Finance manager jobs in Chelmsford, essex

Make a Difference

Advocacy is a powerful force for change. It allows individuals to have their voices heard and respected when decisions are being made about their health and social care. It raises awareness of people’s rights and entitlements and empowers people to advocate for themselves.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a values-led, inclusive charity making a real difference to the people we work with.
• Flexible, home-based working with occasional travel and supportive colleagues.
• Opportunities for professional development and growth.
• A culture that values staff wellbeing, innovation, and amplifying voices.

About the Role

We are looking to recruit a permanent Finance Manager to join our busy finance team, working 30-37 hours per week, minimum 30 hours, ideally over a minimum of 4 days, starting salary £31,634 per annum (pro rata).

As Finance Manager, you will:-

· Provide day-to-day operational leadership of the finance team, including supervision, workload coordination, ongoing  staff development and continuous improvement of processes and procedures.

· Act as the main link between the Finance Director and the Finance Team, translating strategic direction into clear, effective delivery.

· Lead month-end processes including the preparation of accurate management accounts, maintaining strong balance sheet control and exercising sound judgement on complex financial issues.

· Oversee income, credit control, cashflow, short-term forecasting and the administration of the finance system, ensuring data integrity, high-quality management information and appropriate escalation of risks or pressures.

· Support audit preparation and liaise with external auditors as required.

· Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to support financial understanding, compliance and the effective resolution of issues.

· Act as the first point of escalation for operational finance issues, escalating to the Finance Director as appropriate.

About You

We need you to bring:

·AAT Level 4 Qualification or significant equivalent finance experience, with responsibility for management accounts, reconciliations and income monitoring.

· Experience coordinating month-end processes and working across multiple income streams, contracts or funding arrangements.

· Strong analytical skills and sound professional judgement, with the ability to explain financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues and identify financial and organisational risk and escalate issues appropriately.

· Experience supervising or supporting others within a finance setting, with a collaborative leadership style and a commitment to continuous improvement.

· Confidence using financial systems and Microsoft Excel at an intermediate to advanced level, alongside a methodical, organised approach to prioritising work.

· A clear commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and to the values of The Advocacy People.

The following attributes are also desirable:-

· Experience working in the voluntary or charitable sector, including knowledge of SORP accounting, year-end accounts and liaison with auditors.

· Experience working with local authority contracts or complex funding environments.

· Part-qualified or fully qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, ACA) or equivalent experience.

As this role is home based with occasional travel you will need to have access to use of public transport or own car. Flexibility with working hours, a good mobile signal and broadband service are essential.

We're keen to interview great candidates as soon as possible. Interviews may be held as applications come in, and we reserve the right to close the advert early, so don't wait - apply now! 

We look forward to hearing from you!

Dig Deep is an award-winning international development charity working to secure clean water, safe sanitation and good hygiene for the one million people of Bomet County, Kenya - half of whom are children.

This is a new position, created at a pivotal moment for the charity. Over the last year, the combined turnover of Dig Deep and our trading subsidiary (Dig Deep Challenges) has grown by over 50%. Our impact, our partnerships and our responsibilities have grown with it. To sustain this progress well, we now need dedicated leadership across international finance and governance.

The Finance & Governance Manager will play a central role in making this work possible. By ensuring strong financial management, robust governance and clear reporting, you will help ensure every pound & Kenyan shilling is used well and every decision is well-informed.

This role is home-based and open to candidates living in the UK. You will work closely with colleagues across the UK and Kenya, with monthly travel for team meetings in the UK and occasional travel to our Kenyan office.

If you care about impact, value rigour, and want your work to make a real difference, we would love to hear from you.

ROLE SUMMARY

Organisation: Dig Deep (Africa)

Role: Finance & Governance Manager

Reporting to: Chief Executive

Key responsibilities:

• International Finance: Day-to-day international financial management of the charity and trading arm, incl. procurement, timely payment of invoices and production of management accounts
• International Governance: ensuring all statutory returns and other critical governance deadlines are met and internal governance procedures are adhered to
• Business Intelligence: developing and producing financial reports for staff leadership team and trustees
• Act as Secretary to the Board: ensure the smooth scheduling and preparation of regular board meetings
• CRM & Data Protection: Maintaining/developing CRM and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations

Contract type:

• Full-time (37.5 hours per week)
• Permanent

Salary and benefits:

• £40,000-45,000 per annum
• Mentoring, coaching and professional development support available from highly experienced trustee finance & governance committee & staff team
• 33 days annual leave (incl. Bank holidays)
• Home working with flexible hours

Location:

• Home working in UK
• Travel required once per month for team meetings in Sheffield/across Midlands/London (expenses paid)
• Possible travel required to East Africa on exceptional basis (approx. once every 2 years)

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• At least 3 years of experience in finance, governance, or a closely related role
• Experience managing day-to-day financial processes, including payments, procurement and reporting
• Good understanding of governance requirements, statutory returns and board processes
• Experience producing clear financial reports for senior staff and directors
• Experience of managing audits
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Confidence managing systems, records and sensitive data
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently in a home-based role
• Alignment with Dig Deep’s values and commitment to ethical practice

Desirable

• Experience of working with QuickBooks
• Experience of multi-currency accounting
• Experience working in the charity or international development sector
• Experience supporting or acting as secretary to a board or committee
• Familiarity with CRM systems and data protection compliance
• Experience working across multiple countries or jurisdictions
• Experience supporting a growing organisation through a period of change

HOW TO APPLY

We encourage applications from all backgrounds, ages and ethnicities. If you think you could be a valuable asset to Dig Deep but are unsure about your suitability, or have any other questions, please contact us.

