Interim Chief Operating & Financial Officer; COFO

Consumer | E-commerce | China Cross-Border

Location: UK-based (remote-first) with international travel

Engagement: Interim (6–9 months) with a clear path to permanent

Start: Immediate / short notice

Compensation: £100,000–£120,000 pro-rated + meaningful equity on conversion

A founder-led, early-stage consumer health & beauty business is preparing for China-first cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) launch ahead of a planned 2026 investment round.

The business has secured:

• Established CBEC platform access (e.g. Tmall Global, Douyin)
• Supply-chain and logistics partners
• A cornerstone European supplier

It is now seeking an Interim COFO to personally build the financial and operational backbone from zero and prepare the organisation for scale.

This is a hands-on builder role
, not an advisory or optimisation mandate.

• Build core financial controls, reporting, forecasting and cash governance
• Implement ERP and operating cadence from first principles
• Establish SKU-level unit economics and margin visibility
• Oversee China CBEC operations via third-party platforms
• Embed operational discipline across finance, ops and commercial teams
• Prepare the business for investor diligence and fundraising

Longer-term, the role will support planning for domestic China and ASEAN expansion
, but Phase 1 is deliberately focused on CBEC execution and infrastructure build
.

You are likely to be an interim or fractional CFO / COO / COFO who has:

• Built finance and operations from scratch in early-stage or pre-revenue businesses
• Experience in consumer goods, beauty, personal care, FMCG or CPG
• Strong exposure to e-commerce, DTC or marketplace models
• Practical understanding of China cross-border operations
• Comfort working in founder-led, ambiguous environments
• This suits a true builder
  , not a delegator or advisor.

You are commercially grounded, culturally fluent, and prepared to be deeply hands-on in the first six months.

If you are immediately available and motivated by building something meaningful with long-term upside, we’d welcome a confidential conversation.

Please apply or message directly to discuss further.