Finance Manager

Who we are

Boba Commodities are a successful, rapidly growing commodities trading firm with the wider purpose of investing into a better future for us all.

Our vision

To invest our trading profits into community enhancing businesses across the globe that share our values.

Our mission

Through our trading strategies, maximise the opportunity in the commodities and other markets to help us realise our vision.

We believe

Social value and long-term profit are inextricably linked. We carry this philosophy through to the role we play in the commodities markets. As part of this belief, we have ensured we are a carbon negative company, meaning we seek to double offset our carbon footprint, backdated from our inception as a company.

Where we are in our journey

From being founded in 2013, we have grown significantly over the past 12 years. We are now looking to build upon our business processes, upgraded technology infrastructure and higher levels of automation of our trading processes. To add to the team, we are looking for a hands-on person who has strong administrative, organisation and time management skills, has commercial acumen, is intellectually curious but methodical in their approach; and is an excellent communicator to help support us and make our vision a reality.

Our values

• We believe in 80/20, the focus on value and productivity: We ensure we are always focused on the most impactful drivers and results and its value over time. We move fast and get things done, without compromising on the quality of output.
• Adapt & Evolve: We are agile and growth oriented. We won’t get everything right first time, but we are open-minded to learning from mistakes and failures. We adapt and evolve whenever needed.
• Best Ideas Rise To The Top: We champion the best ideas, not our own ideas. We ensure we listen to other ideas, regardless of the source and embrace cognitive diversity and creating a psychologically safe environment where every voice is heard.
• Care Personally: We care about each other at a personal level as well as ourselves. The more we understand each other, the more effective we will be.

These core values are intrinsic in our culture and in everything we do.

What are you going to do?

You will work directly with the CEO Support manager and closely with the Chief of Staff, and the CEO as a key stakeholder, with a mandate to undertake all aspects of financial management of a commodities trading business including corporate accounting, regulatory and financial reporting, budget and forecasts preparation. You will also support the business by effectively onboarding/offboarding third party vendors, invoice processing and actively manage all financial outgoings that relate to the operations of the business. All the while working in a way that contributes to our values and our aspiration of making Boba the best place to work on the planet. Specific responsibilities include:

• Accounting and reporting of all transactions and financial events (in both USD and GBP currencies), including month end/quarterly management accounts on a timely basis with out outsourced partners
• Constantly seeking ways to improve efficiency through automation and a deep understanding of our processes
• Ensure key reporting deadlines are met to internal stakeholders and external stakeholders such as Quarterly Management Accounts, payroll, audit and corporation tax reporting and VAT returns
• Liaise regularly with out outsourced partners to ensure timely and smooth running of the finance function
• Building and managing cash flow model, and monthly cash flow analysis for forecasting expenses and requesting the monthly cash requirements from the CEO
• Accounts Payable: Ensuring that supplier invoices are authorised appropriately and paid on a timely basis, working closely with the Chief of Staff to diarise payments and subscription renewal reviews for software and services we use
• Payroll and employee benefits: Liaising with our outsourced partner to ensure monthly payroll is processed correctly, and employee benefits are accounted for correctly, including pension obligations
• Ensuring appropriate financial controls are embedded; review monthly/quarterly balance sheet reconciliations and ensure postings are correct
• Manage special projects relating to finance or trading such as reviewing costs
• Strategic financial management such as handling process around QIPS, financial risk, capital budgeting
• Prepare reports on crypto trading and sending the information to our outsourced company for entry into Xero (accounting software)
• Other ad-hoc duties that the Leadership team or CEO Support may request

To thrive in this role, you must have …

• 2-4 years of proven work experience in a commercial environment at a similar level
• Thorough knowledge of accounting principles, procedures and working with foreign currency
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office, in particular Excel/VBA (Macros) and pivot tables
• Excellent accounting software user and administration skills, in particular Xero
• Excellent attention to detail
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to liaise with co-workers at all levels of the business. Specifically skilled at presenting complex information in concise and clear ways
• Analytical, structured, logical problem solving mind. Process based approach to each task
• Evidence of being able to clearly establish priorities but remain adaptable in a constantly changing environment
• Strong individual contributor and team player, with high levels of self-motivation
• Thirst for learning and continually improving, and desire to push yourself out of your comfort zone to learn new skills, behaviours, and ways of working
• Part-qualified accountant (e.g. ACCA)

It would be even better, but not essential, if you have one or more of…

• Experience working in a trading or financial services organisation
• Enthusiasm to roll up your sleeves to help, even if outside of their role definition
• Understanding of agile/scrum/Kanban methodologies of working

Personal Fit

Our values run deep. You can come from any background, but championing our culture is critical. We’re looking for a team member who:

• Shares our vision
• Embodies the Boba culture
• Is hungry to help build the company - a proactive and enthusiastic force to improve our capabilities
• Has their finger on the pulse of latest technologies, ideas, and practices, and can transform these into tangible value for our team
• Leads by first deeply understanding a problem and then leveraging their experience to work with the teams to find solutions

