Head of Finance

We are super proud to have recently been named one of the ''Best Places to Work'' in 2026, as well as listed in the ''Top 50 Places To Work For People Development'' in 2026.

Job purpose

We are looking for a Head of Finance who wants to build on the foundations of a fast-growing law firm based in London and Dubai – not just keep the books.

At Founders Law, we are commercial-first, entrepreneurial to our core, and embedded with the founders building fintech, AI, digital assets and SaaS companies across the UK, the GCC and beyond. We run offices in the UK and the UAE, with two sets of regulators, two tax regimes, two currencies and one shared vision.

This role is not “bookkeeper plus more admin.” It’s a commercial partner to the leadership team. A numbers-to-decisions translator. The person who makes sure we get paid, stay compliant and know exactly where the money is going. Someone who tries and tests new tools, feeding our numbers into our internal AI tools to keep improving efficiency and tell the story of what’s really going on.

As Head of Finance, you will own finance across both the UK and UAE entities, reporting to our General Manager and Chief Strategy Officer, leading one internal team member and managing our external accounts receivable (AR) partner.

You’ll be accountable for:

- Financial control, reporting and forecasting across the UK and UAE

- Invoicing, billing and collections – getting paid on time, every time

- Rapidly improving finance processes for a fast-scaling team

- Regulatory, tax and statutory compliance in both jurisdictions, working with our external accountants

- Pod and firm profitability insight that drives better decisions

- Leading and developing the finance function, internal and external

- Building scalable, AI-enabled finance systems for the next stage of growth

You’ll operate as the leadership team’s go-to commercial finance partner – with autonomy, accountability and ambition.

What we’re looking for

Essential:

- Minimum 7 years’ finance experience, including at least 2 years leading a finance function or team

- Strong invoicing and billing experience, with a track record of rapidly improving finance processes in a fast-scaling team

- Professional services experience is a must – ideally in a law firm – with a strong grasp of WIP, lock-up and matter-level profitability

- Hands-on experience running finance across more than one jurisdiction, ideally the UK and UAE

- Working knowledge of UK VAT and Corporation Tax, and UAE Corporate Tax and VAT, with experience supporting external accountants with filings

- Experience managing outsourced providers to clear SLAs

- Hands-on leadership style – willing to get stuck into the detail as well as steer from above

- Confident communicator who can explain the numbers to lawyers, founders and leadership alike

- Familiar with Claude and AI finance tools, and comfortable with cloud accounting and practice management systems

- Deep values alignment, low ego, high standards and a strong sense of team

Nice to have:

- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)

- Experience with UAE free zones (e.g. DIFC, ADGM, DMCC) and their audit requirements

- Experience in scaling, founder-led or PE/VC-backed business

- Knowledge of the startup and tech ecosystem

Key accountabilities

Financial Control & Reporting:

- Own the month-end close, management accounts and board/leadership reporting for both the UK and UAE entities, plus a consolidated group view

- Build and own the annual budget and rolling forecasts; report variance to budget with clear commentary and recommended actions

- Provide pod-level P&L and profitability reporting (including Consultants) so Legal Directors can run their pods like businesses

- Own cash flow forecasting, treasury and banking across GBP, AED and USD, including FX exposure

- Manage intercompany arrangements, recharges and transfer pricing between the UK and UAE entities

- Partner the GM, Chief Strategy Officer and leadership team on pricing, fee models, hiring cases, incentive schemes and investment decisions

Billing, Collections & Cash:

- Own invoicing end to end: WIP review, invoice run, sign-off by Legal Directors and timely issue in both offices

- Set direction for, and manage the performance of, our external AR partner: SLAs, aged-debt reporting, chasing cadence and escalation

- Reduce lock-up (WIP and debtor days) and bad debt through commercial rigour, clear payment terms and proactive client engagement

- Work with Legal Directors on write-offs, disputed invoices and payment plans, and escalate when needed

- Own accounts payable, supplier payments, consultant payments and expenses policy

Compliance, Tax & Filings:

