Finance Director

We’re looking for a Finance Director

We're looking for a commercial, operationally-focused Finance Director to join our leadership team and lead our financial strategy. You’ll be responsible for ensuring our financial operations are robust, compliant, and scalable across the UK, the Netherlands and the US. You’ll partner with the CEO, CMO and board on strategy, reporting and planning, build clear and reliable processes alongside our Assistant Accountant, complete high-level reporting and provide high-quality insight to support decision-making across the business.

You’ll report to the CEO, working closely with teams across the company to fund and facilitate projects in growth and efficiency while securing cash and balancing costs. This is a strategic, hands-on role for a senior finance leader who enjoys combining long-term planning with day-to-day execution, and who is comfortable operating in a growing, mission-driven business and mentoring a high-potential team.

We help holidaymakers love their journeys

We're not just another travel company - at Byway, we're pioneering slow travel holidays with Journey AI, the world’s first tech for journey-based trips. We’re a certified B Corp committed to making flight-free travel mainstream and building an inclusive business. Since our inception in March 2020, we've booked over 20,000 travellers onto unforgettable holidays, with over 95% five-star reviews. We’re growing 2x YoY and are regularly featured in the press, including the Guardian, BBC, and New York Times.

Your key responsibilities

• Partner with the CEO to drive commercial strategy, optimising unit economics (LTV:CAC) and ensuring capital efficiency as we scale.

• Own the financial operating model, providing high-quality board reporting, ensuring alignment with company goals and supporting informed decision-making.

• Own financial reporting across all entities and on a consolidated basis, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and timely insight for internal and external stakeholders, including auditors.

• Manage complex travel regulatory requirements (PTR, ABTA), oversee FX hedging to protect margins, and oversee tax, regulatory, and investor compliance, working with external advisers to manage risk.

• Oversee cash flow, liquidity and financial resilience, balancing growth investment with operational sustainability.

• Act as a senior advisor to the CEO and Board, clearly communicating financial performance, trade-offs and strategic options, and contributing actively to strategy.

• Scale the finance function, mentoring the team and implementing the systems/controls required for a company growing 2x YoY including across partner contracts, marketing spend, and customer refunds/compensation.

A core part of performance in any role at Byway is to live up to our Byway values, exhibiting behaviours aligned with our values, on a daily basis. Read more here .

What we’re looking for

• Proven experience as a Finance Director, Head of Finance or equivalent in a high-growth business, supporting companies through scale, complexity and change.

• A qualified accountant (ACA/CA/ACCA or equivalent) with up-to-date knowledge of financial reporting, tax and regulatory best practice across multiple jurisdictions.

• A pragmatic and commercially minded approach to finance, with a track record of turning complex financial data into clear, actionable insight.

• Strong experience building and maintaining scalable financial models, budgets and forecasts, alongside robust reporting and controls to support growth.

• An ability to build trusted relationships with the CEO, leadership team, board members and investors, influencing decision-making with sound financial judgement.

• A proven track record in cash flow, working capital and liquidity management, balancing reinvestment for growth with financial resilience: you challenge the business on pricing, margins, and operational efficiency.

• Comfort flexing between strategic leadership and hands-on execution, and a proven ability to mentor and grow high-potential talent.

What would be great (but isn’t required)

• Travel experience, especially a deep understanding of the complexity of travel/marketplace models (TOMS VAT, Merchant of Record).

• B Corp or values-centred business experience.

What we offer

• £70,000 - £85,000 p.a. depending on experience, plus equity

• The opportunity to work four days a week, pro-rated, if you prefer

• Remote-first, flexible working:

  • 20 days wherever: work when you like and where you like for most of the month - we’ll fund a day a week in a coworking space

  • 2 days together: join our team in the London office two days each month (a couple of exceptions per year is fine)

• One cost-price Byway holiday per year, an annual Interrail pass, a Cycle to Work scheme and agency rates with Eurostar for you and a family member/friend

• Team socials and an optional Weekend Away in spring

How to apply

Please apply here with your CV and answers to our screening questions.

We’re eager to receive applications from all backgrounds, including from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. If there’s anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know.

The process

If we like your application, we'll schedule an initial call with Cat (CEO). After that, there will be a scenario-based discussion with Holly (CMO), Simon (CFO at Founders Factory, our investor) and Adem (Assistant Accountant), focusing on technical and strategic skills. The final stage will be a values-based interview with Cat and Maya (current FD). We offer flexible scheduling for our multi-stage interview process and are open to adjustments based on candidate needs.

Applications close

Saturday 31st January