Finance Director

The Company:

Stream was founded with the mission to provide fair financial tools to the everyday worker. Offered through destination employers like Greene King, Bupa, Burger King, Asda and the NHS, our award-winning platform helps over three million people to earn, learn, save, spend and borrow on their own terms, all in one smartphone app.

Stream is unique: VC backed and growing at scale, but with a social conscience. Some of the world's leading impact funds were our founding investors, and we operate on a social charter, which means every product and service we create must measurably improve financial wellbeing.

You’d be joining a team of over 300 passionate, ambitious people across Europe and the USA, building a category-defining product, and united by that same mission.

The Opportunity:

Stream’s finance function is split into two closely-connected teams: Strategic Finance (FP&A, treasury and debt facility management) and Core Finance (transactional accounting, financial statements, tax, and finance systems). This role leads Core Finance, reports directly to the CFO, and works hand-in-glove with Strategic Finance so the business has one coherent, trustworthy view of its numbers.

This is a pivotal moment to join. Stream is preparing for a future IPO, which means a step-change in the speed, rigour and auditability of our reporting, systems and controls. We’re also likely to complete a transformational acquisition within the next eighteen months, and this role will lead the finance integration of that business into Stream. It’s a rare opportunity to build the reporting and control backbone of a scaling fintech, with direct exposure to the CFO, the Board, advisors and our external auditors.

The Team:

The Finance Director reports to the CFO and has two direct reports – the Group Reporting Manager and the Financial Controller. Together with the wider Core Finance team, this role owns transactional accounting, group financial statements, tax and finance systems, working closely with the Strategic Finance team (FP&A, treasury and debt) so that Core and Strategic Finance operate as one function.

What will you be doing?

Leading Core Finance

• Lead, manage and develop the Core Finance team, with direct line management of the Group Reporting Manager and Financial Controller, building a team capable of supporting a listed business
• Own the overall Core Finance roadmap, balancing business-as-usual delivery with the step-change required for IPO readiness and M&A integration
• Act as deputy to the CFO on financial reporting and control matters, including representing Core Finance with the Board, Audit Committee and external auditors as required
• Financial reporting, control and statutory compliance
• Own the group month-end close and consolidation process across UK and US entities, driving towards a faster, more automated close in line with public company reporting timelines
• Oversee preparation of monthly management accounts and review of balance sheet reconciliations, ensuring accuracy, completeness and a clear audit trail
• Take full ownership of the statutory audit for the Group and its subsidiaries, managing the auditor relationship and ensuring clean, timely sign-off
• Ensure technical accounting compliance under UK GAAP/IFRS (and US GAAP as relevant), keeping the group’s accounting policies current as standards evolve
• Own preparation and submission of FCA regulatory returns for Stream’s regulated entities

IPO readiness

• Lead the uplift of financial reporting, systems and controls needed to prepare Stream for a future listing, including tightening the close timetable, strengthening the internal controls framework, and improving documentation and audit trail
• Partner with the CFO on IPO readiness workstreams, including technical accounting positions, listing requirements, and building institutional-grade reporting processes and governance
• Assess and upgrade the finance systems architecture (including NetSuite and related tools) to support multi-entity consolidation, scale and public company reporting requirements

M&A integration

• Play a leading finance role in Stream’s planned M&A activity, including financial due diligence support, opening balance sheet and completion accounts work
• Design and lead the integration of acquired entities’ finance processes, systems, controls and people into Stream’s Core Finance function
• Standardise accounting policies, chart of accounts and controls across the enlarged group post-acquisition

Tax and regulatory compliance

• Oversee UK and international tax compliance, including VAT and other indirect tax returns, corporation tax and transfer pricing, working closely with external advisors
• Liaise with third-party accountants and advisors across the territories we operate in to ensure compliance with local laws and regulations

Finance systems and process

• Own the finance systems roadmap – including NetSuite, AP and expenses tools – ensuring the team has best-in-class systems that scale with the business
• Design and implement processes and controls that let the business scale effectively and operate efficiently, without adding unnecessary friction

Business partnering

• Work closely with the CFO and wider business on ad hoc projects spanning operational finance issues, transfer pricing, treasury and other cross-functional priorities
• Build strong relationships across the business, acting as a trusted finance partner beyond the finance function itself

What experience might you have? (But if you’re close… we'd still love to talk to you!)

• ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified, with significant post-qualification experience (circa eight-plus years), including prior experience as a Financial Controller or Finance Director
• A strong track record owning statutory audit and group consolidation for a multi-entity, international group
• Experience reporting under UK GAAP and IFRS; US GAAP exposure is a strong advantage given Stream’s UK and US operations
• Experience preparing a business for IPO, or working within a listed environment, including internal controls frameworks (for example SOX)
• Prior experience leading finance integration through M&A, including due diligence, completion accounts and post-deal integration
• Proven people leadership experience, with a track record of managing, developing and growing a finance team
• Experience using NetSuite; strong Excel skills
• Experience working in or with a fast-growth business; fintech or SaaS experience is a plus

Can-be-learnt:

• Exposure to US GAAP reporting alongside UK GAAP/IFRS, if not already gained
• Direct, hands-on experience of SOX-style internal controls frameworks and operating inside a listed environment
• Fintech or SaaS sector experience, if coming from a different industry

Within 1 month you’ll have:

• Met and established a working relationship with key stakeholders across the business
• Built a clear picture of the current month-end close, consolidation, audit and finance systems processes across the UK and US entities
• Completed a full diagnostic of inter-company arrangements - mapped every UK/US inter-company flow, existing (or missing) transfer pricing agreements, management charge methodologies, and benchmarking documentation
• Reviewed the tax and statutory compliance calendar across all entities
• Produced an initial "hygiene and risk register" - covering tax, statutory filings, inter-company balances, and control gaps

Within 3 months you’ll have:

• Taken full ownership of the group month-end close and consolidation process, and identified the priority improvements needed for a faster, more automated close
• Begun shaping the roadmap for financial reporting, systems and controls, in partnership with the CFO
• Drafted (or refreshed) formal inter-company agreements covering UK>US service charges, cost allocations and any cross-border arrangements, aligned to an arm's-length transfer pricing policy
• Established a routine monthly inter-company reconciliation process to eliminate aged/unmatched balances
• Commissioned a transfer pricing benchmarking/functional analysis to support current and future cross-border pricing, ahead of scale and IPO scrutiny
• Presented the hygiene and tax risk register to the CFO with a clear closure timeline
• Within 6 months you’ll have:
• Delivered visible progress against the roadmap, including a tighter close timetable and a strengthened internal controls framework
• Played an active role in financial due diligence and integration planning for Stream’s planned M&A activity
• Fully implemented the new transfer pricing policy - signed inter-company agreements, automated invoicing/settlement mechanics, and master file/local file documentation in place
• Built transfer pricing and tax governance into the M&A playbook, so any acquired entity's inter-company flows are compliant from day one of integration
• Established a quarterly tax governance report to the CFO covering compliance status, risk register movements and upcoming deadlines - audit-ready ahead of IPO due diligence

Working Policy: This role is based in our London office, with a minimum of 3 days a week office attendance

Salary: £150,000 - £175,000 + Equity & Benefits

What We'll Do For You

• 25 Days Annual Leave in addition to public holidays (up to 5 days rollover), plus flexible time off for ad-hoc childcare, family, or caring needs
• 24 weeks' paid Maternity Leave and 4 weeks' paid Paternity Leave for employees with over 12 months' service
• Special Leave for IVF and other fertility treatments
• Sabbatical scheme
• Paid volunteering leave - give back on us
• Private Healthcare including comprehensive mental and physical health support
• Pension salary sacrifice - plus bonus exchange to pension, saving on Tax and NI with added compound growth
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• Season Ticket Loan
• Access to ThanksBen - THE benefits marketplace. Choose what you want, when you want: Workplace Nurseries, Cycle to Work, Home and Tech Scheme, and more
• And the best benefit of all - access to Stream for your own financial wellbeing

At Stream we celebrate and support our differences. We know employing a team rich in diverse thoughts, experiences, and opinions allows our employees, our product and our community to flourish. Stream is an equal opportunity workplace. We are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity/expression, or veteran status.