Head of finance recruitment for startups and scale-ups
Hiring a head of finance? Story Recruitment places the first finance hire and the first CFO in VC-backed businesses, and Tom Hunter runs every search himself.
Hiring a head of finance? Start with your email.
Tom calls you back, usually within one business day. Or call 02 9099 7619.
Is a head of finance the right hire?
For most founders, most of the time, the senior finance hire they need is a head of finance rather than a CFO. Finance director and VP finance are usually the same job under a different title. Hire one ahead of a financial controller when the business is complex early, such as deep tech, lending or robotics. A head of finance owns what the business does with its numbers:
- The financial model, budgeting and forecasting
- The reporting frameworks and systems that let you raise and scale
- Finance input before a decision is made, not after it
What to pay a head of finance
$180k to $240k plus equity in 2026. That slots between a financial controller at $160k to $200k plus super and a first CFO, starting around $275k to $325k plus equity at late Series A. The full head of finance salary guide has the detail.
Want the band for your stage and city? Tom will send it.
Tom calls you back, usually within one business day. Or call 02 9099 7619.
Head of Finance salaries in Australian startups: the data
Our Startup Finance Salary Database holds 256 sourced salary figures from 104 funded Australian startups: pay bands from the companies' own job ads, and salaries reported for the same role at the same company. Every figure links to its source.
- Head of Finance salaries (9 figures)
- Finance salaries in tech startups (170 figures)
- Finance salaries in deep tech startups (37 figures)
- Finance salaries in fintech startups (30 figures)
What the search costs
Our fee is published, which most firms do not do. On a head of finance package of $210,000 total remuneration, 18% is $37,800, paid in three instalments.
| What it means for you | Our terms | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | A known cost, set against the package you agree with the hire. | 18% of total remuneration, including super. |
| When you pay | Payments track work delivered, not only the outcome. | A third at the start, a third at shortlist and interviews, a third about ten days after written acceptance. |
| If it does not work out | The risk of a failed hire does not sit only with you. | A free replacement search within the first six months. |
| Who runs it | One person from brief to offer. | Tom Hunter, personally, on every search. |
How the search runs
Brief to signed contract averages about three weeks on Tom's searches. Senior finance people are usually employed and on notice, so plan the start date around that.
The brief
Tom sits with you and writes down the real story of the business: what this person walks into on day one and what they have to build. That brief becomes the scorecard.
The search
The role goes to market as a story post, alongside market mapping and direct approaches to people who are not looking.
The shortlist
A small number of people Tom has met and assessed against the brief, each with a clear trade-off. Then three interviews: getting to know each other, a case study on a real problem in your business, and a culture conversation.
The offer
References with permission, then a signed contract. Tom stays in touch through the notice period and the first months in the seat.
What clients and candidates say
“He's a superb hire. We just feel really protected, cared for, looked after, it's a massive change in how we run our finance function.”
“I had the privilege of working with Tom when he recruited me for a senior leadership position, and I cannot recommend him highly enough.”
Common questions
What does head of finance recruitment cost?
Our retained fee is 18% of total remuneration including super, paid in thirds: at the start, at shortlist, and about ten days after written acceptance. On a $210,000 package that is $37,800. If the hire does not work out in the first six months, we run the replacement search free.
Head of finance or finance director?
In most cases they are the same job under different names, so pick the title your market recognises and price the scope. The better question is whether you need that level at all, or a CFO.
Can a head of finance also do the bookkeeping and payroll?
Not sustainably. A brief that asks for strategic oversight plus accounts payable, reconciliations, month-end close and payroll is two jobs in one. Businesses of ten to fifty people split the work: a head of finance on the strategic side and transactional processing handed to an accounts assistant or bookkeeper.
What should I look for in a head of finance interview?
Someone two steps ahead. A person operating at head of finance level does not wait for direction: they pull you into the conversation before a decision is made, explain the implications, make recommendations you did not ask for and flag risks you had not considered.
Read next
Tell Tom about the role
The stage, the scope and the timeline. You will get an honest read on the level, the market and the cost before you commit, and if the hire you need is a different one, Tom will say so.
Prefer to talk first? Call 02 9099 7619 or email info@storyrecruitment.com.au.