5 Associate director of finance jobs in Edinburgh

Permanent | Full-time 

Salary: £58,560 – £71,480 per annum

Hours: 35 per week

Location: Home-based with regular national travel 

Job reference number: 1766

Help shape the future of Cranstoun’s services 

Cranstoun is a social justice and harm reduction charity supporting and empowering people to live healthier and safer lives. Each year, we support more than 45,000 people through services including substance use, criminal justice, domestic abuse, housing and services for children and young people. 

Following a successful five-year strategy and significant growth, we remain ambitious about the difference we can make. As we enter our next phase, we are investing in the leadership and operational capability needed to support our continued development. We are now recruiting an Assistant Directors of Service to join our senior management team.

This is a significant senior leadership role offering the opportunity to lead substantial service portfolios while helping shape how Cranstoun’s services are led and delivered across the organisation. 

The role

Reporting to the Director of Operations, you will lead a substantial portfolio of complex commissioned services and senior operational managers. 

You will lead eight services with nine direct reports, spanning substance use and services for children and young people. You will have clear accountability for ensuring services are safe, effective and well-led, with strong contractual performance, financial sustainability and positive outcomes for the people and communities we support. 

You will provide operational grip and evidence-based assurance, strengthen safeguarding and management accountability, build effective relationships with commissioners and partners, and ensure risks and underperformance are identified, escalated and addressed early. 

You will also work collectively with fellow senior operational leaders to embed a One Cranstoun approach, strengthening common standards, sharing learning, developing leadership capability and improving quality and resilience across our services. 

What you will be accountable for 

As an Assistant Director, you will take senior operational accountability for: 

• Safe, effective and well-led services – ensuring strong safeguarding, quality, operational risk management and service user outcomes.  
• Contractual performance – ensuring services deliver against contractual requirements and KPIs, with strong commissioner relationships and timely action to address underperformance.  
• Financial sustainability – maintaining strong financial oversight, effective workforce management and oversight of the sustainability of individual contracts.  
• Evidence-based assurance – using reliable performance, quality, workforce and financial information to identify risks and drive improvement.  
• Collective organisational leadership – working beyond individual portfolio boundaries to build consistent standards, stronger leadership and shared ways of working across Cranstoun.  

You will lead and develop senior operational managers, set clear expectations and create a culture in which support and accountability operate together. 

You will also lead and contribute to service mobilisation, transformation, workforce planning and continuous improvement. 

Who we are looking for 

We are looking for established senior operational leaders with substantial experience leading complex commissioned services and geographically dispersed teams. 

You will bring a strong track record of: 

• leading safe, high-quality services for people with complex needs;  
• safeguarding, quality and operational risk management;  
• contract and performance management;  
• managing significant service budgets and improving financial performance;  
• building effective relationships with commissioners, regulators and strategic partners;  
• leading service improvement, mobilisation and organisational change;  
• developing senior operational managers and addressing underperformance; and  
• using performance, quality, workforce and financial information to provide assurance and drive improvement.  

You will need to combine strategic leadership with operational pragmatism, understanding the detail when necessary while maintaining oversight of performance, risk, quality and sustainability across a complex portfolio. 

Above all, we are looking for collaborative, credible and values-led leaders who can support and challenge in equal measure, build leadership capability and bring people together around common standards and organisational priorities. 

Specialist experience 

For this role, significant senior leadership experience within substance use services is essential, including experience of leading CQC-regulated provision and maintaining high standards of quality, safety and regulatory compliance. 

You will also need a strong understanding of safeguarding and the governance required to deliver safe and effective services for children and young people. Direct operational experience of Children & Young People services would be valuable, but we are equally interested in candidates who can demonstrate strong safeguarding and CYP governance experience alongside substantial substance use leadership. 

This permanent appointment offers the opportunity to provide long-term leadership to a significant portfolio and help shape the future development of Cranstoun’s services. 

