Senior Manager/Principal/Director, Finance (Head of Finance)

Senior Manager/Principal/Director, Finance (Head of Finance)

Location: Nine Elms, London - Full-time

About Zapp

Zapp is London's leading premium on-demand retail platform. Founded in 2020, our vision is to disrupt the multi-trillion dollar on-demand retail market, currently dominated by major players, by developing best-in-class customer-centric technology and fulfilment solutions. Zapp partners with some of the world's leading brands to deliver an exclusive range of hand-picked products 24/7, delivered in minutes.

Overview

This is a rare chance to shape how a fast-scaling business runs. In this role you will be responsible end to end for leading the Finance team across financial control, FP&A, accounts payable (AP), cash and compliance, acting as a senior finance partner to the leadership team and representing the function to the Founder and the Board. To do that you will build a deep understanding of the whole business: how orders, stock, suppliers, riders and fulfilment centres turn into the numbers, and where the levers are to improve them.

Beyond running the function, you will redesign how Finance works, using technology, automation and AI to take out manual work, and identify the efficiency enablers that matter most across the business. You will also play a central role in Zapp’s major corporate and commercial activity: fundraising, M&A, partnerships and major contracts.

Zapp is growing fast, and finance grows with it. You’ll work in a high-calibre team with direct exposure to senior leadership. Your remit will flex with the business, so there’s always room to take on more as we scale.

What You Will Do

Running finance operations

• Lead, manage and develop the Finance team across financial control, FP&A, accounts payable and cash, building the team as Zapp scales.

• Be accountable for an accurate, on-time month-end close, management accounts and audit, delivered by the Financial Controller and team.

• Own the finance calendar and the control framework, including policies, approvals, segregation of duties and reconciliations.

• Oversee tax, payroll, company secretarial, equity administration and the cap table, and lead the rollout of the ESOP in 2027 with legal advisers.

• Own accounts payable end to end through the AP team: supplier invoices, credit notes, price changes, shorts and payment runs, so suppliers are paid accurately and on time and cost of goods is right.

• Oversee cash and working capital, including banking relationships, supplier payment terms and lender covenant reporting.

Commercial finance and business partnering

• Partner with the heads of department on budgets, forecasts and performance, turning the numbers into actions.

• Support commercial decisions, such as pricing, promotions, supplier terms and new initiatives, with clear analysis of the margin and cash impact.

• Help shape the profitability agenda, from unit economics to cost control, working with the Founder’s Office.

Process redesign and technology

• Map how Finance works today, end to end, and redesign core processes, starting with AP: supplier price changes, short deliveries and cost of goods updates.

• Select and implement the systems, integrations and AI tools that take out manual work, shorten the close and improve data quality.

• Work closely with the BI team so financial reporting and internal data are aligned: shared definitions, numbers that reconcile, and one version of revenue, margin and the KPIs leadership uses.

Understanding the business and driving efficiency

• Build a deep understanding of how the whole business runs, from purchasing and stock to fulfilment, delivery and marketplaces, and how each flows into the numbers.

• Identify the key efficiency enablers across the business, such as waste and shrink, supplier terms, and rider and staffing costs, and build the case to act on them with the relevant teams.

• Track savings and process improvements once delivered, so the gains show up in the P&L.

Fundraising, M&A, partnerships and major contracts

• Lead the finance side of fundraising, venture debt and M&A, including due diligence, the data room and the financial information shared with investors, lenders and advisers.

• Work on strategic partnerships and major contracts, including suppliers and marketplace partners, covering commercial terms, financial impact and how they will run operationally.

• Prepare the financial information behind investor updates and board materials.

Requirements

• Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA), ideally audit trained, with significant post-qualification experience, including senior finance roles in industry.

• Proven experience running finance operations (close, controls, audit and AP) in a venture-backed, high-growth or multi-site business, ideally alongside commercial finance or business partnering. Retail, inventory-heavy or consumer experience is a plus.

• Entrepreneurial mindset - comfortable in a fast-moving environment, able to take responsibility from day one and work independently by following processes and own directions.

• Track record of redesigning finance processes and implementing new systems or automation. Xero experience is a plus; hands-on use of AI tools is a strong plus.

• Operationally curious: gets into how the business actually runs, beyond the ledger, and turns that into efficiency gains.

• Experience of fundraising, M&A, due diligence or major contract negotiations.

• Has managed and developed a finance team, including qualified accountants.

• Strong technical knowledge of UK GAAP / IFRS.

• Able to explain accounting matters clearly to non-accountants, and to influence and constructively challenge senior stakeholders.

• Thrives on autonomy in a fast-moving, high-growth business.

• Discretion, sound judgement and integrity are non-negotiable.

Benefits

• Competitive salary.

• 25 days of holiday per year, plus all bank holidays.

• Private health insurance.

• Zapp Credit for testing the Zapp service and experience.

• Lunch provided 4 days a week at HQ.

• Extended sick pay and maternity/paternity leave pay.

• Cycle to work scheme.

• Flexible/hybrid working arrangement