Assistant chief executive jobs in Birmingham

Assistant Finance Director (12–18 month FTC to begin)
A leading Housing Association in the area

A well-established and forward-thinking Housing Association is seeking an Assistant Finance Director to join on a 12–18 month contract initially. Reporting directly to the CFO, this position offers a unique opportunity to operate as the number two in finance, playing a key role in both strategic leadership and operational delivery.

The organisation provides a broad range of general and supported housing and is recognised for its commitment to delivering high-quality services and positive outcomes for its communities.

This role is ideally suited to a senior finance professional with Housing sector experience who is looking to step into a high-impact leadership role, driving improvements across people, processes, and financial insight.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop the finance function, acting as deputy to the CFO
• Oversee financial and management accounting, ensuring robust reporting and controls
• Support financial planning, treasury activities, and development finance
• Drive a high-quality business partnering function across the organisation
• Lead on improving financial processes, systems, and internal controls
• Support the Executive team on business planning, including scenario modelling and stress testing

Requirements

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA)
• Proven experience within a Housing Association or Registered Provider
• Strong leadership capability, with experience managing and developing teams
• Ability to operate at a strategic level and influence senior stakeholders
• Excellent technical finance skills combined with a commercial, business-partnering mindset
• Strong analytical and systems capability, with confident communication skills

This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious finance leader looking to step into a director level role within a purpose-driven organisation.

Employment Type: Full time
Location: Remote · Multiple locationsIreland · UK
Salary: £62,000 - £72,000 (GBP)25 days holiday plus other benefits.
Seniority: Senior
Closing date: 9:00am, 4th May

About GLAN

GLAN is an independent non-profit organisation made up of lawyers, investigators and campaigners. We pursue legal action against powerful actors involved in serious human rights violations and environmental harms, working across borders with international and local grassroots organisations. 

Our vision is justice across borders.

We are a fully remote team - our committed colleagues are spread across multiple countries, and we have offices in Ireland and the UK.

We currently work across three key focus areas: 

• Accountability for Atrocity Crimes
• Environment and Climate Litigation
• Abuses in Value Chains

About the role

The Chief Operating Officer at GLAN will play a crucial role in steering the team in the successful implementation of the charity’s organisational strategy, and will be responsible for ensuring the day-to-day smooth running of the organisation – in order to build a sustainable, compliant, resilient and well-governed organisation.

The ideal candidate

We are looking for an experienced leader with a proven track-record of delivering financial oversight and overseeing complex budgets and projects to completion in a fast-paced environment. We are looking for someone who possesses excellent people skills, who is emotionally intelligent and can guide a dynamic team remotely.

The Chief Operating Officer will be responsible for the delivery of core services and will manage a core team of staff to deliver Finance, HR, Fundraising, Communications and Governance.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrable experience in a similar role, with in depth understanding of how charitable, purpose driven organisations operate. You must have excellent leadership skills, a solid grasp of data analysis and performance metrics, financial planning and budgeting skills, and an advanced understanding of business planning, budget and project management.

Key Responsibilities

Senior Leadership

• Lead the Senior Leadership team in the implementation of our revised organisational strategy 2027-2030.
• Ensure organisation-wide financial oversight and operational business planning.
• Provide guidance and support to GLAN’s team.
• Deputise for the CEO when necessary and take ownership of high-level decision-making.

Operational oversight

• Maintain operational oversight so that legal, advocacy, funding and finance align with GLAN’s organisational strategy.
• Oversee and facilitate the flow of information between the legal and operational teams so that our legal case works aligns with finances, commitments to funders, team capacity, and communications plans.
• Ensure that systems enable on-going monitoring of expenditure so that fundraising and finance are aware of gaps/underspends.
• Help ensure cases/teams are sufficiently resourced in terms of staff capacity.
• Ensure joined up working, and provide strategic guidance when challenges arise.

