We’re looking for a Fractional Interim Finance Director (2-3d/wk)

We’re looking for an experienced, commercially minded and pragmatic Interim Finance Director to lead our finance function as we hire for our permanent FD role, and receive the handover from our outgoing FD and pass it on to our incoming FD. 

In this role, you’ll be responsible for stabilising and maintaining the continuity of the finance function during FD transition, ensuring a smooth handover to the permanent FD. You’ll own priority deliverables during the interim period (e.g. board reporting, budgeting and pay review, payroll software migration) act as the accountable owner for finance decisions and sign-off within an agreed framework - we’re looking for a hands-on operator to ensure stability and rigor during this transition.

We help holidaymakers love their journeys

We're not just another travel company - at Byway, we're pioneering slow travel holidays with Journey AI, the world’s first tech for journey-based trips. We’re a certified B Corp committed to making flight-free travel mainstream and building an inclusive business. Since our inception in March 2020, we've booked over 20,000 travellers onto unforgettable holidays, with over 95% five-star reviews. We’re growing 2x YoY and are regularly featured in the press, including the Guardian, BBC, and New York Times.

Your key responsibilities

• Maintain financial stability, running rigorous planning and forecasting and supporting informed decision-making at leadership and board level.

• Own financial reporting across all entities and on a consolidated basis, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and timely insight for internal and external stakeholders.

• Provide oversight of tax, regulatory, and investor compliance, working with external advisers to manage risk and maintain high standards of governance.

• Oversee cash flow, liquidity and financial resilience, balancing growth investment with operational sustainability.

• Act as a trusted advisor to the CEO, providing clear, unbiased financial data to support decision-making.

• Lead, support and develop our Assistant Accountant, and adjust tools and processes for efficiency and appropriate control as needed while you’re with us.

• Maintain effective financial controls, approval frameworks and commercial governance across supplier and partner contracts, marketing spend, and customer refunds/compensation.

A core part of performance in any role at Byway is to live up to our Byway values, exhibiting behaviours aligned with our values, on a daily basis. Read more here.

What we’re looking for

• Strong experience as a senior finance leader in a high-growth business, with examples of supporting companies through scale, complexity and change.

• A qualified accountant (ACCA or equivalent) with up-to-date knowledge of financial reporting, tax and regulatory best practice across multiple jurisdictions.

• A pragmatic and commercially minded approach to finance, with a track record of turning complex financial data into clear, actionable insight.

• Strong experience building and maintaining scalable financial models, budgets and forecasts, alongside robust reporting and controls to support growth.

• An ability to build trusted relationships with the CEO, leadership team, board members and investors, influencing decision-making with sound financial judgement.

• A proven track record in cash flow, working capital and liquidity management, balancing reinvestment for growth with financial resilience.

• Immediate proficiency with Xero and ability to navigate complex VAT schemes (TOMS) without a steep learning curve.

What would be great (but isn’t required)

• B Corp or values-centred business experience.

• Experience in the travel industry, B2C, tech scale-up and/or remote-first environments, 50-100 people.

• Prior fractional, consulting or advisory experience.

What we offer

• £400-650 per day, depending on experience.

• Two or three days per week (0.4-0.6 FTE), with flexibility on how those hours are structured. Work remotely but join our team in the London office for key meetings at least twice per quarter. 

How to apply

Please apply here with your CV and answers to our screening questions

We’re eager to receive applications from all backgrounds, including from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. If there’s anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know.

The process

If we like your application, we'll schedule an initial call with Cat (CEO). After that, there will be a scenario-based discussion with Holly (CMO), Simon (CFO at Founders Factory, our investor) and Adem (Assistant Accountant), focusing on technical and strategic skills. The final stage will be a values-based interview with Cat and Maya (current FD). We offer flexible scheduling for our multi-stage interview process and are open to adjustments based on candidate needs.

Applications close

Saturday 31st January