Due diligence officer jobs in london

Girls Not Brides is the only global organisation uniquely focused on creating and sustaining a worldwide movement to end child marriage and ensuring that this movement leads to tangible change for the girls at risk or affected by the practice. We are a network of over 1,400 civil society organisations in nearly 100 countries working in partnership to end child marriage.

Our vision is a world without child marriage where girls and women enjoy equal status with boys and men and are able to achieve their full potential in all aspects of their lives. Our vision challenges deeply embedded social norms that harm the lives of girls, women and their communities.

INTRODUCTION TO THE ROLE

Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage is seeking a Head of Finance to join its team based in London, UK. The successful individual will lead on strategic financial planning and financial day to day management at Girls Not Brides to advance our business model, financial sustainability and growth. The role ensures effective financial functions across the organisation, manages compliance with UK and overseas regulatory requirements, and works closely and hands on with other teams to oversee the preparation of proposals and budgets for prospective grants.

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for a passionate, talented senior finance professional with at least 5 years post qualified experience. You will have experience working in a similar senior-level finance role in the not-for-profit sector, international/intergovernmental organisation or social enterprise. You will have qualified and hold membership in a recognised professional accountancy body.  Your qualification and experience will ensure you hold an advanced understanding of the principles underpinning financial management and planning, with significant all-round accounting, financial management, full grants cycle management, compliance, risk and financial sustainability experience.  You will be experienced in year-end reporting and proficient in engaging with statutory and other auditors.  Ideally you will bring experience gained in a similar international charity, working in a multi-currency environment.

The successful candidate must already have the right to work in the UK at the time of applying and for the duration of the contract.

Fluency in English is essential for this role.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial Leadership

· Lead on strategic financial planning and financial management at Girls Not Brides to advance the organisation’s business model, financial sustainability, and growth through long-range financial projection and planning, maximisation of income, and strong financial reporting.

· Ensure that financial planning feeds into the organisation’s work planning process and supports the strategic objectives of the organisation.

· Support all Directors/Heads of teams to ensure ownership of financial planning, annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, cost management, priorities and activities, as best serves the mission of the organisation.

· Lead on financial risk management including the implementation of appropriate risk management strategies such as financial controls, fraud prevention and processes to ensure value for money, and conduct regular reviews of Girls Not Brides’ financial policies and processes.

· Provide critical financial information, analysis, advice and support on financial issues and emerging opportunities.

· Assume responsibility for managing, planning and monitoring the Finance department’s budget. 

· Provides leadership with regards to vision, purpose, and functions for the long-term development of the Finance Team.

Financial Management and Accounting

· Develop and maintain effective financial functions including budgeting, forecasting, production of quarterly management accounts, preparation of annual statutory accounts, and preparation of financial reports to Girls Not Brides’ funders, potential funders and the Board of Trustees.

· Manages timely, accurate and impactful quarterly management accounts to enable business planning and monitoring of organisational performance.

· Monitor financial performance, oversee reporting and cash flow management functions and systems.

· Develop and oversee robust and effective financial systems and processes for Girls Not Brides’ staff members based internationally.

· Ensure the smooth running of all accounting, financial transactions and evidence record keeping processes.

· Lead on procurement systems and implementation, identifying efficiencies and value for money.

· Manage and oversee internal control policies and procedures to ensure compliance across the organisation.

· Assume ownership of the organisation’s accounting system, including identifying and implementing measures to ensure strong efficiency.

· Ensure and manage an effective accounts payable function.

· Manage effective payroll, pensions and related employee benefit processes. 

· Manage the organisation’s foreign currency exchange policy and cash investment policy, ensuring compliance with donor terms.

Audit and Tax Compliance

· Manage compliance with UK and overseas legal, statutory accounting and regulatory requirements, including signing off on all statutory filings as required by the Charity Commission, Companies House, HMRC and the Pension Regulator.

· Manage the production of the annual report and financial statements, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, SORP and accounting standards.

· Manage the external audit process and implementation of the audit findings.

· Oversee the project audits required by donors.

Grant Accounting and Compliance

· Work with the Development & Outreach Team, the Senior Finance & Grants Officer and the Senior Coordinator for Grants to oversee preparation of proposals and budgets for prospective grants.

