Head of Finance

About Safi:

Safi operates the recycling industry’s first digital B2B marketplace, underpinned by AI-enhanced material quality control. We combine technology and deep industry expertise to simplify every step of the trading experience and are proud to count 400+ of the most forward-thinking recycling facilities across the globe as our customers. We closed our Series A in November 2024 raising $19.5m, and are backed by US’ & UK’s most renowned ClimateTech investors, including Chris Sacca's LowerCarbon Capital.

Ultimately, our mission is to make recycled commodity trading hyper-efficient so we can eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the unnecessary use of virgin materials in new packaging.

About the Role:

This hands-on Head of Finance will be responsible for overseeing all financial operations, driving financial strategy, ensuring statutory compliance, and managing the company's financial systems and teams. This role requires a strong technical accounting background, hands-on operational experience, and strategic leadership.

This is a UK-remote position. The ideal candidate will have a strong foundation in UK accounting standards and experience managing UK-based financial operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Accounting & Treasury Management

  • Accountability over all financial control processes, including month-end close, P&L and balance sheet review, and revenue/inventory reconciliation

  • Oversee cashflow forecasting, working capital planning, and Opex funding decisions

  • Execute Foreign Exchange planning and hedging strategies. Manage commission accounting and margin deposit requirements for trading activities.

  • Oversee more technical accounting issues (e.g., derivatives, equity, revenue recognition)

• Statutory Compliance

  • Manage the preparation and filing of year-end statutory accounts for all jurisdictions (UK, Irish, Greek branch filings)

  • Lead the end-to-end external audit process

• Tax Management

  • Ensure timely and accurate submission of all corporate and indirect tax returns (VAT, Corporate Tax) across all relevant regions

  • Manage R&D tax credit claims and oversee tax planning, including permanent establishment risk

• Payroll & Equity Management

  • Oversee the monthly payroll cycle, including review, commission instruction, and associated compliance (PAYE)

  • Oversee employee equity administration (Capdesk, option issuance/cancellation) and required HMRC valuations and accounting

• Leadership & Reporting

  • Prepare high-quality financial reports for Safi’s investors, including monthly updates and responses to ad-hoc queries

  • Mentor finance team members and manage banking relationships, insurance renewals, and general ad-hoc legal/financial requests

Requirements:

• Essential

  • ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified with experience as a Lead Controller or a hands-on Head of Finance

  • Proven ability to improve existing processes and policies, or to build them from scratch

  • Experience managing statutory filings, tax compliance (VAT/Corporate Tax), and audit processes and UK accounting regulations

• Desirable

  • Experience with foreign exchange hedging, margin deposits, and complex working capital cycles in a trading or marketplace environment

  • Familiarity with managing share option schemes and cap tables

Diversity & Inclusion:

• We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, age or any other protected characteristic.

• If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know