Abselion is a life science tools company headquartered in Cambridge, UK, working on the next generation of analytical technologies. We have developed a benchtop analytical instrument, called Amperia, which uses proprietary Redox Electrochemical Detection (RED) technology to quantify proteins and viral vectors directly from crude samples in minutes, without purification, and without specialist training.
We work with teams across protein expression, process development and in academia, biotech and pharma across the globe who are tired of waiting days for analytical results that should take minutes.
We are a team who care deeply about the science, move quickly, and believe that the best outcomes come from genuinely understanding and helping customers solve real problems
Role Overview
The VP Finance is a senior, hands-on role responsible for ensuring that the companys financial operations run reliably, accurately, and predictably, while also providing executive operational leverage across the business.
In the first 6 months, the priority is stabilising and upgrading the finance function: close, cash visibility, AR/AP cadence, controls and board reporting, with increasing readiness for audit and future fundraising. Alongside finance, the role takes ownership of a set of executive responsibilities related to commercial operations.
Key Responsibilities
1. Financial Operations
Own the reliable day-to-day execution of the companys finances and ensure financial data is accurate, timely and trustworthy.
- Oversee the full accounting cycle in collaboration with external accountants, including reconciliations, month-end close and management accounts.
- Invoicing, billing and collections to ensure timely and accurate cash inflow.
- Manage banking operations, payment runs and short-term cashflow visibility.
- Incrementally improve finance and operational processes, controls and documentation as the company scales.
2. Commercial & Operations Finance
Own and improve end-to-end order-to-cash and procure-to-pay workflows across Commercial, Operations and Finance.
- Oversee purchasing workflows, invoice matching and spend control.
- Customer orders, delivery confirmation, invoicing and collections.
- Work closely with Commercial to ensure ERP and CRM data supports accurate billing, forecastingand reporting.
- Support logistics, fulfilment and internal handovers between sales, operations, production and finance.
- Identify and resolve friction points in commercial and operational execution.
3. Reporting
Build the financial foundations required for a growing manufacturing and consumables business, with increasing readiness for scale and future investment.
- Support inventory, BOMs, COGS and gross margin tracking for instruments and consumables.
- Produce budget vs actual analysis, forecasts and cash runway views.
- Provide clear finance inputs for board reporting
- Prepare and maintain robust financial models, forecasts and scenario analyses to support future fundraising.
- Ensure financial data, reporting and processes are audit ready, and coordinate external auditors as required.
- Support grants, R&D tax credits and funder reporting where applicable.
4. Executive Operations
Provide operational leverage to the leadership team by owning cross-functional initiatives and corporate administration that sit outside any single functional lead.
- Lead set-up and ongoing administration of International subsidiaries, including timelines, budgets, banking and payroll readiness and baseline compliance.
- Own the company compliance calendar and corporate housekeeping.
5. Fundraising Readiness
Support fundraising, diligence and investor reporting with high-quality financial materials and narratives.
- Maintain an investor-grade financial model, scenarios and use-of-funds planning.
- Prepare finance elements of data room and diligence packs and support investor Q&A.
- Support equity and option administration readiness in coordination with external specialists where required
Experience & Skills
Essential
- Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA) or equivalent hands-on experience.
- Significant experience in execution-heavy finance roles (Financial Controller, Head of Finance, Senior Accountant or similar)
- Hands-on capability across reconciliations, invoicing, AP/AR, cashflow and month-end close.
- Experience operating in a venture-backed start-up or scale-up environment, including board reporting, runway planning and diligence readiness.
- Proven ability to run cross-functional operational projects.
- Comfortable working closely with operations, production and commercial teams.
- Clear communicator with non-finance stakeholders.
Desirable
- Experience in manufacturing/cost accounting, hardware or consumables-based businesses.
- Exposure to inventory, BOMs, COGS and margin analysis.
- Experience supporting order-to-cash and procure-to-pay processes.
- Experience supporting grants, funder reporting or R&D tax credits.
- Familiarity with ERP, CRM and operational systems that interface with finance.
- Exposure to UK and US cross-border operations is preferred.
- Experience supporting fundraising processes and investor diligence.
What we offer
- Dynamic and fast-paced work environment in a rapidly expanding company
- Be part of a step-change in life science instrumentation
- Working on cutting-edge technology at the intersection of biology, engineering, and data science
- Base salary £90,000 - £110,000 per annum
- Most important of all, join a great team!
Start date
Immediate
Location
The role is on-site located in Cambridge, UK.
Application process
First stage: Video or phone call; Second stage: Face to Face Technical interview
How to apply
Please fill in the application form on our Careers page and attach your CV in PDF format. We look forward to receiving your application.
