People2People is partnering with a well-established and leading UK-owned tour operator, to recruit for a pivotal leadership role.
- Directly support key business decisions in a dynamic industry.
- Oversee the finance function, driving efficiency and developing a small, high-performing team.
- Join a passionate, supportive team with unique industry-related perks and hybrid working.
This is a unique opportunity to shape financial processes from the ground up, providing critical data-driven insights in a fun, fast-paced environment.
Key Benefits: Enjoy hybrid remote working (at least 2 days/week in West London), a relaxed dress code, regular company socials, and excellent career development within a stable, growing business.
Company
Join a long-standing and highly reputable UK-owned tour operator, recognized as one of the largest in its field. Established for over four decades, this company specializes in delivering memorable holiday experiences across Europe and North America. With a focus on customer peace of mind, they operate with robust financial and operational frameworks, dedicated to continuous improvement. The team, currently around 30-40 staff in the London headquarters, is united by a shared passion for their product and a supportive, collaborative culture. They are committed to fostering ambitious individuals, offering significant opportunities for skill development and career success as they continue to grow.
Role
We are seeking a Head of Finance to take comprehensive ownership of both the finance and IT functions, reporting directly to the Managing Director. This is a critical role that requires a hands-on approach to financial management, IT oversight, and team development. You will be instrumental in optimising financial performance, streamlining operations, and providing robust data-driven insights to support strategic decision-making in a dynamic industry.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead the finance and IT functions, ensuring alignment with commercial objectives.
- Oversee comprehensive financial reporting, including statutory and monthly management accounts, KPIs, and profitability analysis.
- Develop and maintain critical financial models and projections, including budgets and cash flow forecasts.
- Manage complex data requirements, ensuring accuracy and providing insightful commentary on financial trends, risks, and opportunities.
- Lead, motivate, and develop a small finance (2-3 staff) and IT (1 staff) team, fostering high performance.
- Manage relationships with external auditors and accountants (including international entities).
- Oversee core financial operations: payroll (UK & overseas), sales/purchase ledger, revenue recognition, stock accounting.
- Ensure robust financial controls, IT security, and efficiency, overseeing system upgrades and infrastructure maintenance.
- Act as a key member of the company-wide crisis management team.
The ideal candidate is a proactive, adaptable, and solution-oriented finance professional with strong technical and data-handling abilities. You are passionate about optimising financial processes and leveraging data to provide actionable insights. You thrive in fast-changing environments, enjoy hands-on work, and excel at leading and developing small teams. Your excellent communication skills enable you to interact effectively across all levels and functions.
Essentials:
- ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent qualification (preference for CIMA/ACCA).
- Proven experience covering all areas of the finance function, particularly within an SME.
- Expert in Excel (complex formulae, pivot tables) and a solid understanding of IT network systems, with experience in VBA for automation.
- Experience within the travel industry or a related dynamic sector.
- Proficiency in French and/or German.
- Advanced Programming skills (e.g., Python).
Join a highly supportive and engaging environment where people are at the heart of the business. We offer a positive work/life balance, including hybrid remote working from our West London office. You'll benefit from a relaxed dress code, in-office showers and bike parking, regular company socials, and weekly in-office breakfast. We provide incredible development and long-term career growth opportunities, including a subsidised annual staff trip and generous holiday discounts for you and your friends/family. Our mission is to provide opportunities to ambitious individuals looking to develop their skills and achieve career success in a focused, UK-owned company.
Operating for over 20 years in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, people2people, Edge Recruitment, and Frog Recruitment are an award-winning recruitment group and HR solutions provider. As an inclusive workforce, we welcome everyone and encourage our employees, clients, and candidates to showcase their authentic selves.
Should you require reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, we encourage you to make a request by phoning the above-mentioned recruitment consultant to discuss. In response to these requests, we will collaborate closely with you to implement the appropriate adjustments.