What we can offer you

We are growing and adding to how we want to make Boba the best place to work on the planet and are always listening to what our team think we can do to achieve that. On top of a culture of personal growth, caring personally, inclusivity where your ideas are heard and often implemented, we can offer:

• Competitive salary
• Annual discretionary performance bonus, subject to company performance and meeting your performance goals for the year
• Comprehensive health care cover, including mental health, dental and optical cover, with zero excess for the employee (and tax is paid by us!)
• Physical health allowance where we provide an allowance to each employee to use towards a physical activity of their choice. Examples include gym memberships, Brazilian ju-jitsu, personal trainer, running club
• 39 days holiday, to be taken whenever you want subject to ensuring we have operational coverage. We do not mandate you work public holidays, nor do we mandate you must take them off, instead we recognize that UK bank holidays do not always align to important dates for everyone so give our employees the choice
• We pay up to £1K a year towards ANY personal goal that fits our values.
• Hybrid working between home and office when suitable and appropriate for the business. We place high levels of trust in our employee’s integrity to work equally or more productively at home as they would in the office.
• Work/life balance. We value output and engagement, not presenteeism, and know that everyone has a life outside of work
• We are curating a small library of work related books for employees to borrow and currently we are supporting employees purchasing up to a book a month for personal development and to add to the library
• A fully kitted out home working environment that suits your space and needs
• Support to pursue professional certifications/qualifications.

Other examples of situational/ad-hoc schemes we have run for our employees:

• Surprise and delight – gifts from us during mandatory WFH periods, just to show we are thinking about you
• Social events & gifts for achieving team goals
• Fridge full of snacks and drinks (healthy and less-healthy options are available!)
• ‘Bobaversary’ recognition for reaching significant milestones.
• Birthday gift vouchers

Why diversity and inclusion is important to us

An inclusive and diverse workplace means we recognise that differences in race, gender, nationality, culture, sexual orientation, physical ability, cognition, age and background all bring new or different ways of thinking about our work. Therefore, creating a workplace culture that advances belonging and psychological safety brings a mutual respect and acceptance of others and fuels our values of caring personally, adapting and evolving and the best ideas rising to the top.

Application and Interview Process

We are small but growing fast and we need the right people who can help us grow and retain and embed our culture and values. Our selection process is both rigorous and compassionate, but we highly encourage you to approach the journey as your authentic self. You are deciding about whether this role is for you as much as we are, so if we are a natural fit for you and you find yourself enjoying this process then you will likely thrive working at Boba. Below is an outline of what you can expect from the process, but this may change or evolve.

How To Apply

If you apply directly, please include your CV and a cover letter. Whilst your CV can cover what you have experienced, achieved, and accomplished, we really encourage you to take the opportunity to describe your personal 'why' and 'how' in your cover letter to tell us more about you as a person. If you are applying through one of our recruitment partners, please share this with them so they can brief us about you. We want to know who you are as a person and not just what you have done in the past. Applicants we think could be a good fit will be invited to Round 1 which will be done in two parts:

Round 1 - Part 1 of 2: Online Assessment

We will ask you to complete three short online assessments. This has been calibrated by our own teams taking this assessment to ensure it represents the strengths that a person will need to have to thrive in the role and in the company. It allows us to understand your strengths and most importantly removes a large part of the subjectivity that can enter the first stage of candidate selection and provides a consistent and level starting point for all applicants. It also significantly reduces the risk of unconscious bias at the application stage, so we can ensure each applicant has the same starting point and we can find the best talent.

The workplace personality assessment part does not have a minimum threshold, and we only use this to guide us on areas to interview in future stages. We highly value cognitive diversity, so this has no right or wrong answers, so please answer as your authentic self.

Round 1 – Part 2 of 2: Video Interview

Our next stage will be a 30min video interview (via MSTeams) with Iain (Chief of Staff/ Chief People and Culture Officer) to get to know you a bit better. It allows us to see and hear how you communicate and allows you the opportunity to tell us a bit more about yourself than a CV or cover letter can do. Just relax and be yourself. We may throw a curveball question to you which is just to give us an idea of how you might approach a situation or scenario.

Round 2 – In-Person

Approx. 2 hours with breaks. We would love to host you at our office and meet you in person, and we will pay any associated travel costs.

• Meet with our Chief of Staff & Chief People and Culture Officer (Iain) for 30-45mins
• Break. If we both want to continue, then:
• Meet with our current Financial Controller (Mukund) for up to 45mins. This may involve problem solving or a scenario-based exercise followed by however long you need to ask us any questions about the role, Boba or anything else.

Round 3: Final Round

Approx. 1.5 hours with breaks. This will be in-person in our office, and we will pay any associated travel costs. Unfortunately, we cannot do this stage remotely. The structure will likely be:

• Meet with Iain or another member of the team for up to 45mins
• Break. If we both want to continue, then:
• Meet with Samir, our CEO for approx. 30mins including questions or anything else you wish to discuss with Samir.
• Wrap up with Iain (5-10mins).

Good luck and we look forward to meeting you!