Fractional Commercial Finance & Governance Director

About the Role

We are a small, growing, independent travel technology platform operating at the intersection of live data pipelines and consumer membership. We are 4 employees with heavy use of external contractors. As a founding director prepares to transition out of daily operations, we are seeking an exceptional Fractional Chartered Accountant to take ownership of all financial, regulatory, and commercial governance.

This is not a traditional "bookkeeper" role. We are looking for a data-driven, tech-native financial person—someone who combines the technical rigour of a Chartered Accountant with the commercial, high-agility mindset of an early-to-mid stage startup operator.

You will work directly alongside our CEO, Head of Operations, and Tech Lead, taking total ownership of our financial health while deploying modern AI and automation tools to keep our operations lean, fast, and frictionless.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial & Commercial Ownership: Manage all monthly and annual accounting, tax strategies, cash flow forecasting, and P&L optimization. Ensure our accounts are insightful growth tools, not just compliance documents.
• Regulatory & Legal Stewardship: Act as the ultimate gatekeeper for compliance, contract reviews, data privacy (GDPR), and regulatory alignment across our operations.
• Agentic & Tech-Driven Governance: Champion and implement agentic AI workflows (e.g., using Claude, Python, or API integrations) to automate routine financial reporting, variance analysis, and audit trails.
• Data-Driven Strategy: Partner with leadership to turn raw platform data into strategic intelligence—analysing unit economics (LTV/CAC), subscriber churn, and partner yields to guide business planning.
• Partner & Contractor Oversight: Provide financial scrutiny over developer, IT, and marketing contractor deliverables, ensuring high ROI across all external spend.

About You

• Qualified Chartered Accountant: ACA or FCA qualified with demonstrable experience in growing UK SMEs, SaaS, or digital businesses.
• Hands-on Execution: You thrive in roles requiring direct, hands-on financial modelling.
• Techy & Automation-Obsessed: You currently use agentic AI, have built custom automation scripts, are comfortable with data visualisation, and know how to connect financial tools via APIs or Python/SQL.
• Commercially Minded: You understand that finance serves the business growth strategy. You bring "commercial wisdom" and common-sense risk management to every decision.
• Personable Communicator: Able to build strong rapport with founders, and can explain complex financial metrics in plain English.
• Location: Based in London or the Southeast, available for occasional face-to-face strategic sessions in London.

Work Arrangement

Location: London & Southeast (Hybrid / Remote with occasional London meetings)

Time Commitment: 2–3 days per month (Maximum)

Compensation: Competitive Day Rate (£750 – £1000/day)