Role purpose
The Head of Finance is a key member of the Charity s senior management team, working closely with the chief executive, directors, and trustees. The head of finance will lead the day-to-day financial operations of the Charity, including budgeting, reporting, audit, payroll, and pensions. Managing the finance manager and management accountant, the Head of Finance will ensure the effective running of the finance department and smooth day-to-day processes. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you will be a key advisor on strategic financial decisions, balancing meticulous operational control with strategic planning.
As the Head of Finance, you will
- Proactively contribute to the development and delivery of the Charity s strategy through developing long-term financial planning to underpin our objectives.
- Act as senior finance business partner to the senior leadership team, supporting strategic and operational decision-making.
- Lead on the annual audit and production of statutory accounts, ensuring effective management of the audit process.
- Support the rest of the Charity team to become financially informed and comfortable understanding financial performance, control, and accountability.
Main responsibilities
Financial controls, reporting, and operational finance
- Lead the finance function of the Charity, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant financial management and reporting.
- Ensure that appropriately robust internal financial and operational controls are in place.
- Ensure that our unrestricted and restricted funds and accounting records are maintained in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements and best practice.
- Ensure timely and accurate monthly management accounts and other reports are produced by the finance team and distributed to members of the senior management team, encouraging ownership of departmental budgets.
- Manage and oversee accounts receivable and payable, ensuring strong cash management.
- Ensure all banking facilities, financial systems, and internal processes function to a high standard and enable the Charity to carry out its transactional and operational financial functions.
- Lead financial risk identification and mitigation, working closely with the chief executive and leadership team, and reporting to the board of trustees.
Financial administration and governance
- Manage the production of statutory accounts in line with the Charity SORP and lead the annual external audit process.
- Oversee our tax affairs, including PAYE, national insurance, corporation tax, VAT, and gift aid.
- Responsible for our payroll and pensions functions.
- Maintain and continuously improve financial policies, procedures, and controls, working closely with the fundraising and operations teams to ensure organisational efficiency.
- Identify and escalte financial risks to the chief executive and board
- Line manage and support the management accountant and finance manager, ensuring professional development and high-quality output.
Person specification
Knowledge and experience
We are looking for candidates with demonstrable strategic financial leadership spanning organisational planning, budgeting, risk, and reporting. You will have:
- You must be a fully qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA, OR CIMA)
- Excellent knowledge of charity financial management, SORP, and audit is essential.
- Experience of effective budget setting and implementing controls and processes to manage and monitoring budgets
- Firm understanding of risk management
- Experience of improving policies and processes in comparable organisations
- Success in delivering increased cost effectiveness
- Evidence of building financial impact and performance metrics and reporting
- Understanding of the requirements of legislation, Charity Commission and professional body guidance on a being a well-run and financially accountable Charity
- Considerable experience of management and development of staff
Skills, abilities, and behaviours
- A strategic thinker with the ability to see the bigger picture and make decisions in line with the charity s needs as part of a team
- Strong change management skills with experience of managing teams through change
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to interpret and communicate financial information to a non-specialist audience
- Strong organisational development skills, able to identify and act on opportunities to drive performance in business
- Experience of the charity or not-for-profit environment (this could be gained as a trustee) preferably with some understanding of charity funding and investment management
- Collaborative working style with excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Resilient with a flexible, creative and solutions-focused approach to problem-solving
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