Be part of Cranstoun’s next chapter 

Our successful five-year strategy has seen Cranstoun grow considerably, extending our reach and the range of services we provide. We remain ambitious and innovative, committed to developing services that respond to the changing needs of people and communities. 

As we look to the future, we are investing in the leadership, operational capability and organisational infrastructure needed to support our continued development, strengthening operational governance, consistency and assurance across our services. 

This role offers the opportunity to do more than manage established portfolios. You will help shape the future of our services and build an Operations Directorate characterised by high standards, clear accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement. 

Find out more 

Please refer to the accompanying recruitment pack for the full Job Description, Person Specification and details of the application process.

Please note: All posts are subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

How to Apply:

For more details and to apply, please visit our website via the apply button. Please quote the appropriate Job Ref in all correspondence.

Applicants must be able to provide satisfactory evidence of their right to work in the UK at the application stage.

Sponsorship is not available for this post. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK that does not require employer sponsorship for the duration of the appointment.

Closing date: Sunday 20 September 2026.

We are an inclusive employer, committed to promoting equality and diversity in all areas of our work. 

Registered Charity No: 1061582

About GMWSA

Greater Manchester Women’s Support Alliance brings together nine Member and Associate women’s centres serving all ten Greater Manchester boroughs. Together, the Alliance helps women involved in the criminal justice system, at risk of offending or experiencing multiple disadvantage to access coordinated, trauma-responsive support in their communities.

GMWSA is both a strategic alliance and a contract-holding organisation. It coordinates major commissioned work across Greater Manchester, supports delivery through local women’s centres and represents a pan-Greater Manchester view in partnerships concerned with women, justice, health and gender-based violence. Its work includes community-based probation services, support at HMP Styal and health-focused initiatives delivered with NHS and voluntary-sector partners.

About the role

This maternity-cover appointment comes at an important point in GMWSA’s development. The substantive Chief Executive has built strong relationships and a significant portfolio of work. During her absence, the Alliance needs a confident interim leader who can maintain momentum, give staff and partners clarity, and ensure that major commitments continue to be delivered well.

Alongside business continuity, there is meaningful development work to lead. GMWSA is resetting its strategic purpose, strengthening the way its Board and membership work together, and preparing for the possible retender of service contracts.

The successful candidate will keep delivery on track while helping the Board and members make practical progress on these priorities.

You will lead a small core team and work across a wider network of project staff, secondees, women’s centres, commissioners and strategic partners. This is a hands-on role requiring sound judgement, strong relationships and the confidence to move between operational detail and system-level influence.

Key responsibilities

·  Provide visible, values-led executive leadership throughout the maternity-cover period.

·  Maintain oversight of contracts, services, safeguarding, performance, finance and organisational risk.

·  Lead readiness for a potential contract retender, coordinating members, evidence, relationships and bid planning.

·  Work with trustees to strengthen governance, clarify accountability and support Chair and Treasurer recruitment and induction.

·  Bring members together around a clearer strategic purpose and a sustainable future for the Alliance.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for an experienced Chief Executive, Interim Chief Executive or senior leader who can establish credibility quickly and combine calm stewardship with constructive change.

You will be comfortable leading a small organisation that operates through partnerships, commissioned services and influence rather than a large directly delivered service base.

The successful candidate will bring:

·  Senior leadership experience in a charity, public-service or other mission-led setting.

·  A strong understanding of commissioned services, contract performance and the disciplines required of a prime provider or accountable body.

·  Strong external relationship and influencing skills, including the ability to hold constructive boundaries with commissioners.

Why join GMWSA?

This is an opportunity to make a tangible difference in a focused period: protecting high-value services for women, supporting a committed team and membership, and helping an established Alliance take its next steps with greater clarity and confidence.

The role offers genuine scope to influence that work while maintaining the relationships and operational grip on which women and partners rely.

