Head of Accounting

**Prodigy Finance - who are we?**

Prodigy Finance is a platform that delivers socially responsible financial services; making it possible for students from more than 130 countries to fulfill their dream of studying at the world’s top universities and schools by financing their international postgraduate studies. Our purpose is to democratise access to lifechanging education, whilst delivering competitive financial and social returns to alumni, institutional and private investors.

Our borderless and innovative model enables education loan financing to students from across the globe, whilst using predicted post-degree affordability rather than present-day salary in assessing creditworthiness.

Since 2007, Prodigy Finance has extended over US$1.4 billion through the platform to fund over 28,000 students.

We are funded by some of the most highly regarded and pre-eminent financial institutions in the world, including Index Ventures, Balderton Capital, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, and more recently the US DFC and CPPIB

**What is our Purpose?**
- Equal access to life-changing education, globally._

Talent and potential are evenly distributed around the world, but access to opportunity is not. Specifically, access to world-class education is limited by financial means. This is

particularly true in emerging markets where many families don’t have the income or collateral to support the educational aspirations of the next generation of global leaders.

We exist to support this talent in the following ways:

- We remove financial barriers for high-potential students to access the world’s best education (with disruptive products and services)
- We inspire, encourage and support students to pursue their educational dreams
- We build strong communities with students, alumni, schools, institutions, investors, partners and NGOs that are passionate about our mission

**What have we achieved so far?**

**In numbers**:

- We have disbursed $1.4bn in student loans
- We have funded 28,000 students studying at over 850 schools worldwide
- We have funded students from 150 countries around the world
- 86% of these students are from emerging markets

**What our students say about us**:

- 90% Had limited or no other funding option
- 91% Say their master’s degree enabled them to pursue their dream career
- 74% At least doubled their salary after graduation
- 87% Say their master’s degree helped them to build stronger personal and social connections

**Why this is an amazing opportunity**

This role is perfect for an experienced Accounting and Financial Control leader who wants to work in partnership with the CFO and Senior Team.

The sense of impact and reward will be huge. You will be a part of delivering socially responsible financial services and making it possible for students from more than 130 countries to obtain the finance to fulfil their dream of studying at the world’s top universities and schools.

**What you will do in the role**

The **Head of Accounting & Financial Control **will play a pivotal role in supporting the next phase of growth at Prodigy Finance. We have pioneered many innovations in the sector - including a listed bond programme that enables alumni to invest in future generations, a partnership with Credit Suisse to distribute an education focused impact investment to private clients. The next phase of growth is even more ambitious in what we want to accomplish in securing the next $1bn of capital that is mission-aligned and impact focused.

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, you will have primary day-to-day responsibility for planning, developing, managing and controlling all Accounting and Financial Control activities and resources across the group.

You will provide the specialist, senior functional leadership and international expertise that enables improved decision-making and stakeholder reporting, while implementing and managing the formal processes and controls that are expected of a growing highly-regulated international business.

We will look to you to provide high-value technical accounting, tax and commercial insights and advice, and protect and grow the core value and profitability of our business by ensuring our financial controls, systems and processes are best in class on a global scale.

This will cover the following key areas, as well as additional ad-hoc projects as required by the business;
- Management accounts
- Statutory accounts
- Financial control / processes / reporting
- Payroll and vendor/invoice management
- Audit
- Financial policy / governance
- Accounting standards / transition to US GAAP
- Historic / actual data requests for business or investor materials
- Tax
- Treasury / FX

**Responsibilities**:

- Manage and grow a high-performance Accounting team
- Create, monitor and enforce appropriate financial frameworks, policies and procedures to ensure international accounting and business best practices are adhered to across the group
- Provide input on