Partner directly with the Founder/CEO of a leading high-growth gifting group to drive profitability and prepare the business for a strategic exit by 2027. You will oversee financial strategy and FP&A while leading a transformative operational mandate, focusing on overhead productivity, AI automation, and international scaling to reach a £50M+ revenue target.
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Finance Director at MY 1ST YEARS LIMITED
Are you a commercially-minded Finance Director ready for a career-defining exit? Moving beyond traditional reporting, you will spearhead international expansion across the USA and Europe, lead an AI-driven operational transformation, and optimize margins for a 2027 exit. If you have a background in DTC or retail and want a role that blends financial strategy with a heavy operational mandate and meaningful equity upside, this is the opportunity to shape a market leader's future.
About this role
Role overview
About the company
My 1st Years is a UK-based online retailer specialising in high-quality personalised baby and children’s products, with a focus on gifts for newborns and young children.[1][2][5] The brand offers a wide range of items including personalised clothing, shoes, toys, accessories, backpacks and nursery products, many of which feature custom embroidery or other personalisation methods to add names or messages.[1][4][5] Founded after its co-founders sought a unique gift for a friend’s newborn, the company has grown into a dedicated destination for personalised baby gifting, providing next-day delivery options in the UK and packaging orders in its signature luxury gift boxes.[1][2] Operating primarily as an e-commerce business from Northampton, England, My 1st Years focuses on combining thoughtful design, practical baby products and customisation to create keepsake-quality gifts that appeal to parents, relatives and friends marking special milestones such as births, christenings and birthdays.[1][3][5]
What you'll do
What you will do
- Drive net contribution from 25% to 35% through disciplined commercial decision-making, marketing efficiency analysis, and margin mix optimization.
- Lead a structured audit of white-collar overheads to reduce costs from 20% to 15% of revenue via process simplification and automation.
- Own the long-term financial modeling and due diligence readiness to ensure a clean data room and maximum value for future shareholders.
Who you are
Who this is a fit for
- Qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) currently operating as a Finance Director or CFO within an eCommerce, DTC, or retail environment.
- Proven track record in commercial modeling and scaling international business entities while maintaining rigorous financial discipline.
- Strategic thinker with the emotional intelligence to challenge senior leadership constructively and the pragmatism to execute hands-on operational changes.
Why this role
Why this role is remarkable
- Act as a genuine commercial partner to the Founder and Chairman with a clear mandate to evolve the role into a CFO/COO position.
- Gain significant equity upside and the opportunity to materially influence the valuation and success of a strategic exit within 3 years.
- Lead a modern operational transformation by championing AI adoption and building out a high-efficiency offshore support capability.
Jack & Jill
How Jack & Jill work together
I get to know what you’re great at, then find roles you’d never find yourself.Ok, I'll go first. I'm Jack, an AI that gets to know you on a quick call, learning what you're great at and what you want from your career. Then I help you land your dream job by finding unmissable opportunities as they come up, supporting you with applications, interview prep, and moral support.
I recruit from Jack’s network and make the intro when I spot a great match.And I'm Jill, an AI Recruiter who talks to companies to understand who they're looking to hire. Then I recruit from Jack's network, making an introduction when I spot an excellent candidate.
Meet Jack
Jack gets to know what you're great at and what you want next, then searches 15 million jobs daily and helps you discover roles at companies like this.
How does this work?
Jack’s an AI agent for job searching and career coaching. He works for you.
Jill is the AI recruiter working for the company. She recruits from Jack’s network.
If it’s a match and the company wants to meet you, they’ll make the intro. In the meantime, if you’d like, Jack will send you excellent alternatives.