finance Director
Finance Director – position available
Role Summary
Gene Keys is seeking an exceptional Finance Director to provide financial leadership and commercial insights for a portfolio of businesses within the Gene Keys Group. This role requires a strategic thinker who partners with the founder and co-CEOs to ensure the financial health, stability and growth of the company. You would be working with a purpose-driven organisation and a great team to future-proof the finance function and the business as a whole as we undergo a significant period of transformation and growth. This would include overseeing and being involved in all aspects of operational finance with a small team.Â
This is an exciting opportunity to continue to shape and build the finance function to align with the needs of the business both now and in the future.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Business Partner
- Partner with the founder, co-CEOs and other senior stakeholders to develop and deliver strategic objectives, and continuously assess the financial aspects of the business.
- Create the financial strategy and operational plan that underpins our business strategy. This will include input into the structural, organisational and funding requirements needed to successfully deliver on our strategy.
- Consult and act as a thought partner and sounding board for the founder, co-CEOs and other senior stakeholders on finance-related matters and on the business in general.
- Identify future financing needs, which may include securing external finance. This is a critical area given the growth that the business is experiencing.
- Bring commercial acumen to ensure profitability and maximise returns.
- Drive profitability by ensuring appropriate financial oversight during initial stages of projects and partnerships, through to successful and profitable implementation.
- Maintain a high level of responsiveness to all day-to-day operational and strategic questions.
- Build, develop and lead the finance team, using strong coaching and mentoring skills. This will include an immediate hire to cover global tax returns, tax integrations, WooCommerce and PayPal.
- Build and develop high-level relationships with external agencies, including banks, key customers, investors and auditors.
- Identify, analyse and resolve business risks, as well as opportunities and solutions to enhance business performance.
- Lead the preparation of costing models for new opportunities, ensuring they are financially viable while highlighting risks and accounting requirements. This includes scenario planning for potential projects and opportunities.
- Provide appropriate challenges to budget holders during budgeting and projection rounds, ensuring that returns are timely, lean and in line with business objectives.
- Support the business to manage costs.
Finance Processes, Procedures and Reporting
- Lead and deliver financial reporting, including annual, quarterly and monthly reporting, budgets, and forecasts.
- Own the annual budgeting process and proactively manage throughout the financial year.
- Further develop processes, systems, reporting, and infrastructure to support the businesses and enable growth.
- Oversee cash flow management and reporting, management of cash projections, and maintain a continuous dialogue with the founder and co-CEOs around cash flow.
- Collaborate with the Head of Sales on forecasting and sales monitoring.
- Ensure monthly payroll and contractor invoicing are executed.
- Support the business to ensure appropriate cost allocation and forecasting across all projects, products and lines of the business.
- Oversee finance reviews with budget holders and report to senior management with recommendations on the outcomes, including risks and opportunities.
- Constantly seek to improve quality, service and efficiency of all aspects of the Finance function.
- Prioritise efficient working capital management of the businesses.
- Develop and control the company’s annual operating budget to ensure that all financial targets are met and financial and statutory regulations are complied with.
Financial Governance and Best Practice
- Analyse market trends and competitors to inform our strategy and pricing.
- Keep up to date with relevant financial and regulatory requirements and changes at a national level for our primary markets e.g. budget and regulatory/legislative changes that affect Gene Keys.
- Access, manage and minimise risk across all aspects of the businesses.
- Maintain relationships with various third-party providers including tax consultants.
Experience
- Professional certification such as CIMA, ACCA or ACA.
- Senior-level accountancy experience.
- Significant leadership experience and a proven track record of partnering with senior executives, as well as leading and developing Finance teams. This is a small team, so you will need to balance focusing on strategy with doing what needs to be done operationally. It is an exciting opportunity for someone to craft and hone the finance function at Gene Keys.
- Strategic thinking skills, a demonstrated track record of strategic acumen and experience working with founders/CEOs and executive teams at a strategic level.
- Excellent communication skills, with an ability to engage with multiple and diverse stakeholders, as well as number crunching. Ability to convey complex financial information and concepts to colleagues at all levels of the business.
- Strong understanding of financial regulations and standards.
- Proficiency in financial management software, including Xero.
- International experience is preferable given the nature of the business. UK and US experience is a distinct advantage.
- Global sales tax, UK VAT, Global VAT and VAT MOSS experience is ideal given the nature of the business.
- Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
- Business and commercial acumen.
- A thorough understanding of legal principles, compliance mandates, and corporate governance is essential.
- While not essential, some interest in transformational work, self-development and an appreciation of creativity in all its forms is highly desirable.
Learn more about our Gene Keys and join our team!
Gene Keys was founded by Richard Rudd, a teacher, mystic and award-winning poet. Its business spans many facets including online events, in-person events, publishing, e-courses and products. It is an international company with headquarters in Devon, England. We have a global team, all working remotely, of about forty people, which we call ‘Team 64’. Our team member locations include Canada, USA, UK, Poland, South Africa, Bulgaria, Australia, Germany and Japan, and extend even further through our online events.
The Finance Director role reports to the founder and co-CEOs. While this position is work from home, the ability to regularly and easily meet with the founder and co-CEOs in Devon, and/or London and Scotland is essential. Some national and international travel may be required.
We offer a competitive salary for this full-time, 35-hours-per-week role, as well as pension contributions and 28 days holiday per year (including bank holidays), and access to all Gene Keys courses and events. You must have the right to live and work in the UK to apply. Gene Keys is an equal opportunities employer. No agencies.
Please feel free to reach out to Mary@genekeys.com for a confidential conversation if needed.
