Chief Operations Officer London, England
Job description
ABOUT US
HyperionDev is one of the largest providers of accelerated tech education in EMEA and one of the oldest providers of 'coding bootcamps' in the world. We work with top universities such as Imperial College London, The London School of Economics, The University of Edinburgh, and Stellenbosch University to deliver structured technical courses and bootcamps that accelerate people into fulfilling tech careers. We have been recognised as one of the top education technology scaleups in the world and gained the financial backing of Meta (previously Facebook) which recognised us as the most socially impactful startup operating in Africa, where we initially started our work.
We are dedicated to closing the global tech skills gap and we achieve this by integrating tech education with human mentorship and expert code review powered by a workforce in Southern Africa, which lowers the cost of an accessible education in technology. This model has been successful, allowing us to reach millions of learners a year from over 60 countries. We have also partnered with government bodies such as the UK's Department for Education who provide scholarships for students to study on our bootcamps and gain employment at companies such as AstraZeneca and the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS).
We're backed by nearly 2000 investors, having raised the largest crowdfunding round of funding for an edtech company in history. As a primarily bootstrapped, profitable, and scale up tech business join us as we play our part in making the world a more stable, safer, and fair place.
ABOUT THE ROLE
As the Chief Operations Officer at HyperionDev you will be responsible for overseeing the financial operations of the company, as well as critical growth operations.
In this role you will take ownership of financial & investment planning and will oversee our financial planning and budgeting, report and present results to our investors, and ensure financial controls to support the optimal deployment of funds. Furthermore, you will lead the Finance team with regards to all financial reporting and analysis of the business, reporting to the Board, preparations of financials for management or audit, budgeting and forecast modelling, supporting compliance, cost analysis and management, tax management, and managing payments to suppliers.
You will also provide the CEO strategic support in fundraising, investor meetings, and investment due diligence.
You will also assist with the phase in of new business, especially relating to the management of government projects for bootcamps and larger scale operational implementations as we continue to grow at a >400% rate year on year.
The team is supported by an external accounting firm/specialist where needed, and a Wellness division assisting with payroll and budgeting to ensure that the internal systems of a high-growth tech support scale.
This is a unique opportunity to join one of the largest education technology startups in Africa and directly support our management team is key decision making.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead the financial management, planning, and strategy of the business including all forms of fundraising as a partner to the CEO
- Set the financial budgeting, planning, and reporting across the business and all product lines
- Lead implementation of a finance tech stack to enable budget delegation, tracking, and reporting across a management team of >15 and and all areas of the business
- Manage relationships with existing shareholders and investors, ensuring compliance with reporting requirements, EIS requirements and ensuring high shareholder engagement
- Lead compliance in the business relating to all financial filings and shareholder and cap table management and compliance
- Build the finance team out to support all finance reporting requirements and ensuring smooth financial operations
- Identify areas for cost operation and treasury management to maximise the resources of the business, including tax and R&D strategy
- Lead critical operational projects while phasing in hiring in and structure as we scale to meet new demands quickly
REQUIREMENTS
Minimum
- At least 3 years of experience managing large complex projects at scale and operational teams, with a record of exceeding targets in such projects
- At least 4 years of management accounting experience
- At least 4 years of experience leading an internal finance team overseeing payroll, reporting and the like
- Experience of leading financial compliance and reporting for a UK business with >£1mil turnover, including VAT reporting, optimising and the like
- At least 2 years of experience in tech scaleup fundraising on a debt, equity, or secondaries basis either as part of team raising substantial capital (>£5mil + ) or leading such a team or function
- Relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent experience in finance and accounting
- Experience working in a fast moving, fast growing organisation
- Exceptional attention to detail
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- High level of planning and organisation skills
- Ability to handle sensitive, confidential information
Preferred
- Experience in exchange control regulations and the South African Reserve Bank
- Experience and understanding of South African VAT and compliance regulations
- At least 2 years of experience working in tax law and/or equivalent experience in advising on corporation tax structuring and compliance with HMRC tax regulations in international group structures
BENEFITS
Equity: As a senior leadership role within the company, you may be eligible for direct ownership in the business through our stock option scheme. The company has been approached for acquisition by a number of billion dollar leaders in the tech education space, is backed by investors from the US, UK and South Africa, and we want you to directly share in the success of the business.
Flexible & remote working: We are a remote-friendly organisation and offer flexible work options.
Annual leave and medical benefits: We provide up to 20 annual leave days as part of our leave policy, as well as health insurance or medical aid benefits for our staff.
Join the heart of tech in Africa, the US, and Europe: You'll work with the best of the best and rub shoulders with the world leaders in edtech, developer education, and developer assessments. Join one of the most ambitious and highest performing tech companies in the space, with a founding team that draws their former experience from companies such as Google, Amazon, GetSmarter/2U, & Yoco.
Life-changing work: Solve real problems that make education and tech careers accessible to those who need it most: you're allowed to brag about it.
OUR VALUES
We're a people-forward company with a purpose that underlines everything we do. We're obsessed with the potential in people and challenge them to do their best work. We embrace a culture of growth and learning to deliver on our vision and ours is a relentless quest for improvement.