· Supervise the preparation of all financial grant reporting, ensuring that the Development & Outreach team receive accurate and timely information for effective grant and donor management and compliance.

· Maximise cost-recovery from grants through strong financial planning and cost analysis processes, to ensure financial viability of projects and grant agreements.

· Provide support to, and build capacity of, other teams to support grant compliance as necessary. 

· Review, and as needed negotiate, the legal and financial provisions of grant agreements.

· Oversee and ensure all received grants are promptly recorded and acknowledged, as well as paid out and reported on in accordance with donor requirements.

· Achieve timely, effective and clean external grant audits.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential experience

· ACA/ACCA/CCAB/CIMA qualified. 

· Significant professional post-qualified experience in a similar senior-level finance role in the not-for-profit sector, international/intergovernmental organisation or social enterprise

· Degree-level qualification in a relevant area such as accounting, finance or business administration, or equivalent professional experience.

· Up-to-date knowledge of relevant UK charity statutory requirements e.g. SORP, Charity Accounting, IFRS/IAS.

· Advanced understanding of the principles underpinning financial and grant management and planning and of demonstrating impact and value for money.

· Significant all-round accounting, financial management, full grants cycle management, compliance, risk and financial sustainability experience, likely gained in an international charity, e.g. working in a multi-currency environment.

· Proven experience of presenting and working with Boards and Finance Committees.

· Proven experience with contracts and grants management, including cost recovery models and revenue management, as well as donor compliance and due diligence. 

· Demonstrated experience in strategic business planning and review.

· Demonstrated direct experience of financial reporting to a Board of Trustees and major donors.

· Experience of using multi-currency accounting systems, such as Sun Systems, SAP Concur, QuickBooks, Sage and other relevant systems.

· Good knowledge of using complex excel functions such as macros, vlookup, pivot, sumifs, data analysis.

Please see our website for the full job description.  

Girls Not Brides is an equal opportunities employer. We embrace diversity, equal opportunity and inclusion in a serious way. We are committed to building a staff body that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

Please note: There is one vacancy for the Head of Finance position, which is based in London. Candidates must already have the right to work in the UK at the time of applying and for a minimum of two years.

The closing date for this role is 23:59 GMT on 10th August 2025.

Interviews for shortlisted candidates will take place on 14th or 15th August 2025. 

To apply, please click on the 'Apply now' button on the job page and submit your CV and a brief cover letter, clearly demonstrating how you meet the criteria.

We encourage all candidates to apply as soon as possible, as we may close this vacancy early if we receive a very high number of applications and won't be able to accept further submissions.

War Child’s mission is to reach, protect, educate, and stand up for the rights of every child living in conflict zones. They want a world that is safer for children to live in. Very sadly, at the moment, 1 in 5 children are living in or fleeing from conflict – that number is too high, and War Child wants to change it.

War Child is looking for an experienced fundraising leader to step into a key senior leadership role during a year of real momentum.

As Interim Director of Philanthropy and Partner Engagement, you’ll lead a high-performing team of around 15, covering major donors, principal giving, trusts and foundations, institutional funding, corporate partnerships, and gaming. Together, the team brings in around £10m of War Child’s £15–16m annual income.

You’ll report to the CEO and sit on the Senior Leadership Team, with shared responsibility for income generation, strategic planning, and organisational leadership. This is an opportunity to guide a strong team through its next phase of growth, support exciting developments already underway, and help shape the future of War Child’s fundraising.

We’re looking for a confident, strategic leader with experience at director level, or someone ready to step up from a senior head role in a complex organisation. You’ll bring a strong track record in high-value fundraising, with the credibility and judgement to operate at executive level and lead a diverse team through a period of delivery and growth.