How to apply

Full information about the role and the application process will be available on the Peridot Partners microsite. Applications will close on a date to be confirmed.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Bill Yuksel at Peridot Partners.

This post is restricted to women as an occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010. Appointment will be subject to appropriate pre-employment checks, including a DBS check.

Position: Breathing Space Coordinator, Wales
Hours: 21 hours per week
Contract: Fixed term until March 2029
Location: Home-based in Wales
Salary: £26,912 per annum FTE, (£16,147 per annum actual for 21 hours per week) plus excellent benefits
Salary Band and Job Family: Band 1, Charity
You’ll start at our entry point salary of £26,912 per annum FTE (£16,147 actual), increasing to £28,594 per annum FTE (£17,156 actual) after 6 months service and satisfactory performance and to £30,276 per annum FTE (£18,166 actual) after a further 6 months.

About us

We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do. And it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK.

Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus.

Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information.

Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference.

About this job

This part-time, fixed-term role (21 hours per week) will coordinate our Breathing Space project in Wales until March 2029. The project enables unpaid carers supporting people with MS and other neurological conditions to take short breaks.

We are seeking an enthusiastic, experienced Project Coordinator who enjoys delivering fixed-term funded projects, working directly with the people we support and our volunteers. Excellent communication skills and a proven ability to achieve project objectives are essential.

You will work closely with unpaid carers, people affected by MS and other neurological conditions, key external partners, the Service and Support Team, the Director for Wales and teams across the MS Society. Focused on outcomes and tangible results, you will build strong stakeholder partnerships and represent the MS Society at meetings and events promoting the project to unpaid carers.

The role can be based anywhere in Wales, but regular travel across Wales is expected.

Welsh language skills are desirable

Closing date for applications: 9:00 on Monday 28th September 2026.
Anticipated interview date: 6th & 7th October.

Interested?

PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Equal Opportunities 
We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and or from ethnic minority backgrounds.

We’d be grateful if you downloaded and completed the equality and diversity monitoring form and submit it with your application. 

Disability Confident Employer 
We’re a Disability Confident Employer and we’re committed to promoting equality and diversity.

You can ask for reasonable adjustments as part of both our recruitment and new starter on-boarding processes.

If you need any help or adjustments to apply for this role, please contact us. You can also ask for the application materials to be sent to you in a different format. Such as for them to be sent to you by email or in a larger word format.

More about our employee benefits:
We have a wide range of employee benefits including (but not limited to): 

Encouraging work life balance

• 38 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), pro-rata for part-time
• More annual leave entitlement, based on length of employment
• Smart working options (with the opportunity to work remotely and find a smart working pattern that suits both you and us) 
• Flexible working options 

Caring for you and your family 

• Generous sick pay entitlement
• More sick pay entitlement, based on length of employment 
• Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave in each calendar year 
• Free access to a GP virtually 24 hours a day/7 days a week allowing you unlimited advice, reassurance and where appropriate diagnosis 
• Enhanced leave for new parents 
• Free access to a confidential 24 hours a day/7 days a week helpline service for both you and your family with a specialist range of support and information
• Special leave options (such as up to 5 days paid leave for domestic or personal emergencies a year)
• 10 days paid disability leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• 10 days paid carers’ leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Death in service scheme
• New family-friendly benefits, including paid leave:
  • In the event of miscarriage or still birth 
  • To support fertility treatments
  • For antenatal appointments for both parents

Thinking about your finances 

• Enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Discounted season ticket loan and interest-free emergency loans
• Give as you earn to support other charities of your choice before tax
• New employee portal including lifestyle savings vouchers and personal wellbeing

Enriching your life at work

• Personalised development plans with a wide range of training courses and opportunities to source additional training options with your line manager
• Yearly internal apprenticeship opportunities
• New, modern offices that embrace working together both in-person and remotely 
• Various opportunities to influence how we internally operate (including surveys, and focus and committee groups) 
• Active and supportive internal employee networking groups for collaboration and peer support 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering for MS Society activities during normal working hours (such as fundraising events, or campaigning in the local community) 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering with other charities during normal

Safeguarding 
We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services and we come into contact with.

