Call for Finance Consultancy Services (Fractional CFO)
About the consultancy
The Global Carbon Market Utility (GCMU) is a financial market utility that serves as the underlying book of record for the carbon market. GCMU's mission is to transform the carbon market into a financial market large enough to have real climate impact.
GCMU's core product is a registry that allows for the recordation of projects, credits, and transactions, as well as the ability to take and perfect security interests against credits. Our product is designed to resemble the ledgers found in developed financial markets. It is supported by best-in-class technology and security-first design principles and built to withstand the scrutiny of auditors and regulators. Critically, it provides the missing services needed to scale carbon finance. GCMU's infrastructure is designed to meet the needs of a diverse range of participants. Large financial institutions can use our product to record encumbrances when deploying project finance, crediting programs can register projects and issue credits, and market participants can access, control, trade, and retire credits with greater confidence.
GCMU wishes to engage an experienced finance consultancy to provide fractional Chief Financial Officer services to the group on an independent consultancy basis. The engagement is for a newly established organisation that provides financial services. The Consultant will provide strategic and operational finance leadership services in relation to day-to-day finance, statutory and tax compliance and audit across the group's US and UK operations, and intercompany arrangements, working alongside the CEO and Chief of Staff, the board and external advisers. The engagement is suited to a finance consultancy comfortable building processes from the ground up and providing services across a cross-border group.
Scope of services
The Consultant shall provide such of the following services as GCMU may reasonably request from time to time, having regard to the nature and scope of the engagement:
Finance management and reporting
Support and improve day-to-day finance for GCMU, including oversight of bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, and cash management.
Conduct the month-end close and produce management reporting for the CEO, Chief of Staff and board.
Support budgeting, forecasting and maintenance of the projection model, and cash forecasting, with analysis to support decisions across the group.
Prepare reporting and other documentation for investors and prospective investors.
Analysis of financial performance against the budget and strategic planning.
Oversee external bookkeeping and finance vendors.
Statutory, tax, audit and compliance
Coordinate tax and financial audit across the whole GCMU group, in both the US and the UK.
Assist with the preparation and filing of UK statutory accounts under the applicable standard (FRS 102 or IFRS) and meet all Companies House obligations.
Help to prepare UK corporation tax, VAT registration and returns, and PAYE where the group employs UK staff, alongside appointed advisers.
Help to prepare US federal and state tax filings and compliance with US GAAP, and maintain records in line with IRS, funder and audit standards as well as FASB ASC compliance.
With the Chief of Staff, manage financial audits across the group and manage relationships with auditors, tax advisers, banks and regulators.
Work with leadership on transfer pricing and intercompany arrangements for the licensing of intellectual property between group entities, with documentation that meets HMRC and US requirements.
Maintain financial controls, policies and records to audit standard.
Treasury and banking
Establish and run banking for the group, including USD and GBP wire and ACH capability and multi-user online access.
Manage cash flow and intercompany funding across the group.
Group structure and strategic support
Manage the financial elements of the group structure and evolve them as needed, coordinating with the appointed tax and legal advisers.
Provide ad hoc analysis to evaluate opportunities and prepare materials for board meetings and funders.
Evaluate and implement finance systems and workflows to keep the group efficient and compliant as it grows.
Engagement terms
This is a contract for services between GCMU and the Consultant's personal service company. The Consultant's company is responsible for its own corporation tax, VAT and other tax liabilities, and for all income tax, National Insurance, PAYE and other employment-related liabilities of its personnel. Neither the Consultant's company nor any of its personnel is an employee, worker or agent of GCMU or any group entity, and GCMU is not responsible for the income tax, National Insurance, PAYE or any other liabilities of the Consultant's company or its personnel.
No employee benefits, holiday pay or pension are provided.
Indicative commitment of around 15 hours per week on a day rate or fixed monthly fee, although the Consultant shall determine the manner and timing in which the Services are performed.
Rolling term, terminable by either party on 30 days' written notice.
The consultant controls how and when the services are delivered and may provide services to others, provided this does not impair delivery to GCMU.
The consultant will be subject to confidentiality, IP assignment and such of the group's compliance policies as apply to external consultants, consistent with the group's standard consulting terms.
GCMU is purchasing the services of the Consultant's business rather than the personal services of any individual. The Consultant may sub-contract or delegate performance of the Services with GCMU's prior written consent, and remains fully responsible for the performance of the Services.
The consultant has no authority to bind GCMU or any member of its group unless expressly authorised in writing.
Nothing in this engagement creates a relationship of employer and employee, worker, partnership, joint venture or agency between the parties. The Consultant carries on business on its own account and is responsible for determining the manner in which the Services are performed.
GCMU will, wherever possible, contract with the Consultant's limited company rather than any individual, reflecting a genuine business-to-business consultancy arrangement.
The parties intend that this engagement falls outside the scope of the off-payroll working rules (IR35). GCMU and the Consultant will co-operate in completing any status determination and, if either party considers the engagement may fall within IR35, they will discuss and agree the position before the engagement proceeds.
Experience and skills
Senior finance leadership experience as a Finance Director or CFO, ideally on a fractional or interim basis.
Clear communicator able to translate financial and structural detail into recommendations for the CEO and board.
Strong statutory reporting, tax and transfer pricing experience across the UK and US, with comfort handling cross-border and intercompany arrangements.
Experience overseeing US federal and state tax, US GAAP, whether directly or through advisers.
Experience standing up finance for newly formed entities and working within group structures.
Comfortable coordinating external tax, audit and legal advisers in more than one jurisdiction.
Familiarity with financial market infrastructure or carbon markets, experience in financial services, and a recognised accountancy qualification (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) is preferred but not required.
To express interest
Please send a short proposal to careers@gcmu.net setting out your relevant experience and approach, your availability and indicative day rate, and confirmation that you would engage through your own limited company. Please also include a CV for the individual you propose will lead the provision of the Services to GCMU.
