Director of finance and company secretary jobs

Hays Senior Finance is proud to be working in partnership with St Nicholas Hospice, who are looking to appoint a Head of Finance. This is a pivotal appointment where you will lead and deliver on financial aspects of their ambitious plans.

St Nicholas Hospice Care is a local charity, which strives for something better in the provision of high-quality, specialist palliative care, emotional and practical support, so that no-one in West Suffolk and Thetford has to face dying, death and grief alone.

St Nic’s supports thousands of local people. Hospice support is there not just for patients, but for their families and friends too, offering everything from specialist medical and bereavement care to practical help. They aim to provide the very best experiences for those facing dying, death and grief, with our actions and behaviours promoting the charity’s values of compassion, accountability, respect, and equity.

The charity and its trading subsidiary have a combined annual turnover of circa £9m. The Finance Department has responsibility for delivering all finance functions across the group.

In addition, the Finance team plays a strong and increasingly strategic business‑partnering role across the organisation, working closely with directors, heads of departments and managers to provide financial insight, challenge, and support decision‑making, enabling effective operational planning, financial sustainability, and alignment with the charity’s strategic objectives.

The Head of Finance is responsible for the leadership and performance of the Finance team to provide sound financial information and specialist advice to directorate and committees to facilitate the Hospice’s strategic and operational business plans, ensure the effective management of financial resources and to support change and enable improvement.

The Role:

• Strategic Leadership: Drive the financial direction and long-term viability of the hospice and contribute to the financial health of the charity.
• Operational Excellence: Oversee the finance function, ensuring sustainable planning, budgeting, and financial management.
• Team Collaboration: Be a visible member of the Senior Leadership Team, enhancing our positive, values-based culture.

What They’re Looking For:

• Qualifications: ACA, ACCA, CIPFA, CIMA, or equivalent.
• Experience: Proven leadership in finance within a charity or similar organisation.
• Skills: Strong financial acumen, stakeholder communication, and team management.

You will also fulfil the role of Company Secretary for the charity and the trading company. whilst operating as a senior leader within the Charity.

St Nicholas Hospice has a collaborative and supportive team culture, so it is essential that you have the ability to “roll up your sleeves” and be involved in the day-to-day operations. In addition, a key element of the role will be leading and influencing others to continue to innovate and improve their financial processes.

Why Join the St Nicholas Hospice?

• Impactful Work: Play a central role in developing and delivering financial plans to support in an environment where everyone is encouraged, energised and enabled to play their part in delivering the Hospice's vision
• Supportive Culture: Join a collaborative team that values innovation and continuous improvement in its service of local communities.
• Great Benefits: Competitive salary, attractive annual leave, life cover, and flexible working arrangements, including hybrid working.

Ready to Make a Difference? If you have the drive, passion, and enthusiasm to help them to achieve their mission and vision, we want to hear from you!

For more information about the role and organisation please contact Senan Pierce, Senior Business Director at Hays Senior Finance who is the retained consultant working in partnership with St Nicholas Hospice.

Closing date for all applications:  28th June, 2026.

Interviews will take place: 7th and 8th July, 2026.

All third party & direct applicants will be forwarded directly to Senan Pierce at Hays Senior Finance to be screened as part of the recruitment process.

The Deputy Director (Operations & Finance) is a new position in the organisation that will lead the day-to-day running of the organisation, bringing together operations, HR, governance, finance oversight and property management under clear, reliable leadership. Working closely with the Director and deputising in their absence, you will line-manage teams across finance, buildings, studios and administration, and act as Company Secretary to the Board of Trustees.

Beyond keeping the organisation running well, you will play a central role in what comes next including delivery of our 3–5-year strategic business plan, securing a permanent home for the charity, developing Not Another Art School as a scaled income stream, and supporting our pathway toward Arts Council England NPO status.

This is a hands-on, generalist leadership role. You will need to be equally comfortable reviewing a lease, running a Board meeting, troubleshooting an IT system and supporting a member of staff sometimes all in the same week.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead governance and compliance acting as Company Secretary, coordinating Board activity, managing statutory filings, and overseeing health & safety, GDPR, and HR frameworks
• Oversee day-to-day operations across studios, galleries, offices, and project spacesLead on all HR processes recruitment, contracts, appraisals, and staff support for a team of ten
• Manage financial oversight alongside the Finance Manager: budgets, cash flow, management accounts, year-end, and funder reporting
• Develop and manage property relationships lease negotiations, landlord liaison, new site acquisition in line with agreed strategy
• Support fundraising applications and funder compliance, and contribute to building diversified income across earned revenue, trusts & foundations, and public funding
• Drive delivery of the strategic business plan, including NAAS development and ACE Illuminate audience data preparation

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

You don't need to come from the arts sector, but you do need to be operationally excellent, values-driven, and genuinely excited by what TBFAF is becoming. We are looking for someone with strong experience running operations in a small organisation, solid understanding of governance and finance, confidence managing teams, and the breadth to hold a wide remit without dropping the ball.Experience in property or facilities management, HR management, and familiarity with fundraising applications are all desirable, alongside arts, charity, or cultural sector experience and experience working with Boards of Trustees.

