Finance Business Leader
- Based: Richmond, UK
- Contract period: 6 months
- Functions: Finance | Technology | Product | R&D
Our client is seeking a strategic, execution-oriented Global Tech Finance Business Leader to play a pivotal role at the intersection of finance, technology, and product innovation. This is a senior leadership opportunity to partner closely with Product, Engineering, and Operations teams and drive financial excellence across a global portfolio of technology investments.
In this role, you will own financial planning, forecasting, and performance management for Product Management, R&D organizations, and SaaS hosting and infrastructure costs, ensuring resources are deployed efficiently to accelerate innovation and enable scalable, profitable growth.
Your role:
Strategic Finance Leadership
- Lead end-to-end financial management for global Product, R&D, and Technology organizations, including budgeting, forecasting, long-range planning, and investment prioritization
- Partner with senior executives to translate product strategy and technology roadmaps into clear financial insights, trade-offs, and ROI analyses
- Drive financial stewardship and operational rigor across global engineering teams, improving spend governance while supporting sustainable growth
Product & R&D Investment Management
- Design and own financial frameworks to evaluate product investments, including feasibility analysis, burn rate tracking, capacity planning, and capital allocation
- Support product leaders with business cases, pricing strategy, and scenario modelling
- Implement and monitor performance metrics (OKRs, KPIs, productivity, release efficiency) to measure R&D effectiveness and value creation
SaaS Hosting, Cloud & Infrastructure Cost Management
- Own forecasting, reporting, and optimization of cloud and hosting spend (AWS, Azure, Oracle, data platforms)
- Partner with Engineering, DevOps, and FinOps teams to identify savings opportunities, support vendor negotiations, and improve unit economics
- Build scalable frameworks for COGS modelling, multi-tenant cost allocation, and internal chargebacks
Business Partnership & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Influence decision-making at all levels through clear communication of financial risks, opportunities, and insights
- Act as the primary finance partner to global product and engineering leadership teams
- Collaborate across business units to ensure strong alignment on product P&Ls and performance outcomes
Financial Operations & Governance
- Strengthen financial processes, systems, and reporting capabilities across global regions
- Ensure compliance with accounting standards, internal controls, and audit requirements related to technology investments
- Drive continuous improvement in financial modelling, SaaS metrics reporting, and planning cycle efficiency
The person:
- 10+ years of progressive finance leadership experience in global technology organisations
- Deep experience supporting Product Management, R&D, Engineering, or Technology Operations
- Strong expertise in SaaS hosting, cloud cost management, FinOps principles, and COGS modelling
- Exceptional analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into actionable financial insights
- Proven ability to influence senior executives and drive cross-functional alignmentExperience in high-growth SaaS, enterprise software, or platform businesses preferredMBA, CPA, CFA, ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent advanced qualification is a plus