People and culture

• Provide strong leadership to ensure a professional and healthy working culture.
• Build on GLAN’s existing commitments to a working culture that is in line with our values, overseeing team-wide consistency to HR line-management, 1:1’s, annual 360 reviews and performance.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and staff development and staff feedback.
• Ensure policies on anti-racism, equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing are embedded in how we work.
• Support the embedding of GLAN’s values across GLAN’s work.
• Oversee relationship and dialogue between GLAN’s SLT and Trade Union representatives.

Governance and Board relationships

• Lead on ensuring that GLAN is compliant with our legal, regulatory, health & safety, data protection / GDPR and employment law obligations.
• Ensure we have all necessary policies in place and take the lead on coordinating the establishment and review of existing and further policies. Oversee the regular review of GLAN’s risk management frameworks and our risk register.
• Oversee GLAN’s governance structures (internal reporting, Board meetings etc.), ensuring decisions are well informed and documented.

Financial oversight

• Oversee financial operations: budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, expenditure controls, financial reporting, payroll.
• Ensure compliance with accounting standards, audit requirements and donor / funder financial reporting obligations.
• Manage relationships with external accountants, auditors, banks, and financial service providers.
• Ensure best practices are followed and financial risk is identified and managed appropriately.

Operations

• Ensure the smooth running of IT, data protection, office management. Managing relationships with our external providers.

Person Specification

Essential

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in senior leadership roles, delivering successful organisational financial oversight- with expertise in business planning and complex project management.
• Demonstrable experience of high-level budgeting, forecasting, auditing, proven accountability for ensuring financial sustainability and compliance.
• Minimum of 10 year’s line management experience.
• Excellent strategic thinking and planning skills, able to bridge between high-level strategy and operational detail.
• Sound judgement, risk-management and governance experience; familiarity with compliance, data protection / GDPR, employment law etc.
• Exceptionally organised and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to present complex operational, financial or legal information clearly.
• Strong collaborative approach, ability to work across teams, offer guidance to other senior level staff, and clear people management skills.
• Expertise in ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, policies, and procedures, particularly in the charity sector.
• Understanding of UK charity law and governance, including experience with Board of Trustees.
• Aptitude in decision making and problem solving, and confidence in providing guidance to boards and CEO.
• Warm, people-centred and positive approach.
• Emotionally intelligent, able to self-reflect, be honest and conduct open conversations with sensitivity.
• Solution-orientated, able to anticipate and resolve challenges.
• Strong alignment with GLAN’s values and our mission.
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and committed to GLAN’s ongoing anti-racist learning and practice.
• Commitment to developing an organisational culture in which our team thrives and we can achieve meaningful impact in our work.
• Ability to handle difficult situations and handle confidential information.
• Ability to balance GLAN’s operational priorities with our values.

Desirable

• Experience of operating in non-profit / mission-driven / legal organisations.
• Previous experience working in a human rights or environmental protection focussed setting.
• Legal or compliance experience.
• Experience of change management and scaling teams or systems.
• Experience of hybrid / remote team leadership .
• Experience of supporting culture building.
• Experience of working to decolonial commitments.
• Experience of delivering organisational change programmes.
• Legal or compliance experience.
• Experience of change management and scaling teams or systems.
• Experience of hybrid / remote team leadership 
• Commitment to equity, learning and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of HR practices and employment law.
• Fundraising experience.
• Accountancy qualification, Leadership or management qualifications, Project management qualifications e.g. Prince2

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

We particularly welcome applications from candidates with lived experience of the issues that GLAN works on. We strongly encourage applications from disabled candidates, older candidates, and Black and racially minoritised candidates, who are currently underrepresented in our organisation. We use an anonymised recruitment process to ensure fairness. Each applicant will be individually assessed against the essential criteria regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or belief. We will use positive action on the basis of race and/or disability in case of a tie break situation.

Our values

Decolonial - We are committed to building decolonial, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches at GLAN.

Collective Power - We believe lasting change is built through collective action and power sharing. 

Responsive - Working across interconnected global systems that are ever in flux, we aim to be adaptable, nimble and responsive to make the biggest impact we can. 

Steadfast - We know the kind of change we want to see won’t happen overnight, that’s why we strongly value patience and persistence. 