- Support our external accountants in the UK and UAE with all statutory and tax filings: preparing records, reconciliations and schedules, answering queries and keeping deadlines on track

- UK: ensure compliance with the SRA Accounts Rules, including client account management and regular reconciliations, and support the annual accountant’s report

- UK: support VAT (Making Tax Digital), Corporation Tax and Companies House filings with our external accountants

- UAE: support Corporate Tax and VAT filings and record-keeping; prepare for UAE e-invoicing requirements; support free zone financial requirements and audits

- Oversee payroll in both jurisdictions (including UK PAYE/pension and UAE WPS and end-of-service obligations)

- Be the day-to-day contact for external accountants, auditors and banks; support clean year-end audits on time

- Maintain strong financial controls, approval limits and AML/KYC-aligned payment processes

Team Leadership, Process & Systems:

- Rapidly review and improve finance processes – invoicing, collections, expenses, approvals and reporting – so they keep pace with a fast-scaling team

- Lead, coach and develop your internal direct report, building their technical skills and career path

- Manage the external AR provider as an extension of the team: clear scope, KPIs, regular reviews and contract management

- Own the finance tech stack (accounting, practice management, time recording, payments) and drive automation and AI adoption, including Claude and AI finance tools

- Document processes so the function scales without adding headcount for every new client

Strategic Contribution & Culture:

- Contribute to the UK/UAE growth plan, including financial modelling for new offices, services or investment

- Reinforce One Shared Vision by working across UK and UAE teams and avoiding silos

- Support ad hoc firm-wide or strategic projects as directed by the GM or Chief Strategy Officer

- Make finance approachable: high standards, high trust, no jargon

Who are we?

We are absolutely not your traditional law firm; we're a fusion of the traditional private practice and in-house legal roles, combining top-tier law firm expertise with a business-savvy in-house look.

Our clients view us as 'their lawyer' and trust us to form part of their teams. Each lawyer sits as in-house legal counsel for a range of clients, offering you a superb and diverse experience working with businesses at the cutting edge of different industries.

Our client base spans the full breadth of the UK, European, Middle Eastern, and US tech scene, from Fintechs to Edtechs, AI to Fashion, FMCG to EV, and VCs, accelerators, and incubators.

We are part of the Founders Forum Group and are plugged into the tech ecosystem by our very nature.

What you want to know

We're working to continue to build an environment of talented individuals with lots of energy to thrive.

We have a beautiful, shiny office with a terrace overlooking Temple Park, Big Ben*, & The Shard. In the office, the team currently offers a free corporate chair massage once a month, weekly yoga sessions, free bike servicing once a quarter, and various other events.

However, we’re hybrid, so you can work from the office, home or Narnia; it's your choice. We just need you to be on the UK tax system. We’ll set you up on a MacBook Pro or Surface Business with a home office allowance, so you have everything you need.

Not only do we have a team of ever-growing entrepreneurial lawyers, but we have some pretty good perks too:

- Competitive salary (We know everyone says this, but we do want the best candidates, so apply, let us know your rate and let's chat).

- Discretionary annual bonus opportunities.

- "Surprise and delight" gifts for going the extra mile.

- 25 days annual leave, don't worry, bank holidays are on top.

- Day off on yo ur birthday and other significant life events.

- 5 days leave for education a year, plus a dedicated annual education budget.

- Private healthcare with Vitality.

- Private Dental care plus hearing and discounts with Boots Opticians.

- £350 home setup allowance.

- Worldwide travel insurance, including Winter Sports.

- Annual emergency childcare allowance.

- Half-price gym membership at Virgin Active, PureGym and Nuffield Health.

- Electric car leasing salary sacrifice scheme saving up to 40% on electric cars.

- Cycle to work scheme saving up to 32% on a bike and splitting your payments over 12 months.

- Access to a tech and home scheme with discounts and 12-month interest-free payment options through partners including Currys PC World, IKEA and John Lewis.

- There are socials every four weeks if you want to join us, from bars and restaurants to experiences at the F1 Arcade, Gamebox, Fairgame, and many more.

+ lots more.

*In Autumn/Winter when the leaves fall off the trees