This is regardless of Gender, Race, Disability, Sexual orientation, Religion or belief, Pregnancy, Gender reassignment.

We recognise our particular responsibility to make sure vulnerable adults and children are protected.

We have measures in place to protect everyone we come into contact with from abuse and maltreatment of all kinds.

Your right to work in the UK 
You must have the right to work in the UK to work in paid employment with us. You’ll need to share documents showing you’re eligible to work in the UK if we offer you employment.

You can find the UK visas and permits granting you the right to work in the UK on the UK Government website. We currently don’t have a Sponsor Licence agreement with the Home Office and aren’t able to support you with your visa applications.

No agencies please.

Head of Commercial
Reference: AUG20260202
Location: Flexible in UK
Hours: Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £72,605.00 - £77,517.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance Scheme, 26 days' Annual Leave

Reporting to the Executive Board Director for Income, Technology and Communications The Head of Commercial is a strategically important senior leadership role responsible for shaping the RSPB's commercial future and maximising the contribution commercial activity makes to the organisation's income, strategic ambitions and long-term success.

Leading a diverse, multi-channel portfolio spanning Retail, E-commerce, Licensing, Wholesale and Food & Beverage, together with the critical enabling functions of Buying & Merchandising and Fulfilment, you will bring these areas together to deliver sustainable income, exceptional customer experiences, and long-term organisational value.

As a senior commercial leader with significant proven successful experience, you will set and drive the commercial strategy, identifying new opportunities for growth, innovation and partnership while ensuring the RSPB continues to evolve and thrive in a changing market.

You will harness customer insight, expertise and market understanding to strengthen income streams, expand audience reach and maximise the value of the RSPB brand.

Working across the organisation and influencing at senior level, you will ensure customer needs are at the heart of commercial decision-making. By connecting commercial opportunity with strategic ambition, you will drive sustainable growth, strengthen supporter engagement, and deliver outstanding results.

This is a unique opportunity to combine senior strategic commercial leadership with purpose, translating commercial success into meaningful organisational impact.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Experience leading a commercial, retail, ecommerce, trading or other income-generating function at a senior level, with responsibility for strategic direction and performance
• Experience managing multi-million-pound income and expenditure budgets, including forecasting, commercial performance analysis and investment decision-making.
• Experience developing and delivering commercial strategies, using commercial and financial insight to identify opportunities and make decisions that drive growth, profitability and sustainable income.
• Experience working across complex organisations or partnerships, building relationships and influencing senior stakeholders without relying on direct authority.
• Experience presenting complex performance, governance or strategic information to senior decision-makers, such as Boards, Trustees or Executive-level stakeholders.
• Experience negotiating and managing commercial partnerships and contracts, including identifying and managing associated commercial risks.
• Knowledge of retail, ecommerce and a range of other commercial or trading models, such as licensing, wholesale or food and beverage, and how these contribute to customer growth, experience and income generation
• Experience using customer or audience insight to inform commercial decisions, improve customer experience and support audience or supporter growth.
• Experience leading organisational change and improvement, introducing new approaches and delivering agreed strategic outcomes.
• Experience leading and developing multidisciplinary teams to deliver agreed objectives, including supporting individual and team performance and development
• Able to communicate complex commercial and financial information clearly and use evidence to influence senior stakeholders, support decision-making and build effective partnerships.

Additional Information

This is a Permanent Full-Time role for 37.5 hours per week.

Closing date: 23:59, Tuesday, 6th October 2026
We are looking to conduct first interviews for this position on 4th and 5th November.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. this role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.

In order to apply you will be required to upload a CV and complete an application form where you will have the opportunity to explain how you meet the set criteria above.

Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application or if you require any reasonable adjustment.

No agencies please.