Finance officer jobs in Birmingham, west midlands

About Cord

Cord is an international charity working to make peace a reality where people don’t have the freedom to exercise their rights. We work to build the relationship between those in power and local communities. 

We believe that people flourish when all parts of society work together. Peaceful relationships make that possible. The simple act of talking begins a journey of growth which transforms mistrust, includes the excluded and turns adversaries into allies.

Cord operates in eight countries and implements programmes in the following areas:

• Empowering Women & Girls
• Accessing Fundamental Freedoms
• Climate & the Environment
• Economic Empowerment
• Supporting Stronger Societies

We are a small, committed team who love working together to make a huge impact. A 2026 global staff survey returned very positive feedback about Cord as a place to work with strong expressions of belonging, purpose and value, and with 97% of staff saying that would recommend Cord as a great place to work. We are looking for a great candidate to join this fantastic organisation and contribute to our work to Build Peace. If you like the sound of us, then take a look at the recruitment pack and come and join our team!

About the Role

Cord’s turnover is about £2.3M a year. About 85% of Cord’s funding is restricted, coming from institutional donors like the EU and governments, and 15% (about £300K) is unrestricted coming from a committed UK supporter base and other private fundraising streams.

In 2026, Cord is registered in the UK and has offices in five other countries and programme activities in a further seven countries.

Cord has a range of finance systems, procedures and reporting practices to meet the needs of our operations in each location. Our finance function facilitates operations across the organisation to ensure there is good financial management, effective financial control, and compliance as well as a culture of support and learning.

This role is responsible for bookkeeping for Cord’s UK operation. The organisation’s income is received directly to the UK, the UK expenditure (£700K) and the organisation’s main treasury management is within the UK. The UK Finance Officer processes the monthly payroll for the UK (11ppl) and international staff (8ppl), processes international payments and fund transfers. The role also supports to the Finance Manager to implement the Finance Workplan and it produces a range of reports that support the effective financial management of the organisation. 

This role would suit someone with experience of working in finance within a charity, who is motivated by the work that Cord does and is interested in undertaking a long-term role. You will need an organised approach to your work, with the ability to diligently complete routine functions independently, whilst also being sufficiently flexible and able to respond to immediate tasks as they arise. You will have a drive for continual improvement of the organisation’s systems and processes, with a view improve efficiency and adapt to changing technological developments and compliance regulations.

If you like what you read and are passionate about real and lasting change, come and join us and be part of the Cord story.

Application Instructions

To apply please send your CV and a covering letter that explains your interest in Cord and the role, and details how you fulfil the requirements of the role.  

This is a hybrid role that is based in Cord’s admin office in Coventry and part at home. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

Are you a qualified finance professional looking for a high-impact contract role within an international charity? This is a unique opportunity to join during a pivotal period of growth and transformation, helping integrate UK and US finance operations while ensuring robust financial control, compliance, reporting and governance.

Working closely with the VP of Finance, you will provide strategic financial leadership while remaining hands-on with financial operations, systems migration, board reporting and statutory compliance. This role would suit someone who thrives in a changing environment and enjoys improving processes, systems and reporting.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the integration of UK finance operations into a global finance function
• Support the migration from QuickBooks to NetSuite and Barclays to HSBC
• Support budgeting, forecasting and financial planning activities
• Prepare board reports and provide financial insights to senior stakeholders
• Lead UK audit activity and support statutory filings with Companies House and the Charity Commission
• Review and improve financial policies, processes and reporting frameworks

Essential Skills & Experience

• ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified
• 5+ years' finance experience
• Experience managing change, finance transformation or systems projects
• Board reporting and stakeholder management experience
• Experience managing or mentoring finance staff

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Charity or international NGO experience
• NetSuite implementation or migration experience
• Gift Aid knowledge

Applications for this role are now under review, and the deadline could well be brought forward if the suitable candidate is found. Therefore, do not delay in submitting your application!

Young Sounds UK is recruiting for a full-time Finance and Reporting Officer to join our team. 

Role overview

The Finance and Reporting Officer will be responsible for the effective day to day running of the charity’s finance function, by processing transactions accurately, maintaining robust financial records, carrying out month-end activities, and providing financial information to budget holders and senior staff.

Alongside this the role has an important part to play in data management and activity reporting. Working with the Data Officer you’ll assist with the maintenance and interrogation of programme monitoring data, ensuring information is accurate and timely.

You’ll need to be organised and with a great attention to detail. We’re seeking someone who is output orientated, whilst able to ensure the integrity of the information being presented. You’ll also need to be thorough at a transactional level yet able to summarise efficiently to a range of audiences.

Working with a broad range of stakeholders across the team, as well as trustees, auditors and external suppliers, you’ll need clear communication skills including being able to communicate financial information to non-finance colleagues. It’s a busy role and you’ll need to be adept at juggling a variety of responsibilities at the same time.

For full information on this role, including key responsibilities and person specification, please view the attached job pack.

• The closing date for applications is Monday 22 June 2026 at 12 noon.
• Applicants invited to interview will hear from us by Friday 26 June 2026. 
• Interviews are expected to be held via video call, likely 02 and 03 July 2026 (TBC). 

How to apply

• Please submit your application using the form in the redirect. 
• You will be asked to attach a supporting statement of no more than two sides of A4, addressing how you are a strong candidate for the position, details of relevant experience etc. You are advised to address the selection criteria for the role as detailed in the Person Specification. 
• Please note that applications will be shortlisted on an anonymous basis, so any identifying information should not be included in the supporting statement and will be removed prior to sharing with the panel

About Young Sounds UK

Young Sounds exists because musical talent is everywhere but opportunity isn’t: family finances and other obstacles too often get in the way. We’re here to change this in two key ways:

• We support young musicians from low-income families with funding and other help;
• We support music education through training, advocacy and research. 

We became an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation in April 2023 and also joined an expanded cohort of National Youth Music Organisations (NYMOs). We currently support over 1,000 individual young people across the UK every year and demand for our support is increasing. It’s an exciting time to join a pioneering organisation at the forefront of British music education.

Our small and fully remote team work across the UK, comprising a mix of full time and part time employees supported by specialist part time and term time freelancers.

Young Sounds UK is the working name for registered charity Awards for Young Musicians.