The Head of Finance is a key member of Tara Theatre’s senior management team, overseeing the company’s financial processes and ensuring compliance with statutory requirements. They will report to Alys Beider, Tara’s new Executive Director and Joint Chief Executive and support with strategic long-term financial and business planning as well as annual and quarterly budgeting.
They are responsible for maintaining the company accounts, preparing quarterly management accounts, cashflow forecasts and financial reports and analysis for the executive team and the board of trustees.
Tara Theatre is a company limited by guarantee and a charity. It has two trading subsidiaries, Tara Productions and Tara Enterprises. We currently have an annual turnover of circa £1 million. We manage our finances and payroll in-house, currently using Xero.
As our Head of Finance, you may have a background in the arts and culture sector, however we are open to a range of skillsets gained from working in business or charity environments and encourage applications from individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds and lived experiences.
We are open to the potential for the role to be part-time working four days per week (salary on a pro rata basis).
We welcome applications from candidates who wish to work in a flexible working pattern (for example around caring responsibilities or access requirements relating to a disability).
Registered Charity 
6 - 10
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Role Overview
The Film & TV Charity’s Looking Glass research on the mental health of the UK film, TV and cinema workforce has consistently shown that mental health and rates of loneliness at work are significantly worse in this sector than among the population as a whole. Further Charity research has also shown that the two are closely linked, strongly suggesting that tackling loneliness is vital part of the industry-wide fight to protect the mental health of the workforce.
As the Community Development Manager, you will use our research insights to help develop the Charity’s community strategy, managing a programme of work that seeks to embed social connection as a core mental health priority in the Charity’s work and among the wider industry. You will also deliver specific projects stemming from the community strategy. Foremost among these is the Charity’s Community Partnerships programme. This involves working with a cohort of peer and community-led industry support groups to meet the needs of their communities, primarily through regular events-based engagement at our Soho offices. But it may also involve contributing to the co-working space offer at our offices in Soho, and to the Charity’s research on themes related to loneliness and social connection.
You will need to have experience of strategy development and partnerships or community management, and the excellent relationship management skills on which this depends. A background in developing mental or social wellbeing interventions is highly desirable, as is experience working in the film, television or creative industries. You will be a positive and enthusiastic individual, with a passion for creating solutions that support people’s mental and social wellbeing.
Main Areas of Responsibility
Community Strategy
·Continue to onboard and engage Charity staff with latest loneliness research findings
·Work with senior leadership to develop the Charity’s existing community strategy in response to the latest loneliness research findings and get buy-in from internal stakeholders
·Work closely with relevant teams to develop key actions informed by these strategic priorities
·Working with senior leadership, onboard and engage key industry stakeholders with the latest loneliness research findings and recommendations (where appropriate this may involve working closely with other Charity team members)
·Work closely with the Charity’s Impact and Evaluation Lead to ensure the impact of our Community Strategy is measured appropriately and reported on regularly in staff and trustee updates
Community Partnerships
-Continue managing (and growing) the Charity’s network of peer support and community groups, with a focus on communities experiencing high levels of loneliness
-Plan and deliver partner engagement events, with the aim of combatting loneliness and fostering belonging for the most vulnerable industry workers
-Day to day management of the Community Partners will involve working with the Charity’s Wellbeing Services Coordinator to manage partner event bookings, enquiries, building partner relationships, supporting partners with event management, attending partner events and gathering wellbeing insights from these communities to grow the Charity’s industry knowledge and support offer
-Support the partners to deliver effective and sustainable community building and peer support by organising appropriate workshops and webinars
-As needed, co-produce events with partners that aim to deliver on our partnership goals of fostering community and creating meaningful social connection
- Raise awareness of our Community Partners and their work within the wider industry
-Measure the impact of the Community Partnerships through tools such as member surveys and partner interviews, and regularly report on these findings
Co-working Space Development (tbc)
-Develop the Charity’s co-working space in Golden Square to be an inclusive, welcoming community hub for industry freelancers, that supports them to foster meaningful social connections
- Improve user satisfaction rates, working with relevant teams to improve operational support, bookings systems, user policies and drive deeper engagement with the Charity’s wider services
Research
-Support research projects (conducted either internally or by external partners) that continue to develop our understanding and evidence base on loneliness and social connection
-Contribute to the national and international dialogue on loneliness by sharing the Charity’s research findings, collaborating with key stakeholders and promoting best practice
-Develop relationships with professionals working to tackle loneliness (third sector, private sector, academia) to enable knowledge sharing, ensuring the charity’s work informs wider evidence on workplace loneliness
-Support the wider team to develop wellbeing projects and initiatives using research findings
General
-To operate in a way that ensures you are recognised as a role model for the Charity’s core values and behaviours.
-To undertake any other works as could be expected.
-To be prepared to travel to meetings across the UK and be away from home overnight occasionally, as the job reasonably demands.
- Candidates will need to be able to work evenings on a regular basis to support Community Partnership events. We operate a Time off in Lieu system to ensure that this is achievable within the post-holder’s contracted working hours.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Job Summary
Location : Requirement to attend our sites in Basildon, Harlow and Thurrock if required and to team meetings quarterly.
