Finance Lead

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

SDS Separation Technology is developing next-generation carbon capture systems designed to dramatically reduce the cost, footprint, and energy consumption of industrial CO₂ capture.

Our technology rethinks conventional gas–liquid absorption through a novel process intensification technology, enabling high-performance capture systems that are significantly smaller and more efficient than traditional solutions while being solvent agnostic. We are building deployable industrial technology capable of enabling large-scale decarbonization across multiple sectors.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

We are hiring a Finance Lead to work closely with the CEO and management team to provide better structure to SDS's finance function and prepare the company for its next phase of growth and institutional funding to reach commercialisation. The role is initially 2 - 3 days per week (with potential to increase following the funding round) and is expected to grow in scope as SDS completes its institutional funding round and scales internationally, with the potential to develop into a Head of Finance/CFO role. This is a hands-on role: you will work at both strategic and operational level, from building funding scenarios and preparing investor materials to ensuring that management has reliable financial information each month.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Priority

• Strategic Finance/Financial, Planning and & Analysis: own and continuously improve the integrated financial model; budget, forecast, cash/runway and scenario planning; translate our technical/commercial roadmap into funding requirements.

• Fundraising & investor readiness: support the CEO on the upcoming institutional equity round and grant applications; financial sections of the investor case; valuation/cap-table scenarios; data room; DD questions; investor reporting and board/shareholder materials.

• Financial control: own internal finance function and ensure management has reliable, timely financial information. Manage/own the monthly reporting cycle, cash position and runway, P&L, balance sheet and cash-flow reporting, actual vs budget; project, R&D and personnel expenditure; and appropriate financial controls.

• Accounting, compliance & external providers: act as SDS’s internal finance owner and primary interface with the external accountant, payroll provider, tax adviser and auditor; ensure bookkeeping, payroll, VAT/tax filings, annual accounts, subsidy administration and other statutory financial requirements are completed accurately and on time.

Medium term

• Deep-tech/project economics: work closely with CCO on building business cases around pilots, FOAK deployments and scale-up; understand CAPEX, gross margins and project economics; track R&D expenditure, capitalised development.

• Finance infrastructure: improve processes, controls and management information so the finance function is ready for a substantially larger organisation following the funding round.

Experience

• Demonstrated experience taking ownership of a company’s finance function or substantial parts of it, incl. management reporting, budgeting/forecasting, cash mgt& oversight of accounting.

• 5+ years of relevant experience in finance, FP&A, management consulting, corporate finance, transaction services, investment banking, venture capital, or a finance role within a tech company

• Strong financial modelling and analytical skills, with experience building and maintaining integrated financial models, budgets, forecasts and cash-flow scenarios

• Solid understanding of financial statements, management reporting and financial controls

• Experience supporting fundraising, investment transactions, due diligence or other corporate finance processes

• Comfortable working with cap tables, financing scenarios and investor reporting

• Advanced Excel skills and confidence working with financial and operational data

• Experience in an investor-backed, deep-tech, climate-tech, industrial technology or other R&D-intensive environment is an advantage

• Experience with grants, R&D subsidies, project finance or capitalised development costs is also an advantage

• Professional fluency in English

WHAT MAKES YOU EFFECTIVE

• Willingness to learn fast, you have a curious mind

• You combine a self starter mentality with a pragmatic, hands-on approach

• You enjoy moving between detailed financial analysis and the bigger strategic picture

• You like to boil complex financial information to the essence, in communications with management, investors and other stakeholders

• You are comfortable operating in a fast-moving environment where processes are still being built

• You enjoy working with engineers, commercial teams and entrepreneurs

WHY JOIN SDS

• Work at the intersection of finance, technology and industrial decarbonisation

• Take ownership of the finance function at a critical stage of SDS

• Work directly with CEO and management team on a major institutional fundraising round and SDS's transition towards commercial scale-up

• Help shape the financial strategy of a deep-tech company moving from technology validation towards industrial deployment

• Gain exposure to fundraising, investors, grants, project economics and strategic decision-making rather than working in a narrowly defined finance role

• Join a small, experienced and entrepreneurial team where your work has direct impact

• Opportunity for the role to grow as SDS scales

WHAT WE OFFER

We are an equal opportunities employer with a commitment to an inclusive work environment. This is an opportunity to work in a high-paced, pioneering company, shaping the CO2 capture industry. We offer a competitive compensation package that includes:

• A market rate salary

• Possibility to partake in Stock Incentive Program

• 35 paid vacation leave per year (pro rata)

• Pension scheme support

• An annual training and development budget

• An annual wellness budget

• Mobile phone and laptop

Interested?

• Please contact Albert van Pabst on [email protected]