As Interim Philanthropy and Partner Engagement Director, you will:

• Oversee and support a multi-disciplinary fundraising team spanning major donors, partnerships, gaming, principal giving, institutional funding, and events
• Lead strategic planning and budgeting across the function, ensuring strong performance, income growth and long-term value
• Maximise outcomes from Winter Wassail (December 2025), War Child’s flagship gala event with a £2m target and major stewardship opportunity
• Support and strengthen the corporate partnerships function, working closely with the Head of Partnerships to refine strategy and unlock potential
• Guide the development of the principal gifts function, with a new senior hire expected before the handover
• Shape next steps for gaming and digital partnerships, following an external review
• Take a strategic view of events-based philanthropy, identifying opportunities to evolve and diversify

Ideal skills and experience: 

• Significant experience in corporate partnerships, with the ability to develop strategy, support senior fundraisers and identify long-term opportunities
• Strong knowledge of high-value fundraising, including major donors, principal giving and events-led philanthropy
• Experience leading managers and senior fundraisers across multiple income streams, ideally within a similarly sized or complex organisation
• A strategic mindset, with hands-on involvement in planning, budgeting, forecasting and performance reporting
• A collaborative, emotionally intelligent leadership style that combines high challenge with high support
• The ability to influence across teams and departments; experience in international development is helpful but not essential
• The confidence to represent War Child with major donors, partners, and senior stakeholders, both internally and externally
• Willingness to take ownership of compliance areas, including GDPR, gambling regulation and trademark risk, with support from internal specialists

Benefits include: 

• Flexible working – War Child recognise the considerable benefits that flexible working can bring and are happy to discuss any possible flexible working options with employees from hiring. For most roles, the following types of flexibility are usually possible: flexible hours, an element of working from home, compressed hours.
• Annual leave – 28 days per year (full-time), plus UK bank holidays
• Pension – all eligible employees automatically enrolled into a Group Personal Pension Plan with a 5% employer contribution, with minimum employee contribution on a salary sacrifice basis
• Health & wellbeing – employees may take advantage of a healthcare cash plan and a range of wellbeing initiatives and training. In addition, all employees have access to free, confidential one-to-one wellbeing consultations with trained counsellors.
• Learning & development – dedicated to the investment in learning and continuing professional development for all our employees
• Range of flexible benefits such a Cycle to Work scheme and season ticket loans

The vacancy

We are seeking to appoint one lay member to sit on our GOC Council.

About the GOC

We are the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. Our purpose is to protect the public by promoting high standards of education, performance and conduct.  For more information about us please visit our website:optical. org.

About the Council

The role of Council is to lead on the GOC’s mission to protect the public by upholding high standards in eye care services.  The Council is composed of six lay members (including the Chair) and six registrant members (i.e. registered optometrists and dispensing opticians).  At least one member of the Council must work wholly or mainly in each of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  One Council member acts as a Senior Council Member whose role is to carry out the Chair’s appraisal as well as provide a sounding board for the Chair and serve as an intermediary for Council members, Executive and stakeholders as necessary. 

The successful candidate will contribute to Council by exercising oversight, ensuring effective corporate governance, and making high-level policy decisions. They will be able to operate strategically and impartially; listen, communicate, and influence effectively; exercise judgment; and inspire confidence and support amongst our stakeholders. 

Remuneration and time commitment

Council members are remunerated in accordance with our member fees policy (£13,962 per annum plus reasonable travel and subsistence expenses).  The member fee includes time for reading and preparation.

The appointed member will be expected to commit approximately 2-3 days per month.  Meetings will usually take place via MS Teams but may on occasion be held at the GOC Offices at Level 29, One Canada Square, London, E14 5AA. There are occasional online catch-up meetings - these are currently scheduled on a Tuesday evening every 6-8 weeks, from 5.30pm – 6.30pm.

How to apply:

Please email the the following to appointment@optical. org

· your CV outlining your employment history, any relevant voluntary work, public service or other experience; together with any relevant professional, academic or vocational qualifications;

· the application form, stating how your experience matches the criteria for the vacancy you are applying for; and

· complete the EDI monitoring form linked in the candidate pack (this is an online form and does not need to be included in the email with your CV and application form).

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  midnight on Sunday 10 August 2025.

Online interviews will be held on between Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 October 2025.

If you have any questions, please email them to appointment@optical. org and we will aim to respond to you within 48 hours. 

We welcome applications from individuals who are disabled and from diverse ethnic backgrounds as these are currently under-represented on our council and committees.

We strive to be as diverse as the public we protect and welcome applications from everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity and geographical locations outside of London.