Strategic CFO for Growth & Investments (Fractional)

We are looking for an entrepreneurial Chief Financial Officer who combines strategic financial leadership with a hands‑on mentality. In this broad role, you will be responsible for Catalyze’s financial operations, help build our Financial Services offering and be involved in Catalyze Capital, our investment fund.

You will work at the intersection of innovation, science, entrepreneurship and impact. You will help Catalyze grow further, support clients as a Fractional CFO or strategic financial advisor, and contribute to investment opportunities within our fund.

About Catalyze

Catalyze Group helps innovators turn breakthrough ideas into real‑world impact. We specialise in Life Sciences & Health, Green & Sustainable Innovations and Industrial & Digital Technologies.

For more than 20 years, we have supported entrepreneurs, researchers and organisations in securing grants and financing, developing innovation strategies and creating societal impact. To date, we have helped raise more than €2 billion in funding and built a global network of over 6,000 innovation projects and partners.

In addition to our consultancy activities, Catalyze Group consists of Catalyze Capital, our investment fund, and Grantific, an AI‑powered platform that supports the full grant process.

Chief Financial Officer (Dutch Native Speaker)

Your role

As CFO, you will have three key areas of focus.

1. CFO of Catalyze

You will be a member of the C‑suite leadership team and work closely with the CEO and shareholders. You will advise on financial strategy, growth, profitability, risk and long‑term planning.

You will have final responsibility for all financial activities at Catalyze, including business planning, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, reporting, control, administration and risk management. You will lead the Finance team and ensure scalable processes, reliable insights and a strong financial foundation.

You will play an active role in further developing and running our Financial Services offering. Within this proposition, we support clients with financial planning, investment preparation, corporate finance processes and Fractional CFO support.

You will contribute to propositions, participate in acquisition conversations, translate client needs into suitable solutions and partly carry out assignments yourself as a Fractional CFO or strategic financial advisor.

3. Catalyze Capital

You will also be involved in Catalyze Capital, our investment fund. You will contribute to investment opportunities, financial analyses, due diligence, deal structuring and the further development of the fund.

What will you do?

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing and further professionalising Catalyze’s financial operations and Finance team.
• Preparing and improving budgets, forecasts, cash flow planning, management reports, dashboards and controls.
• Advising the CEO, management team and shareholders on financial strategy, growth, risks and performance.
• Improving financial, administrative, legal and IT‑related processes and systems.
• Further developing and commercially expanding our Financial Services offering.
• Conducting client conversations and carrying out assignments as a Fractional CFO or strategic financial advisor.
• Contributing to Catalyze Capital, including financial analyses, investment preparation and fund‑related activities.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for someone who is ready for the next step. You do not necessarily need to have spent many years as a CFO, but you do have a strong financial foundation, commercial awareness and the ambition to grow into a broad CFO role.

You understand how finance can contribute to scalable growth, better decision‑making and risk management. You are entrepreneurial, curious and results‑oriented, and you can easily switch between strategy and execution.

You feel at home in a dynamic environment focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, investments and growth, and you want to contribute to companies and technologies that can create societal impact.

What do you bring?

Ideally, you have:

• A completed bachelor’s or master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Econometrics, Business Administration or a similar field.
• At least 7 years of relevant experience in finance, corporate finance, M&A, investment, controlling, consultancy or a comparable commercial financial environment.
• Experience with financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, cash flow management and risk management.
• Affinity with corporate finance, investments, fundraising and/or M&A.
• Interest in or experience with Fractional CFO services or financial advisory for clients.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to translate financial insights into strategic and commercial actions.
• Leadership qualities, executive presence and the ability to build trust with management, clients, investors and stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills in Dutch and English.

You are a good fit for us if you…

• Enjoy building something that is still very much in development.
• Get energy from growth, innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Are strong both strategically and practically.
• Think in a client‑oriented way and enjoy commercial conversations.
• Take ownership.
• Thrive in an ambitious, young and dynamic organisation.
• See finance as a way to enable better decisions, growth and impact.

What do we offer?

At Catalyze, you will have a broad and entrepreneurial role with a great deal of freedom, responsibility and visibility. You will work directly with management, clients, investors and colleagues on the further growth of Catalyze and our Financial Services offering.

We offer, among other things:

• Attractive salary aligned with your experience and level of responsibility.
• Participation plan, enabling you to share in the success and value development of Catalyze.
• Lease car or mobility allowance.
• Benefits at Work.
• Healthy lunch at the office.
• Plenty of freedom, entrepreneurship and room for your own initiative.
• Professional, ambitious and informal team.
• Dynamic working environment where personal development, independence and impact are central.

Why this role is special

This role is ideal for someone who wants more than a traditional finance position. You will have the opportunity to be CFO of a growing organisation, further build a new service offering and be involved in the investments of Catalyze Capital.

You will work at the intersection of finance, strategy, entrepreneurship, consultancy and investment. This makes it a unique role for someone who wants to create impact, take responsibility and grow together with Catalyze.

Interested?

Are you the entrepreneurial finance professional who wants to help us grow both Catalyze and our Financial Services offering? We would be happy to get to know you.