Chief Financial Officer

About The Job

LYVA Labs was created to deliver economic growth through commercialisation of R&D, inspiring ideas, creating partnerships, and attracting investment.

Our mission is to increase investment in innovation and we do this by:

• Making pre-seed equity investments of up to £250,000 directly into companies based in the Liverpool City Region with £7m currently under management
• Co-investing with other VCs
• Leveraging these investment monies with grants from funding bodies such as Innovate UK, SBRI and NIHR and through our Investor Partnership status with Innovate UK
• Providing grant-writing, investment readiness and commercialisation support through a range of programmes
• Providing innovation consultancy services and grants to more established SMEs
• Establishing collaborative partnerships across the innovation ecosystem

We believe innovation will drive growth and create jobs in our region – if we create the right environment to unlock it.

We are seeking a Fractional Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to support our business on a 0.2FTE basis over a 12-month period initially. This role is ideal for an experienced finance leader who enjoys building robust financial foundations in an SME environment.

The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing board-level financial reporting, establishing the financial strategy and processes for the investment portfolio. You will also line manage our finance manager, a part-qualified accountant, supporting them to prepare monthly management reports and lead day-to-day finance operations alongside our appointed accountants.

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Key Duties And Responsibilities

• Reporting to the CEO, you will be responsible for the following:
• Develop and implement robust financial reporting for board use, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and strategic insight.
• Advise the leadership team on financial strategy, risk management, and capital allocation.
• Support scenario modelling, budgeting, and forecasting to inform decision-making.
• Establish and document clear processes, governance, and reporting structures for the management of our investment portfolio.
• Create dashboards or reports that monitor performance and risk exposure across investments.
• Recommend and implement best practices for tracking and evaluating investment performance.
• Mentor and coach our part-qualified accountant, enabling them to take ownership of monthly management accounts and day-to-day finance operations.
• Improve financial systems, processes, and controls, driving efficiency and scalability.
• Help refine the month-end close process and ensure timely reporting.
• Liaise with external stakeholders such as auditors, tax advisors, and banks.
• Ensure compliance with relevant financial regulations and accounting standards.
• Provide ad hoc financial analysis and guidance as required by the board.
• Contribute to funding strategy and support fundraising processes, if applicable.

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Skills, Personality, And Experience

• Proven experience as a CFO, Finance Director, or senior financial leader within SME or investment environments.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge and financial modelling skills.
• Experience with large and small public sector grants
• Excellent communicator and mentor with a collaborative approach.
• Familiarity with UK financial regulations and reporting requirements.
• ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent qualification preferred.
• Comfortable working autonomously and delivering high-impact work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to distil complex financial data into actionable board-level insights.
• Experience in managing investment portfolios or working in a public funding environment.

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Package

Terms: Part Time (1 day per week)

Location: Liverpool City Centre, Knowledge Quarter

Salary: £16,000 (based on £80,000 FTE)

Holidays: 25 days plus bank holidays (pro rata)

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How to Apply

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