Finance Director

Aspire is the leading all-in-one finance operating system for growing businesses in APAC. We are on a mission to reinvent business finance for a new generation of entrepreneurs and business owners, empowering startups and MSME to realise their full potential.

Founded in 2018, Aspire has raised over USD 300M+ across equity and debt from world-class investors. In 2023, we successfully closed an oversubscribed USD 100 million Series C equity round led by Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Ventures with participation of Tencent, Paypal Ventures, LGT Capital Partners, Picus Capital and MassMutual Ventures. To power our solutions, we have partnered with some of the best companies in the world such as Visa and Wise and helped more than 15,000 businesses using our suite of products.

For 2 consecutive years in 2022 & 2023, Aspire has been awarded Best Employer of the Year and Startup of the year by Asia FinTech Awards, and also LinkedIn’s Top Startup in Singapore. In 2023, we also made it to CB Insights’ Top 100 Global Fintech List.

You will be amazed by the energy and experience of our team! Aspire serves as an environment for you to innovate and drive change with our team of ex-entrepreneurs, ex-founders, and high-achievers with international and diverse backgrounds.

Are you a top talent who is passionate about entrepreneurship? Join our rapidly growing team to make an impact in the fintech space!

About the Role

As a Finance Director, you are responsible for making key financial, business related decisions and ensuring that budgets are met for Aspire UK.

The candidate will be an experienced finance director within the financial services industry with strong analytical skills, excellent communication skills, leadership ability and strategic thinking.

As the UK Finance Director you will be responsible for all regional financial matters & financial performance (this includes the EU region) and includes all aspects of safeguarding. You will be working in a new business environment as with the UK CEO you establish Aspire UK in the UK and achieve growth, expanding the business to support our customers in the UK & SE Asia.

Role Responsibilities

• Collaborating on the setting of the UK strategy & in particular financial aspects & performance
• As a standalone role in the UK, this role will also cover the Region (including the EU). This role requires the post holder to be a UK Board member
• To be responsible for managing overall financial stability of the UK & regional businesses
• Daily oversight of all safeguarding matters including the review & approval of daily safeguarding calculations & reconciliations
• Prepare Aspire Group consolidation across UK/EU markets, liaising with local and global finance teams
• Prepares monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports & forecasts.
• Develops strategies to increase return on investment and profitability.
• Oversees and reviews accounting tasks including payroll, taxes and compliance.
• Presents financial reports to executives, board members, investors, and other stakeholders.
• Collaborates with the executives and directors to create budgets and track key performance indicators.
• Knows and adheres to UK generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and Securities and/or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs).
• Be a mentor and a leader to all finance staff to ensure they can carry out their responsibilities to the required standard.
• Contribute to the company’s overall business objectives and guide on financial strategy.
• Implement an internal audit programme to ensure that the company complies with all financial and statutory regulations.

Required Skills

• Strong academic pedigree, qualified as an Accountant
• Minimum of 10 years experience, preferably in the financial services industry & in particular banking and/or payments sectors. The candidate is required to have had exposure to CASS and/or safeguarding requirements.
• Have led and headed Finance and Accounting team/department successfully at an evolving business
• Passion to establish & scale a startup in the fintech industry
• Flexible mindset and attitude to support a new UK business and it’s establishment in the UK market
• Strategic thinking with excellent communication & negotiation skills
• Project management & IT skills with a keen eye for detail & time conscious

#LI-NH1

What we offer

• Uncapped flexible annual leave.
• Hybrid work arrangement.
• Training subsidy for your professional growth.
• Wellness benefit.
• Team bonding budget to foster collaboration and sense of belonging.
• Flexibility to work from anywhere (for up to 90 days per annum).
• Culture is Key: We always strive to cultivate a special culture that brings special talents together - You can learn more about our culture on our careers site and LinkedIn Life page.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Aspire is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by applicable laws.

Please note: by submitting your application, you acknowledge that you have read and understood Aspire’s Data Protection Policy for Employees, Freelancers, Contractors and Job Applicants (the “Policy”), and consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal data by Aspire for the purposes set out in the Policy. You may withdraw consent for such collection, use and disclosure, and make an access or correction request in respect of your personal data, in accordance with the Policy by emailing people@aspireapp.com.