Self-Reflective - We recognise the power and privilege we hold as an organization. We’re committed to fostering a culture of honesty, reflection, and continuous learning, constantly examining how we work within the system and why to help us strengthen both our organisation and the movements we support work within the system.

How to apply

To apply, please use our application portal. Applications are due by 9am 4 May 2026. We will not review applications sent via LinkedIn or email.

GLAN does not use AI to review applications, and we ask candidates to avoid its use in this process. We want to read about people’s experience in their own words.

If you need any reasonable adjustments, including this job pack to be sent in a larger font, in order to apply for this role, please contact us.

JOB TITLE:                      Parent Partner

RESPONSIBLE TO:Peer Services Lead for England

HOURS OF WORK:As per individual terms

GRADE/SALARY:Grade 2.4/ £24,479

LOCATION:Home based 

TYPE OF CONTRACT:Permanent

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB

Provide peer support services via the transition service for One Adoption. You will support individual families with peer to peer goal-based intervention servicedeliverable via 6 sessions of support (1-1).

Provide peer support services via dedicated support phone line, bookable sessions & email cover. This will be delivered via rota’dsessions for the Eastern Region Peer Support Line.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Direct 1-1 support

•To work with families to achieve agreed goal-based outcomes.

•To work to a plan for transition.

•To signpost families to relevant support.

•To provide 6 online support sessions of 1 hour via TEAMS covering the programme topics agreed within timescale.

•To follow a programme of support and monitor progress regularly.

•To empower families to work closely with schools, settings and relevant professionals encouraging them to build and strengthen relationships. 

•To complete admin and paperwork relevant to the family including evaluation paperwork. 

Support Line

•Following a scheduled work pattern, respond to adopters calling in to alive phone line, providing a listening ear & signposting to relevant resources/information.

•Following a rota ensuring bookable sessions are responded to, listening & signposting where required

•Monitor & respond to emails within your scheduled shifts.

•Ensure feedback texts are sent at the end of each interaction with a caller.

General

•Retain accurate records in accordance with Adoption UK policy and practice, complying with GDPR legislation.

•To ensure compliance with appropriate Adoption UK policies and procedures 

•To carry out such other duties as may be deemed necessary.

•Ensure all admin tasks are carried out within a timely manner, Evide updated.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & KNOWLEDGE

•Personal experience of adoption. (essential)

•Sound knowledge of current adoption issues, or a strong interest in developing such knowledge (essential)

•Experience within the education setting (desirable)

•Experienced mentor or similar support role. (essential)

•Experience of supporting families in group settings as well as 1:1 (desirable)

•A good understanding of One adoption RAA(s) systems and adoption landscape (desirable)

•Safeguarding – understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures (essential)

•Good working knowledge of how to use social media and a range of online platforms with confidence. (essential)

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

•Work and act on own initiative (essential)

•Work to deadlines and tight timescales and reporting around progress (essential)

•Flexible and able to work purposefully from home (essential)

•Excellent communication skills or verbally and written (essential)

•        Group facilitation skills (essential)

•Good empathic listening skills, able to deal with issues in relation to significant trauma and loss (essential)

•Ability to organise and hold meetings, including by telephone and online (essential)

•Excellent IT skills including Teams, Outlook and Zoom or a willingness to learn (desirable)

•Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times. Aware of GDPR, particularly around holding information at home (essential)

•Ensure that internal policies and procedures are complied with. (essential) 

BEHAVIOURS 

•Supports, encourages and motivates adopters and families (essential)

•Values transparency and consistency (essential)

•Understands the role of individual and collective accountability (essential)

•Has a clear understanding of other colleagues’ roles and responsibilities (essential)

•Approachable and friendly (essential)

•Confident in 1:1 and group settings (desirable)

•Ability to empower and work in partnership with families (essential)

•Shares skills and knowledge appropriately (essential)

•Offers outstanding service to service users (essential)

•Takes pride in Adoption UK and promotes its values in all interactions with external stakeholders (essential)

•Willingness to learn new skills (essential)