Expenditure team leader jobs in Reading, berkshire

About Parenting for Lifelong Health:

Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) aims to empower parents to improve child development, reduce family violence, and promote mental health. We give parents the support they need, the skills that work, and trusted advice they can count on to protect and support their children’s health, safety and development. Our parenting courses are developed with families, powered by low-cost and accessible technology, backed by rigorous evidence, and delivered within systems. Originally founded as an initiative in 2012 in collaboration with UNICEF and the WHO, Parenting for Lifelong Health was established as a UK charity in 2022 and since then has reached over 8 million families in more than 35 countries. 

PLH Values

• Courage

We have the courage to design for the big picture and complex problems with a commitment to creating sustainable solutions that last.

• Evidence

We believe our work transforms the lives of children, families, and communities. Evidence of impact guides every decision, and we are relentless in pursuing the greatest impact with the least investment of time and resources required for parents and providers.

• Playfulness

Parenting and child wellbeing thrives on play — and so do we. We experiment, learn from each other, as well as from parents and children, and create playful and engaging products and programmes that inspire joy, curiosity, and connection.

• Respect

Everyone brings something essential. We show kindness in our team, honesty with our partners, and deep respect and empathy for parents and children, and those who are on the frontline of providing services for them.

PLH has a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity in how we work, who we work with, and what we do. Candidates from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

PLH also has a strong commitment to the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). All candidates considered for the role will be subject to background and reference checks in their country of residence. 

Benefits: Flexible remote-working, home office set-up, unlimited annual leave, professional development opportunities, enhanced pension contributions, enhanced statutory leave provisions including maternity and paternity leave.

About the role:

The Senior Director of Finance is the most senior finance professional at Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH). The role provides strategic financial leadership and ensures the organisation meets its fiduciary, regulatory, and governance obligations as a UK charity, while enabling responsible growth and global scale.

Acting as the organisation’s senior finance lead, the postholder will support the CEO and Board of Trustees to meet their statutory duties under UK charity law, including duties of care, prudence, and accountability, while building robust financial systems aligned to PLH’s 2026-2028 Strategic Plan and country implementation model.

The role ensures that PLH’s resources are used exclusively to further its charitable purposes, safeguarded appropriately, and managed transparently in the public interest.

Responsibilities:

Charity Governance, Fiduciary Oversight, and Trustee Support

• Act as the primary source of financial advice to the CEO and Board of Trustees, supporting trustees to fulfil their legal and fiduciary duties under UK charity law.

• Support the effective functioning of the Board Finance Committee, including preparation of high-quality financial papers, scenario options, and risk analyses.

• Ensure trustees have clear oversight of:

  • Financial performance against approved budgets

  • Liquidity, reserves, and solvency

  • Financial risks and mitigations

  • Long-term sustainability and going-concern considerations

• Ensure financial decision-making aligns with PLH’s charitable objects, governing documents, and public benefit obligations.

• Support compliance with Charity Commission guidance, including SORP (Standard Operating Procedures), CC3 (The Essential Trustee), CC12 (Managing a Charity’s Finances), and CC19 (Charity Reserves).

• Support trustees in understanding and exercising oversight of charity-wide financial risk, including downside and stress-test scenarios.

Financial Strategy, Planning, and Sustainability

• Lead the costing and financial modelling of PLH’s 2026-2028 Strategic Plan and country implementation model, ensuring affordability, sustainability, and strategic coherence.

• Design, implement, and institutionalise a three-tier scenario planning framework (base, growth, and downside cases) to support prudent and adaptive decision-making.

• Develop a long-term (3-5 year) financial sustainability model projecting:

  • Revenue by source (restricted and unrestricted)

  • Expenditure and staffing growth

  • Enterprise risk management (ERM) contributions

  • Reserves, liquidity, and risk exposure

• Develop, maintain, and regularly review PLH’s reserves policy, including target levels, rationale, and planned use, in line with Charity Commission expectations.

• Advise senior leadership and trustees on the financial implications of growth, innovation, and funding opportunities.

• Provide forward-looking financial insight to support organisational decision-making under uncertainty and changing funding conditions.

Financial Management, Reporting, and Controls

• Work closely with the Finance Manager to ensure accurate, complete, and timely accounting records in accordance with UK charity accounting standards (SORP FRS 102).

• Provide strategic oversight and assurance over organisation-wide financial reporting, using management accounts and dashboards prepared by the Finance Manager to inform executive and trustee decision-making.

• Ensure proportionate internal controls, segregation of duties, and approval frameworks are current and implemented by the Finance Manager.

• Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive financial risk management framework covering:

  • Liquidity and cash-flow risk

  • Donor concentration and funding dependency

  • Currency and foreign exchange exposure

  • Contractual and grant compliance risk

  • Contingency and downside planning

• Ensure effective coordination between in-house finance staff and outsourced accounting and payroll providers, maintaining clear accountability and quality assurance.

Audit, External Reporting, and Transparency

• Oversee the annual audit process, supporting the Finance Manager’s role as primary liaison with external auditors and ensuring timely completion of statutory accounts.

• Support trustees in reviewing and approving:

  • Statutory financial statements

  • Trustees’ Annual Report

  • Financial disclosures to regulators

• Ensure high standards of financial transparency and accountability to donors, partners, regulators, and the public.

• Oversee statutory filings and financial reporting to the Charity Commission and Companies House.

• Contribute to narrative financial reporting on sustainability, risk, and reserves where appropriate.

Organisational Financial Capability and Culture

• Develop and maintain clear financial policies, procedures, and approval workflows to support consistency, compliance, and accountability.

• Embed a culture of financial stewardship, prudence, and shared accountability across the organisation.

• Promote ethical financial practice and safeguarding of charitable assets in line with PLH’s values and public-interest obligations.

Team Leadership and Management

• Lead and develop PLH’s finance function, including line management of the Finance Manager and oversight of external bookkeeping and accounting partners.

• Ensure the finance function is appropriately resourced, scalable, and fit for a growing, multi-country organisation.

• Set clear objectives, performance standards, and professional development pathways for finance staff.

• Promote ethical practice, professionalism, and continuous improvement within the finance team.

• Provide mentoring and strategic development support to mid-career finance staff as the organisation grows.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Senior-level financial leadership experience.

• Strong understanding of UK charity governance, trustee responsibilities, and Charity Commission expectations.

• Demonstrated expertise in strategic financial planning, scenario modelling, and reserves management.

• Proven experience establishing robust financial controls, reporting systems, and audit processes.

• Experience working directly with Boards and Board Committees in a governance context.

• Demonstrated experience embedding or overseeing organisational-wide financial risk management frameworks.

• Ability to translate complex financial analysis into clear, decision-ready advice for trustees and senior leaders.

• Experience operating in organisations with a mix of restricted, unrestricted, and partially recoverable income streams.

• Comfort working in an evidence-driven, analytically rigorous organisational environment.

• Strong people leadership and management capability.

• High levels of integrity, sound judgement, and commitment to PLH’s charitable aims.

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• Financial leadership experience within a UK charity, international NGO, or comparable not-for-profit organisation.

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CPA) or equivalent experience.

• Experience with multi-country, multi-currency operations and restricted funding environments.

• Familiarity with UK charity accounting (SORP FRS 102).

• Experience working closely with trustee Finance or Audit & Risk Committees.

• Familiarity with donor concentration risk analysis and income diversification strategies.

• Exposure to safeguarding or PSEA considerations from a financial governance perspective.

• Experience supporting organisational growth and scale within regulated charity contexts.