Finance Director – Commercial, Trade & Structured Finance
London | Full-time | Office-based
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Overview
We are hiring a senior finance leader to take full ownership of finance across a multi-vertical business operating in:
• International trade and commodities
• Robotics and automation
• Food and beverage distribution
This role sits at the centre of the company and is responsible for:
• Financial control
• Commercial deal structuring
• Cross-border financial execution
• Operational financial flow
This is not a reporting role.
This is a decision-making and execution role.
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What This Role Actually Is
You will be the person the CEO goes to when asking:
• “Does this deal make sense?”
• “How should we structure this?”
• “How do we move money safely across borders?”
• “How do we set this company up properly?”
At the same time, you must ensure:
• The accounts are correct
• The cash is controlled
• The business is financially stable
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Core Responsibilities
1. Full Finance Ownership
• Own all accounting, reporting, and financial control
• Manage cash flow, forecasting, and liquidity
• Oversee payroll and financial operations
• Manage and develop a junior finance team
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2. Deal & Commercial Finance
• Review and structure commercial deals
• Understand margins, pricing, and profitability
• Support negotiations from a financial perspective
• Ensure deals are executable, not just theoretical
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3. Cross-Border & Trade Finance
• Manage international payments and financial flows
• Support trade transactions (including commodities and large-scale deals)
• Understand risk, timing, and movement of funds across jurisdictions
• Work alongside legal where required, but own the financial logic
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4. Company Structuring & Setup
• Advise on setting up entities in different jurisdictions (UK, China, Europe, etc.)
• Ensure correct financial structures are in place
• Understand tax implications at a practical level
• Work with advisors, but not rely on them
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5. Operational Finance & Logistics Flow
• Oversee financial side of logistics and supply chain
• Track inventory, cost movements, and working capital
• Ensure operational flow aligns with financial reality
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6. Systems & Automation
• Work with internal teams building automation and AI systems
• Ensure financial processes are structured and scalable
• Define how finance should operate, not just follow existing systems
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Requirements
• Fully qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA or equivalent)
• Strong experience in at least one of:
• International trade
• Logistics or supply chain
• Commodities
• Food and beverage
• Technology or industrial businesses
• Proven ability to:
• Own finance end-to-end
• Work on commercial deals
• Operate in fast-moving environments
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What We Are Looking For
• Someone who understands finance properly, not just reports it
• Someone who can move between detail and big picture quickly
• Someone who can take ownership without being managed
• Someone who is comfortable working across multiple industries
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What This Is Not
• Not a pure accountant
• Not a back-office finance manager
• Not someone who needs everything explained
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Team Structure
• You will lead finance
• You will have junior support
• Systems and automation will be built alongside you
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Location
London, office-based
(External meetings as required)
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Compensation
Competitive salary, based on experience
