WORK AT MASAJ

MASAJ is a modern, design-led bodywork studio brand reimagining massage for city life. We blend exceptional touch, inclusive hospitality and refined environments to help people feel more human again.

We currently operate two profitable London studios and are targeted to scale to six within 24 months, backed by strong demand, proven economics and a deeply loyal guest base. Our model brings together high-volume appointment-based operations, a therapist-first culture, hospitality-standard service, precision-led site build-outs and data-driven optimisation.

At MASAJ, we care about guest experience, therapist experience, margin and scalability - simultaneously. Finance isn’t a back-office function here; it’s a core part of the engine that ensures we grow with clarity, discipline and intention.

As MASAJ scales from 2 to 6 studios, we are hiring a full-time Head of Finance to ensure the business remains accurate, financially disciplined and ready for scale.

You will run the financial engine of the business:

• Financial control

• Reporting

• Payments

• Compliance

• Revenue cycle integrity

• Financial operations for new site rollouts

You will work closely with our Fractional CFO, who leads strategy, forecasting, modelling and investor-facing work. You bring the backbone - keeping the numbers right, systems clean, and financial risk visible early.

In the first 12 months, you will be hands-on: building processes, tightening controls and navigating a manual environment while automation rolls out, including a confirmed Fresha → Xero deep integration in Q1 2026.

As the business grows, you will help shape the finance team - including onboarding a Finance Assistant (initially 3 days/week, scaling to full time during rollout). Future team expansion will be assessed jointly between you and the CFO, based on business need and operational readiness.

Core Outcomes (First 12 Months)

If you are successful, the following will be true:

• Month-end is delivered within 14 working days, tightening to ≤ 7 as systems mature.

• New studios open on time and within budget, with clean financial documentation and reconciliations completed within 30 days.

• Studio leaders rely on your reporting for labour %, occupancy and yield - it becomes a single source of truth.

• SOPs, controls and documentation are built and embedded so the finance function can support 6 studios without disproportionate central overhead.

• The CFO’s 12/13-week cash flow always has accurate and timely inputs from you and your team.

• VAT, payroll, voucher liability, CAPEX documentation, contracts and data-integrity risks surfaced early.

• Ops, People, Growth and site teams see Finance as a calm, clear and supportive partner, who can educate and support their areas. 

A. Financial Control & Reporting

• Lead month-end close: journals, reconciliations, accruals, deferred revenue and P&L accuracy.

• Own VAT, payroll compliance and statutory obligations.

• Maintain Xero integrity; ensure all financial data is clean, timely and well-structured.

• Manage voucher and membership liabilities and revenue recognition.

• Oversee insurance, contract renewals and financial compliance.

• Produce clear, consistent financial commentary for internal teams.

B. Site Roll-Out Finance (Support)

Note: CAPEX forecasting and modelling sit with the Fractional CFO. You support operational execution and financial control.

You will:

• Manage all financial processing for site builds: invoice coding, tagging, documentation.

• Prepare weekly CAPEX and spend summaries for the CFO, highlighting risks and variances.

• Support the CFO in maintaining cost-to-launch discipline.

• Assist with post-handover reconciliations and variance analysis.

C. Treasury, Payments & Cash Discipline

• Oversee weekly payment cycles and supplier relationships.

• Keep AP/AR clean; no unexpected liabilities.

• Provide accurate inputs to the CFO’s liquidity and cashflow models.

• Maintain banking controls, access rights and audit trails.

D. Operational & Commercial Partnership

• Provide weekly insights on labour %, occupancy, therapist utilisation and yield.

• Partner with People on pay and compensation structures that balance therapist wellbeing with margin discipline.

• Support Growth with financial insight on campaign performance, membership economics and guest behaviour.

• Represent finance in landlord, supplier and commercial negotiations.

E. Systems, Processes & Automation

• Own the finance system roadmap and process documentation.

• Lead the finance-side implementation of the Fresha → Xero deep integration (Q1/2 2026).

• Build a fallback plan using MASAJ’s data connector/API if the integration is delayed or insufficient.

• Simplify workflows, reduce manual burden and uphold a single source of truth across revenue, vouchers, memberships and occupancy.

• Build and maintain SOPs for all finance processes alongside MASAJ’s new company-wide SOP programme.

F. Team Leadership & Culture

• Line-manage the Finance Manager; provide clarity, development and support.

• Shape and onboard a Finance Assistant (3 days/week initially → full time as the rollout accelerates).

• Plan for future finance team growth where justified — jointly assessed by you and the CFO.

• Bring MASAJ’s hospitality-grade ethos into finance: precision, empathy, clarity.

• Operate as part of the senior operational spine of the business, alongside the Fractional CFO and leadership team.

Finance Control

• Month-end close ≤ 14 working days (moving to ≤ 7).

• Payment accuracy: 0 material errors per quarter.

• Reconciliation backlog ≤ 7 days.

• VAT, payroll and statutory compliance: 100%.

Commercial & Operational (Influenced)

• Site EBITDA variance vs plan.

• CAPEX variance tracking accuracy (CFO-owned; HoF supports).

• Labour % of revenue.

• Occupancy & yield reporting accuracy.

• Voucher liability & deferred revenue accuracy.

Team & Partnership

• Finance Manager performance & engagement.

• SOP adoption & audit scores.

• Stakeholder satisfaction (Ops, People, Growth).

• Quality and clarity of weekly insights.

Must-Haves

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA).

• Multi-site experience in hospitality, wellness, fitness, retail or leisure.

• Proven ownership of financial control in high-volume, complex environments (bookings, memberships, income in advance).

• Experience with payroll, pensions, SSP and internal control frameworks.

• Experience with booking platforms, payment gateways and complex revenue cycles.

• Hands-on experience with CAPEX documentation and new site build finance operations.

• Advanced Xero and Excel/Sheets; strong literacy in PowerBI inputs.

• Strong communicator comfortable partnering with non-finance teams.

• Thrives in a scale-up environment where processes must be built and iterated, not just inherited.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience in boutique wellness, spas, clinics or fitness studios.

• Familiarity with Fresha or similar booking systems.

• Experience with labour optimisation for hourly workforces.

• Exposure to investor reporting or early-stage fundraising.

• Experience collaborating with a fractional CFO.

• Hybrid London role based at Old Street, with regular studio presence.

• Calm, clear, proactive communication.

• Low ego, high accountability - issues surfaced early with solutions attached.

• Bias to action: fix fast, clarify early, document always.

• Finance at MASAJ mirrors our hospitality ethos: clarity, care, zero noise.

• Rigour is a form of service - accuracy builds trust.

• Thrives in a fast-paced scale-up environment with high standards and a human approach.

Candidates should email a full CV and tailored Cover Letter to scarlet@masaj.me

Please note that interviews will take place over several rounds, both over Google Meet and in-person.