The Mission
Direct Lending is a fast-growing, award-winning lending fintech on a mission to empower people's lives with simple and responsible financing. Having built a sustainable, profitable foundation, we are now entering a scaling-up phase. Our roadmap is clear: scale our needs-based financing, grow revenue 5X and become IPO-ready by 2030.
We are looking for a Finance Lead / Financial Controller to own our end-to-end finance function. You will ensure our financial data is accurate, our Loan Management System and accounting platform are in perfect sync, and our processes are audit-ready as we scale.
Why Join Direct Lending
- A clear path to CFO. This role is designed for someone who wants to earn the CFO title not be handed it. You will report directly to the Founder, with a front-row seat to fundraising, debt financing, and the strategic decisions driving our 2030 IPO. As we grow, so does your role.
- Build the financial foundation of a 5X growth story. We have disbursed over RM600M with a proven 80% CAGR. You will build the financial infrastructure to take us to the next level.
- Decisions in hours, not months. We are a lean, profitable fintech. You will have a direct mandate to improve, automate, and own without layers of bureaucracy slowing you down.
- Work that actually means something. Finance here isn't just numbers. Every loan we approve, every system we build, serves a real person who needs access to financing. You will be part of a team that makes that possible responsibly.
What You Will Own
1. Financial Controls & Loan Management System Integrity
- Establish and maintain rigorous systems to ensure the Loan Management System (LMS) is updated accurately and in sync with our accounting records, including daily reconciliation with bank statements.
- Manage an analyst primarily focused on disbursements, reconciliations and payables.
- Evaluate and strengthen controls around automated disbursement and repayment flows to eliminate reconciliation gaps
- Implement and maintain robust internal controls across all company payments and documentation
- Partner with product and tech teams on financial considerations for new product launches
- Proactively identify bottlenecks and automate operations and reporting functions
2. Financial Reporting & Compliance
- Lead the month-end closing process and deliver accurate management accounts by the 10th of each following month
- Act as the primary point of contact for external auditors, tax agents, and company secretaries
- Ensure full compliance with financial regulations including e-Invoicing, SST, and Withholding Tax
3. Strategic & Fundraising Support
- Prepare financial updates for existing investors and support Q&A
- Support preparation of the Data Room for fundraising and debt financing exercises
- Provide data-driven insights to the Founder for key business decisions
- Support cash flow forecasting and liquidity management
Who You Are
- Experience: 57 years in finance, with meaningful exposure to high-volume transaction reconciliation in a fintech, lending, or banking environment
- Qualification: Professional accounting qualification (ACCA, CPA, ICAEW or equivalent). Big 4 audit experience is preferred or mid-tier experience with direct exposure to financial institutions, licensed lenders, or fintech
- Controls mindset: You understand how financial systems generate numbers and you know what controls need to be in place for those numbers to be relied upon. You have done this before in audit or in operations
- Technical fluency: Comfortable working with large datasets and back-end system logic. Familiarity with lending-specific accounting including effective interest rates and automated repayment flows is a strong advantage
- Hands-on and ambitious: You are not here to manage a function from a distance. You get into the data, fix what is broken, and build what does not exist yet with your eye on what this role becomes as the company scales