Type: Remote
Salary: £48,000.00 per annum
Hours : 37.5 hours per week
Term: Permanent
Main Responsibilities:
Leadership
1. As a member of the Operational Leadership Team and wider Senior Leadership Team, work collaboratively and take collective responsibility for the strategic management and leadership of the organisation.
2. Work closely with the CEO, Treasurer and Board of Trustees to facilitate good governance and risk management.
3. Manage, maintain and develop all financial systems and control; increasing their impact and quality, and implementing best practices in financial management.
4. To supervise finance assistants and ensure that they are adhering to financial code of practices.
Financial Management
1. Lead and manage all aspects of the financial cycle, including budgeting, forecasting, fixed asset management, reserves & designated fund management and financial reporting.
2. Work with HR & Payroll Officer to manage and retain oversight of the day to day financial operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, banking and general ledger maintenance, including the reconciliation of petty cash, credit cards and all bank accounts on a monthly basis reviewing and approving payment runs and payroll.
3. Work with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to prepare the annual budgets and forecasts.
4. Lead and manage the provision of regular budget monitoring and reports to budget holders.
5. Assist with the budget preparation for funding bids. Manage, monitor and keep track of any grants, funding or commissioned income, working with relevant managers to provide relevant financial information for inclusion in monitoring reports.
6. Lead and manage the provision of quarterly financial reports to the Board and advise them on financial issues as appropriate
7. Provide insightful financial analysis and reporting to inform and support organisational management, development and decision[1]making, and funding applications across the organisation.
8. Work with the CEO to prepare medium term financial forecasts for the organisation to support strategic decision-making and delivery of strategic priorities.
9. Lead on the audit process and the preparation of year end accounts to trial balance including preparation of the audit file and the closing down of the accounts on our accounting management system to ensure that the organisation is compliant with legal requirements and good practice.
10. To work closely with the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and designated Trustees to advise, review and cost the annual pay award.
11. To provide back-up and holiday cover for the processing of monthly payroll.
12. To work with and support the HR & Payroll Officer in providing payroll information and reconciling payroll monthly.
Governance and compliance
1. Ensure compliance with all relevant financial regulations and reporting requirements (e.g. Companies House, HMRC and the Charity Commission).
2. Attend Trustee Board meetings to report on financial matters, including the identification and management of financial risk, and provide any relevant reports.
3. To support the Trustees, SLT and line managers in managing our finances carefully and within our financial means, through provision of advice, guidance, support and training.
4. To be the main point of contact with external auditors.
5. To ensure that robust financial controls are in place, underpinned by appropriate financial policies and procedures and to ensure that they are adhered to and that the organisation is protected from fraud and error.
Closing date for applications : 21st July 2025
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Right now, millions of people across the UK are struggling to make ends meet. Whether it’s skipping meals, choosing between heating and rent, or facing unexpected expenses without a safety net — financial insecurity is a daily reality for far too many. At Turn2us, we’re here to change that. We support people in financial crisis to access the help they need and to build long-term financial security.
Every year, we reach millions through our practical tools like our Benefits Calculator and Grants Search, and we provide direct support through our Helpline and grant programmes. We work alongside people with lived experience of poverty to influence policy, shift public narratives, and tackle the root causes of financial insecurity.
Turn2us is serious about tackling financial insecurity both at scale and at its roots. We understand that the measurement and evaluation of our all of our work is absolutely vital to achieving this and helping people thrive. As Head of Impact and Evaluation, you will be responsible for maintaining and evolving frameworks that help all colleagues understand and enhance our impact. This role will support Team Heads and Directors in decisions about prioritising work and assessing innovations that advance our vision of financial security for all. You will also work closely with the Policy Team and external partners on research that deepens our understanding of poverty and financial insecurity, while leading a dedicated team to scale and replicate effective solutions.
We’re looking for someone who sees impact not as a back-office function but as a transformative enabler of our mission. Naturally we want you to bring deep technical expertise, but also empathy, curiosity, and the leadership skills to bring others with you. This role isn’t just about ticking boxes and meeting funder paperwork requirement. It’s about supporting innovation, making crucial decisions about where we focus our efforts, and unlocking the insights that help us deliver a more just and secure society.
We know that Turn2us will benefit from leaders with new perspectives and ways of thinking, so we’re actively encouraging broad interest from impactful leaders who bring transferable skills from a wide range of backgrounds- whether commercial, from civil society, government or education. But an ability and curiosity to learn is key, as is the confidence to acknowledge the things that you don’t know.
This is a genuinely exciting and critical role: for our staff, our partners, and most importantly, the people for whom our organisation exists. We are always eager to receive approaches from people with lived experience of financial insecurity. If you can demonstrate a clear commitment to our values and ethos, and a deep personal commitment to our vision, we’d love to hear from you.
To download a full copy of the candidate brief and learn more about the role, please click the ‘Apply’ button, where you will be redirected to the website of our recruitment partner, Tall Roots. Applications should include a CV and covering letter. If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please email Mark Crowley at Tall Roots.
