Finance · Head of finance · Venture-backed companies
Hire a head of finance who can own the numbers after the raise
Full-time head of finance searches for recently funded teams under 50 people: decide what finance work the hire owns, what the board expects to see and which decisions stay with the founder before you compare candidates.
You speak with Emily Landon directly. Guarantee terms are confirmed on the call.
- 3–5 days to first intro
- 14–21 days to offer
- 100% refund guarantee
TTR-reported benchmarks
Is head of finance higher than CFO?
Usually not. At most startups a head of finance sits where a CFO would later sit, owning accounting, reporting, cash and planning day to day, while a CFO also owns fundraising strategy, board relationships and capital decisions. Titles vary by company, so define the scope before you choose the title.
TTR-reported proof
- 14–21 days to offer vs industry 60–90 days
- Every candidate passes the Distributed Systems Filter
TTR-reported figures. Timelines are firm benchmarks, not a promise for every mandate. Guarantee terms are confirmed in the intro call.
What you get
What you get when you hire heads of finance with TTR
- 01
A scoped mandate first
Start with a working session with Emily Landon on why the role exists now, what it owns and who decides.
- 02
First intros in 3–5 days
TTR-reported benchmark from a scoped mandate to the first candidate introductions.
- 03
Vetting on two layers
Candidates are judged on evidence of judgement in the function and on operating ownership. Every candidate passes the Distributed Systems Filter.
- 04
An offer in 14–21 days
TTR benchmark, against 60–90 days industry-wide. Scope, seniority and decision speed on your side move it.
- 05
Hires that hold
TTR reports 98% long-term retention. The search is built for a durable hire, not only a closed one.
- 06
100% refund guarantee
TTR reports a 100% refund guarantee. The specific terms are confirmed on the intro call with Emily Landon.
Roles
Roles TTR searches for
- Head of Finance
- Finance Lead
- Director of Finance
- VP Finance
- Finance and Operations Lead
Vetting
How TTR vets heads of finance
Two layers of the hire
Finance judgement: ask the candidate to walk through a monthly close they owned and what they changed, and to explain a variance to a non-finance founder in plain terms.
Operating ownership: look for evidence of working with outside accountants or auditors, building a runway view from real numbers, and separating their own work from the team’s results.
Distributed Systems Filter
Every candidate passes the Distributed Systems Filter
Every candidate TTR introduces passes the Distributed Systems Filter, across engineering and operational roles. Ask Emily Landon how the filter applies to your mandate and what evidence will be used to assess candidates.
- Applies to every candidate TTR introduces
- Used across operational roles as well as engineering
- Ask Emily Landon what evidence will be used for your mandate
Speed
How fast can you hire heads of finance?
Firm benchmarkTTR reports 3–5 days to initial candidate introductions and 14–21 days to offer, against 60–90 days industry-wide. These are firm benchmarks, not a promise for every mandate; scope, seniority and decision speed on your side all move them.
- 3–5 days to first intro (TTR benchmark)
- 14–21 days to offer (TTR benchmark)
- 60–90 days industry range, shown for comparison
TTR: 14–21 days to offer
Industry: 60–90 days
TTR-reported benchmark, not a promise for every mandate.
Guarantee
Backed by a 100% refund guarantee
TTR reports a 100% refund guarantee. The specific terms are confirmed on the intro call with Emily Landon, so you know them before the search starts.
- 100% refund guarantee (TTR-reported)
- 98% long-term retention (TTR-reported)
- 400+ placements (TTR-reported)
Process
How the search works
- 01
Scope the mandate
Define the finance work, board expectations, cash ownership and decisions that stay with the founder.
- 02
Calibrate the bar
Agree evidence of close ownership, reporting judgement and work with outside providers.
- 03
Introduce candidates
Review candidates against the finance setup, runway view and operating remit.
First intros: 3–5 days (TTR benchmark) - 04
Close and settle in
Settle reporting cadence, decision rights and first-90-day outcomes through offer and onboarding.
Offer: 14–21 days (TTR benchmark)
Head of finance, CFO, controller or FP&A: which role do you need?
- FP&A: forecasts, budget against actuals and the operating model. See FP&A analysts.
- Financial controller: the monthly close, accounting accuracy, controls and audit readiness. See financial controllers.
- Head of finance: owns the whole finance function day to day, including cash, reporting, planning and oversight of the close, and is often the first finance hire who manages others or outside providers.
- CFO: finance plus capital strategy, fundraising and the board relationship, usually added later. See executive search.
When a recently funded team under 50 people needs a head of finance
- The founder is still running the model and investor reporting after the raise.
- The close depends on an outside bookkeeper and nobody inside owns the numbers.
- The board asks for a reporting cadence and runway view the team cannot produce on time.
- The next round is being planned and the numbers need to be clean.
- Spend approvals and payroll need one owner.
See first hires after the raise for how to sequence the finance mandate alongside product and marketing.
What to put in the head of finance brief
- The finance work that exists today and who does it: founder, outside bookkeeper or accountant.
- The reporting the board and investors expect.
- Who owns cash and runway.
- The planning cycle.
- Whether the hire manages people or outside providers.
- The systems already in place.
- Which decisions they own and which stay with the founder.
- Outcomes for the first 90 days.
Compared
TTR against the industry range
| Measure | Industry range | TTR |
|---|---|---|
| Time to offer | 60–90 days | 14–21 days |
| Time to first intro | Not compared | 3–5 days |
| Vetting | Not compared | Distributed Systems Filter |
| Long-term retention | Not compared | 98% |
TTR-reported figures. The 60–90 day industry range is the only external reference shown. Every TTR candidate passes the Distributed Systems Filter.
Who it's for
Who this search is for
For founders of recently funded, venture-backed and early-stage companies hiring a full-time head of finance. Under 50 employees is preferred; under 200 employees is the maximum.
Board-level CFO mandates at established companies may suit a retained firm better. The retained search comparison sets out where that line falls.
Recently funded
Venture-backed or early-stage companies hiring after a raise.
Under 50 employees preferred
The best-fit company profile.
Under 200 employees maximum
Past that size, a different search model may fit better.
Built for founders
TTR runs specialist search for founders of venture-backed and early-stage companies.
Board-level mandates at established companies may suit a retained firm better. The retained search comparison sets out where that line falls.
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See the searchFAQ
Questions about hiring heads of finance
Is head of finance higher than CFO?
Usually not. At most startups a head of finance sits where a CFO would later sit, owning accounting, reporting, cash and planning day to day, while a CFO also owns fundraising strategy, board relationships and capital decisions. Titles vary by company, so define the scope before you choose the title.
What is the difference between a head of finance and a financial controller?
A controller owns the close, accounting accuracy and controls. A head of finance owns the wider function, including cash, planning and reporting to the founder and board, and may manage the controller.
What is the difference between a head of finance and an FP&A analyst?
FP&A builds the forecast and the model; a head of finance owns the decisions and reporting the model feeds.
When does a startup under 50 people need a head of finance?
When the founder can no longer own the model, the close and investor reporting alongside the rest of the company, typically after a raise. Scope the work before the title.
Should a seed or Series A startup hire a CFO or a head of finance?
Many early teams start with a head of finance who owns the function day to day and add a CFO when capital strategy and the board relationship need a dedicated owner. The right answer depends on the scope you write down.
What should I bring to the intro call with Emily Landon?
The current finance setup, who does the work today, board and investor reporting expectations, systems in place and the outcomes you want in 90 days. Guarantee terms are confirmed on the call.
Next step
Put the mandate in front of Emily
Bring the role, even if the scope is unsettled. The intro call is where we pressure-test it and confirm guarantee terms.