This is an exciting new opportunity to shape the future of technology and digital capability across five South West charities. We are seeking an exceptional Regional Chief Technology Officer who is motivated by both challenge and purpose; someone who can harness technology to make a tangible difference to how our faith-based charities support church communities.

Working across Bath & Wells, Bristol, Exeter, Salisbury and Truro, this role offers a rare platform to influence at scale. The successful candidate will lead a region-wide programme of digital transformation and process optimisation, helping modernise systems, strengthen cyber resilience and unlock efficiencies that release resources for mission and ministry.

This is not technology for its own sake. We are looking for someone who combines strategic insight with practical delivery; a leader who can translate complex technical possibilities into real-world improvements for staff, clergy and volunteers. You will play a key role in shaping the responsible adoption of emerging technologies, including AI, while ensuring strong governance, security and compliance.

Please note that, whilst the role will be primarily home-based, the post-holder will be required to travel regularly across the Southwest region, with an onsite presence in each organisation at least once per month.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership:

• Develop, articulate, and implement a shared digital transformation and technology strategy that is directly aligned with the overarching mission and strategic goals of the five dioceses.
• Act as the principal technology advisor to the Diocesan Secretaries and their senior leadership teams.

Process Mapping & Optimisation:

• Lead a comprehensive, collaborative review of key administrative and operational processes within the Diocesan Boards of Finance (DBFs) and in parishes where appropriate.
• Use process mapping techniques to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and areas for improvement, and then design and implement optimised workflows.

AI & Responsible Innovation:

• Actively research, evaluate, pilot, and implement appropriate AI and automation tools to enhance efficiency, support fundraising, and improve service delivery.
• Ensure all innovation is undertaken responsibly, ethically, and with a clear focus on tangible benefits.

Stakeholder Management & Engagement:

• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders across all five dioceses, including clergy, staff, and volunteers.
• Foster a culture of digital literacy and champion the benefits of change in a clear, accessible, and empathetic manner.

Project & Change Management:

• Oversee the full lifecycle of technology and process improvement projects, from initial conception and business case development through to delivery, user training, and final handover.
• Employ robust project management methodologies to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.

Qualifications, Training & Experience:

• Proven and extensive senior technology leadership experience (e.g., CTO, Head of IT, Director of Digital Transformation) with clear evidence of strategic impact.
• Relevant degree (or equivalent) in a technology-related discipline, with appropriate professional certifications in technology, architecture, project or change management, and membership of a relevant professional body.
• Strong track record in business process mapping, analysis and re-engineering delivering measurable efficiency gains.
• Practical experience evaluating, procuring and implementing modern technology solutions, including cloud platforms (e.g., Microsoft 365), CRM systems and data analytics tools.
• Experience in the charity, non-profit or similarly complex, values-driven sector is highly desirable. Demonstrable experience of, or well-informed and practical interest in, the responsible and ethical application of AI and automation in an organisational context.
• Significant experience in technology strategy, budget management, vendor negotiation and delivery of complex, multi-stakeholder programmes.

Competencies & Behavioural requirements:

• Exceptional communicator and translator: Able to convey complex technical concepts in clear, accessible language and influence a wide range of non-technical stakeholders with confidence.
• Strategic yet pragmatic thinker: Sees the big picture and aligns technology with organisational priorities, while remaining hands-on and focused on practical, value adding solutions.
• Collaborative and emotionally intelligent leader: Builds trust and consensus across diverse stakeholders and cultures, leading change with empathy, credibility and sensitivity.
• Resilient and delivery-focused: Proactive and self-motivated, with the drive and discipline to deliver complex, multi-year programmes and achieve measurable outcomes.
• Culturally astute and values-aware: Demonstrates understanding of, and respect for, the Church of England’s context, governance and ethos, navigating the environment with diplomacy and good judgement.

Our benefits include:

• Generous company pension
• A comprehensive health & wellbeing programme, inlcuding an Employee Assistance Programme 
• Paid volunteering & study leave allowace
• Company events
• Home working