To apply, please attach a one-page cover letter and CV (max two sides) before 17.00 on Wednesday, 4th March 2026

First round Zoom interviews are scheduled to take place on Monday 16th March 2026

Second round in-person interviews are scheduled to take place on Monday 23rd March 2026

*** IMPORTANT: HDF will only consider applicants with the existing right to reside and work in the UK. ***

Background

Human Dignity Foundation (HDF) is a private, philanthropic foundation which was established to enable children to live with dignity. In recent years, we have focussed on funding organisations who help protect and safeguard children from sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). HDF is a spend down foundation which expects to complete the funding of its international partner projects by the end of 2033.

In 2023, HDF updated its strategy to drive the expansion of our portfolio of projects and maximise the foundation’s future impact – to support more children affected by or at risk of CSEA. To support this strategy, HDF is in the process of setting a UK registered charity, which is expected to be operational by end of Q1 2026.

Job Purpose

The Finance and Operations Manager will oversee and support the operations of the UK charity, working closely with the HDF team based in Dublin, to ensure its smooth running and compliance with UK laws and charity regulations.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

The Finance and Operations Manager role will be dynamic and diverse given the small nature of HDF’s team. The role will be expected to build on the processes, policies and tools already in existence within HDF Switzerland and adapt them to the UK context. Core responsibilities of this role will include:

Finance

•  Process and record payments and other transactions in the accounting system;
• Maintain financial records and prepare monthly management accounts, reconciliations, etc. for review by the Director of Finance and Operations;
• Support payroll processes and liaise with external providers;
• Manage required filings with HMRC as required (expected to be minimal);
• Prepare annual financial statements and coordinate/ support the annual audit/ financial verification of the charity;
• Prepare the annual budget and produce quarterly cashflow forecasts, ensuring timely drawdowns of funds from HDF Switzerland as needed.

Operations & Administration

• Produce and oversee the submission of reports and/or required filings to the Charities Commission and ensure broader compliance with its requirements;
• Produce reports and filings to Companies House as needed, and coordinate with the Company Secretary for their timely submission;
• Maintain the charity’s risk register to ensure risks are appropriately understood and mitigated;
• Produce and update internal policies, procedures and tools (templates to be provided where available);
• Set up and oversee the UK pension scheme, life assurance/ health insurance schemes as required with the relevant providers;
• Support the planning and delivery of meetings of the Board of Trustees and other internal and external meetings as needed;
• Organise travel arrangements for UK based staff(s) and Trustees as needed;
• In time the role may take over Company Secretary duties from our external provider;
• Conduct procurement, liaise with suppliers and manage their contracts as needed;
• Conduct other administrative tasks to support the running of the charity as needed, including but not limited to IT and HR;
• Support the charity’s Executive Chair of Trustees with tasks as may be reasonably required.

Grant Administration

• Support the development and amendment of grant agreements with partners as needed;
• Track and reconcile grant payments against agreements and perform required follow up with grantees as needed;
• Update and maintain HDF’s grant management information and filing system to ensure HDF’s records are accurate and up to date.

Person Specification

Experience

• 5 years’ experience in finance, accounting, office management
• Minimum 2 years’ experience working for a charity/NGO sector

Qualifications and skills

• Part-qualified ACA/ ACCA/ CIMA, or other bookkeeping/ accounting qualification
• Accurate worker with strong numerical skills
• Excellent written, verbal communication and interpersonal skills
• Computer literate – strong Excel, Word skills
• Proficient use of accounting software (e.g. Xero, Sage)
• Good organisational skills, ability to prioritise and meet deadlines
• Ability to work independently and on own initiative

Qualities

• Flexible
• Self-starter and pro-active
• Team player who enjoys working in small team environments

Common values

• Accountability to HDF’s Board and partners
• Innovative, entrepreneurial, and dynamic in our approach
• Openness to admitting our mistakes and learning from them
• Excellence in all that we do
• Passion for our work and mission

Terms & Conditions

• Part-time 3 days a week
• Between £40,000 - £50,000 per annum pro-rata, salary is commensurate with experience
• 25 days of annual leave pro-rata
• Remote, travel to London, Dublin and within Europe may be required
• Pension, provision of health cash plan or equivalent, life assurance, bike scheme