Head of Finance (Milan Based)
Descrizione dell'offerta
We are looking for a Head of Finance who will act not only as the financial leader of the company, but also as a strategic and operational partner to the executive team — and a credible face of the company toward investors, board members, and institutional stakeholders.
This is a hands-on, high-impact role for someone who wants to shape the financial and operational backbone of a scaling AI company.
The Head of Finance will have a day-to-day impact on company operations, financial strategy, and execution. This role goes beyond classic finance: we are looking for a business-oriented leader who can connect numbers to decisions, strategy to execution, and vision to discipline.
You will be a key voice in strategic planning, operational prioritization, and organizational clarity, while ensuring strong financial control and scalability across multiple geographies. You will also represent the company in high-stakes conversations with venture capital firms, institutional investors, and public grant bodies.
Key Objectives
- Own and evolve the company’s financial strategy in alignment with growth, fundraising, and international expansion
- Ensure financial discipline, cash control, and forecasting accuracy in a fast-scaling SaaS environment
- Act as a bridge between finance, operations, sales, and leadership
- Represent the company credibly and autonomously with top-tier VCs, institutional investors, and board members
- Manage and optimize the company’s grants and public funding portfolio
- Prepare the organization for future fundraising rounds, M&A, and scale-up phases
Financial Leadership
- Own cash management, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and financial planning
- Coordinate annual operating and strategic plans, including multi-country budgets
- Ensure healthy cash flow aligned with operational needs and growth plans
- Develop and implement financial controls, processes, and best practices suitable for scale
- Oversee accounting, reporting, and compliance across jurisdictions (Italy, Spain, France, GCC)
- Serve as a primary point of contact for investors, managing ongoing relationships with VC firms and institutional stakeholders
- Prepare and deliver board materials, financial updates, and strategic presentations
- Represent the company in investor meetings, due diligence processes, and fundraising conversations
- Coordinate board meeting logistics, follow-ups, and governance requirements
- Build and maintain relationships with top-tier VCs for current and future funding rounds
- Identify, apply for, and manage public grants, R&D tax credits, and institutional funding programs (EU, national, regional)
- Ensure compliance with grant requirements, reporting obligations, and audit processes
- Optimize the company’s funding mix between equity, debt, and non-dilutive capital
- Translate strategic goals into operational plans, KPIs, and financial implications
- Support hiring plans, org design decisions, and cost structure optimization
- Monitor business performance with tracking tools and drive corrective actions when needed
- Improve cross-team workflows, clarity, and accountability through data and structure
- Lead financial modeling, scenario analysis, and capital structure planning
- Research revenue opportunities and economic trends, identify areas for cost reduction and process enhancement
- Manage risk through analysis of liabilities, contracts, and investments
- Support potential M&A or strategic partnership evaluations
- Prepare data rooms, investor decks, and due diligence materials
- Manage finance team and oversee external providers (accounting, payroll, legal, tax)
- Ensure finance systems, tools, and reporting infrastructure scale with the business
- Collaborate with HR on compensation, incentives, and headcount planning
- 5+ years of experience in senior finance or leadership roles
- Proven experience managing investor relations and interacting with VC firms and boards
- Track record in fundraising processes (Series A/B/C) or corporate finance transactions
- Strong business acumen with a hands-on, execution-oriented mindset
- Proven ability to operate in fast-growing, ambiguous environments
- Excellent verbal, written, and visual communication skills — able to present confidently to sophisticated investors
- Solid understanding of accounting, financial controls, tax planning, and regulatory frameworks
- Fluent English and Italian, Spanish is a plus
- Experience in SaaS or subscription-based business models
- International finance exposure (multi-entity, multi-country)
- Experience managing EU or national grants and public funding programs
- Experience in M&A, corporate development, or strategic finance
- Background combining finance with operations, strategy, or consulting
- Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or equivalent experience
- Professional certification (CPA, ACA, CFA, or equivalent) is a plus
- Familiarity with ERP and financial planning tools
- Direct exposure to executive leadership, board, and top-tier investors
- Real influence on strategy, execution, and company trajectory
- Opportunity to represent the company in high-level institutional conversations
- International scope across Europe and the GCC
- A company entering a decisive scale-up phase — not a “maintenance” role
- Competitive compensation package + equity participation