Finance officer jobs in Leeds

For nearly thirty years, Green Pastures has been partnering with churches and Christian charities seeking to tackle homelessness. It has supported thousands of people facing this risk through careful stewardship of a growing portfolio of residential property across the country.

Green Pastures is seeking a relational and strategic CFO who will help catalyse further growth by unlocking sources of investment. This is a part-time role on a prayerful senior leadership team, which will involve shaping strategy, building high-trust relationships, and guiding the organisation forward through a period of growth. It will be filled by a candidate who shares our love for Jesus, has a heart to tackle homelessness, a knack for relationship-building and can provide the financial leadership and oversight to an organisation which is well-positioned for further expansion. 

If this description matches you, please get in touch with your CV.

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE - OPERA NORTH

STRATEGIC FINANCIAL LEADERSHIP IN THE ARTS

Opera North, one of the UK's leading opera companies, is seeking an accomplished Director of Finance to provide strategic financial leadership and ensure robust financial management across the organisation.

Reporting to the General Director, you will lead the financial operations and governance framework of Opera North and its affiliated organisations, working closely with the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team to devise sustainable financial strategies that deliver the company's artistic ambitions and strategic priorities. You’ll be taking over from a well-respected senior finance leader who is moving on after years of brilliant service, leaving a legacy to build upon and facilitating a substantial handover period.

This is a senior role requiring significant experience in complex financial and regulatory environments, with strong charity accounting knowledge highly desirable. You will lead a dedicated finance team while building productive partnerships with stakeholders across the organisation, external auditors, and professional advisers.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

• Lead financial operations and governance across Opera North, Opera North Trading Ltd, Opera North Future Fund and Friends of Opera North
• Contribute to company strategy across all business areas, providing financial analysis and guidance on activities, plans, targets and business drivers
• Work with the General Director and Board to develop sustainable and viable financial strategies

Financial Management & Reporting

• Provide budgets and financial modelling, offering robust challenges to planning processes where necessary
• Produce regular management accounts, annual income and expenditure budgets, improving their effectiveness as managerial tools
• Prepare information on capital expenditure, property management and reserves management to enable effective Board assessment
• Ensure timely and accurate compliance with requirements of Arts Council England, Charity Commission, Companies House and other external stakeholders

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, manage and support the continuous professional development of the finance team
• Support the development of financial skills and awareness across budget-holders to achieve continuous improvement in financial planning, forecasting and budget management
• Develop procedures and policies to support the company's financial performance

Compliance & Governance

• Liaise with providers of professional services including auditors, tax advisers, insurers, lawyers and pension providers
• Work closely with the People Team to ensure efficient payroll and pension arrangements in line with legislative and HMRC requirements
• Maintain awareness of changes to leadership and governance legislation, communicating implications to non-finance colleagues
• Ensure an effective governance framework is in place

BENEFITS PACKAGE

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• 35 hours per week
• 33 days annual leave inclusive of 8 statutory holidays
• Pension scheme: Opera North contributes 5.5% of basic pay after 3 months' service (employee contribution 2.5%)
• Professional development opportunities
• Access to Opera North performances and cultural activities
• Based at the Howard Opera Centre, Leeds

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications & Professional Standing

• Full professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA)
• Professional membership of recognised accountancy body

Experience

• Senior manager or director level experience
• Substantial professional experience in a complex financial and regulatory environment
• Preparing and presenting management accounts, reports and data at board level
• Liaising with auditors and other professional advisers
• Management of a payroll function
• Managing teams

Technical Knowledge

• Knowledge of relevant legislation affecting financial reporting and taxes
• Good knowledge of VAT and Gift Aid
• Strong Excel skills
• Comfort with different accounting software

Skills & Attributes

• Excellent communication skills with ability to explain complex financial information to stakeholders with varying levels of financial knowledge
• Ability and willingness to review and improve internal systems
• Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

HIGHLY DESIRABLE

• Knowledge and experience in charity accounting
• Understanding of charity law and guidance
• Knowledge and experience in preparing creative tax reliefs
• Professional experience of the arts sector

ABOUT OPERA NORTH

Opera North is one of the UK's most vibrant opera companies, creating extraordinary experiences for audiences across the North of England. The organisation values creativity, collaboration and cultural impact, operating with a strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Opera North promotes equity, diversity and inclusion in our workplace and makes recruitment decisions by matching our needs with the skills and experience of candidates. As we work to address underrepresentation in our workforce, we are particularly keen to hear from applicants from the global majority or those with other protected characteristics.

The successful candidate must have the right to work in the UK or be ready to obtain it.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

All Opera North employees are expected to:

• Represent company values and purpose to create extraordinary experiences every day
• Work collaboratively with all team members
• Act as an ambassador for Opera North, following all policies and procedures
• Ensure everyone visiting Opera North is welcomed and treated with respect

APPLICATION PROCESS

Broster Buchanan are acting as recruitment partner for this appointment.

To apply, please send your CV and covering letter to Lucy Rider at Broster Buchanan

Application deadline: 13th March 2026 Interviews: 25th & 26th March

For a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Lucy Rider at Broster Buchanan.

If you require any adjustments to the application process, please let us know.

One third of our world has not yet heard the Good News of Jesus.

Global Disciples International is a rapidly growing mission movement that equips clusters of local churches—primarily in Africa, Asia, and Latin America—to train local believers as disciple-makers, enabling them to share the Gospel, multiply disciples, and plant sustainable churches within their cultures among least-reached people groups.

Having experienced remarkable expansion—from just a handful of programmes in 1996 to over 4,000 active programmes today, training tens of thousands of disciple-makers annually—the ministry has seen explosive multiplication in its impact and reach.
 
With bold missional ambition to significantly increase in scale, Global Disciples is intentionally transitioning from a predominantly US-headquartered model to a more decentralised, globally dispersed structure that empowers regional and national leadership, fosters local ownership, and aligns with its commitment to indigenous, culturally relevant mission. We currently have hubs in Africa, Asia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania and are looking at expanding our presence in Europe and Asia.

In this dynamic season of accelerated growth and structural evolution, the organisation is seeking a strategic CFO to serve as a key financial architect—engineering optimal financial infrastructure, systems, and processes that provide robust support, ensure efficiency and compliance across borders, and enable sustainable scaling to fulfil the ministry's God-given vision for greater global impact.

You will be someone with a proven track record in a senior financial leadership role in an international organisation, preferably within a ministry or mission context, and with experience overseeing additional areas like IT in entities of comparable complexity and scale. You will be a mission-aligned finance leader with a deep understanding of financial management and financial engineering, enabling you to strategically shape how Global Disciples maximises its global impact. You will have an open and servant-hearted leadership style with a natural ability to build and maintain strong, cross-cultural relationships. You will be passionate about our vision to train up disciple-makers to take the Gospel to the least-reached around the world.

We envisage the Chief Financial Officer being based in either one of our hubs in Europe, Africa or Asia.