Head of Finance

Job Title: Head of Finance

Location: Mumbai, India

Reporting to: Co-Founder

Employment Type: Full-time

Annual Salary Package: 12,00,000 to 18,00,000 INR

About SEED Global Education:

SEED Global Education is a UK-headquartered higher education strategy & consulting firm that aims to help universities grow their international footprint and build a local presence in key strategic markets. Our mission is to be the market leader in providing innovative and strategic solutions for market entry, expansion and diversification.

At SEED, we pride ourselves on our comprehensive understanding of the higher education market in India, Middle- East & Africa. Having worked with numerous reputed universities and higher education service providers, the founding team has rich experience in developing strategies to help universities attract greater international representation.

SEED's mission is to be the market leader in providing innovative strategic solutions catered for market entry, expansion, and diversification. We have offices in Mumbai, London and Accra.

SEED Global Education works with several leading universities across the globe such as Imperial College Business School, Columbia University, Duke University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Toronto-Rotman, New York University, INSEAD, etc.

Role Overview:

We are seeking a commercially minded and entrepreneurial Head of Finance to lead Seed Global Educations end-to-end finance function across the group, including SEED Global Education and Edumate Global.

This is a strategic leadership role with full ownership of financial health, governance, compliance, reporting, and planning across multiple entities and geographies. You will act as a trusted partner to the Co-Founders and leadership team, shaping decisions around growth, investments, pricing, and operational efficiency.

Beyond managing finance, you will build the function designing systems, processes, controls, and teams that scale with the business. This role requires someone who is equally comfortable setting strategy and rolling up their sleeves to execute.

This is ideal for a finance leader with 810+ years of progressive experience who thrives in fast-paced, high-ownership, growth-stage environments and enjoys creating structure where none yet exists.

Key Responsibilities:

1) Strategic Finance Leadership

• Own the overall financial strategy, planning, and compliance for the organisation
• Serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the Co-Founders and leadership team
• Provide clear financial insights to guide growth, investments, and profitability
• Lead long-term planning, scenario modelling, and capital allocation decisions
• Bring a proactive, solutions-oriented perspective to business challenges

2) Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

• Lead annual budgeting, rolling forecasts, and cash flow planning
• Develop robust financial models to evaluate new markets, partnerships, and products
• Track KPIs and performance metrics across business lines
• Translate financial data into actionable insights for non-finance stakeholders

3) Accounting, Reporting & Controls

• Oversee accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual closes across entities
• Manage consolidated reporting for UK, India, and global operations
• Establish scalable accounting policies, internal controls, and governance frameworks
• Ensure high standards of financial transparency and audit readiness

4) Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure full compliance with Indian statutory requirements (GST, TDS, payroll, Companies Act, etc.)
• Support UK compliance and cross-border regulatory obligations
• Oversee tax strategy, filings, and audits across jurisdictions
• Manage foreign exchange, transfer pricing considerations, and contractor payment compliance
• Identify and mitigate financial, operational, and regulatory risks

5) Operational Finance & Systems

• Own treasury, working capital, and cash management
• Optimise vendor contracts, procurement processes, and cost structures
• Implement scalable finance systems, automation, and reporting tools
• Drive process efficiency and continuous improvement

6) Team & Function Building

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing finance team in India
• Manage external accountants, auditors, and advisors
• Create a culture of accountability, ownership, and excellence
• Design a finance function that scales alongside the companys growth

7) Business Partnering

Partner closely with Operations, Marketing, HR, and Partnerships teams on:

• Hiring plans and workforce budgeting
• Pricing and margin optimisation
• Event and campaign ROI analysis
• Vendor and partner negotiations
• Fundraising, investor reporting, and due diligence processes (as applicable)

Qualifications & Experience:

• 812+ years of progressive experience across accounting, finance, and business partnering
• Proven experience leading or building a finance function or team
• Experience working in multi-entity or international businesses
• Strong understanding of Indian statutory compliance and taxation
• Working knowledge of UK accounting standards and cross-border finance
• CA / ACCA / CIMA / CPA (or equivalent) strongly preferred
• Experience in services, education, consulting, or technology-enabled businesses preferred

Skills & Competencies:

• Entrepreneurial mindset with a builders mentality
• Strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen
• Hands-on, high-ownership approach comfortable operating at both strategy and execution levels
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills
• Excellent financial modelling and analytical capability
• Systems-savvy (ERP/accounting platforms, automation, reporting tools)
• Ability to simplify complexity and communicate clearly to non-finance teams
• Comfortable working in fast-growing, evolving, and sometimes ambiguous environments
• Experience working with UK firms or international operations is advantageous