Financial Controller | Stealth Fintech Start-up | London / Hybrid

The Client

Harmonic is proud to be partnering on a confidential basis with an early-stage UK fintech preparing to launch a next-generation consumer credit card product. The business is weeks away from its first live transactions, with a full commercial launch targeted for mid-2026.

This is a genuine ground-floor opportunity inside a company that is scaling fast. The finance function is small by design and the incoming Financial Controller will be the first hire into that team. In the months following launch, the business expects to grow rapidly, and with it they expect you will build out a team around you.

The Role

Reporting directly into the Head of Finance, the Financial Controller will be the operational engine of the finance function. You will own the day-to-day mechanics of financial control: daily settlements, reconciliations, cash flow monitoring, general ledger, VAT, and month-end close. You will also play a critical role in building and stress-testing the financial processes and controls that will need to scale as the business grows and the regulatory environment becomes more complex.

Initially, the role is deliberately hands-on. The Head of Finance is currently doing journals. You will come in and do VAT returns, reconciliations, and the operational work alongside her. If you are looking for a title without the workload, this is not the role. If you want to build something properly from the start and grow with it, it is.

Over time, the scope will expand significantly. As the business moves toward securitisation and as receivables grow, the complexity of the role will grow with it. There is a clear path to taking on IFRS 9 modelling, provisions work, and contributing to capital structures alongside the wider team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own daily settlement reconciliations and cash flow monitoring, escalating issues promptly to the Head of Finance.
• Manage the general ledger, including journal entries, month-end and year-end close, and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Prepare monthly management accounts, statutory financial statements, and ad hoc reports.
• Lead VAT returns, regulatory compliance filings, and audit preparation.
• Monitor and manage liquidity on an ongoing basis, with particular attention to settlement flows and funding positions.
• Build and maintain robust internal controls and accounting policies suited to a fast-scaling, regulated fintech environment.
• Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, and bank reconciliations.
• Manage the relationship with an India-based operations team who process and push reconciliation data - your role is to audit, validate, and act where needed.
• Indirectly manage relationships with five third-party vendors involved in reconciliation processes.
• Support the Head of Finance on capital raising, debt financing, and future securitisation activity.
• Contribute to process improvement and automation as the business scales.

Essential Experience

• Qualified accountant (ACA or ACCA preferred; CIMA considered).
• Four to five years of relevant post-qualification experience in financial control.
• Demonstrable experience in high-frequency, daily settlement or cash management environments (e.g. credit cards, remittance, D2C, payments, or manufacturing with complex cash flows).
• Strong UK GAAP technical accounting knowledge.
• Comfortable with hands-on operational finance work as well as reporting and controls.
• Excellent attention to detail and a genuine risk-awareness mindset.
• Clear, confident communicator - able to convey financial information to senior stakeholders including the CEO.

Desired Experience

• Direct experience in credit card issuing, consumer payments, remittance, or regulated fintech environments.
• Experience working in an early-stage or scaling business where processes are still being built.
• Familiarity with IFRS or willingness to move toward it.

Salary: £80,000 - £90,000 + bonus

Location: London, hybrid (currently two days per week in office, increasing to three around go-live)

Start Date: As soon as possible; notice periods considered

At Harmonic, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. We actively welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and assure you that every candidate will be thoughtfully considered for the roles we represent, without regard to race, religion, gender expression, disability, or sexual orientation.