Governance manager jobs in bristol

Contract: 1.0 FTE (37.5 hours per week), permanent with 6-month probation period

Salary: £56,650-70,000 per annum, depending on experience

Location: Remote working, with option to use co-working space

Start Date: As soon as possible

Reports to: Executive Director

Please note: You must have the right to work in the UK.

How to Apply

Closing Date: 4th January 2026 (23:59 GMT)

To apply, please submit the following: 

• Cover letter (maximum 2 pages)

• CV

Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, your application has not been successful on this occasion.

About BASIC

BASIC is an independent, non-profit think tank working to safeguard humanity and Earth's ecosystem from nuclear risks and interconnected security threats, for generations to come. Our vision is for a global security consensus founded on multilateralism, the recognition of the indivisibility of security, adherence to Earth's planetary boundaries, and consideration of future generations.

For nearly 40 years, we have built a global reputation for groundbreaking dialogue and incisive thought leadership to strengthen international peace and security. We are an intellectually and culturally diverse team of 20 expert-practitioners with deep institutional experience, headquartered in London with additional presences in Berlin and Rome. We are independent, receive no core funding from any state, and our project work is funded transparently.

BASIC's approach to resolving contemporary nuclear dynamics is centred on dialogue as both a practice and a philosophy. We interpret dialogue broadly, recognising that meaningful engagement takes many forms: from facilitating direct strategic conversations between adversaries grounded in conflict resolution principles, to developing networks and diplomatic initiatives that build consensus around shared objectives, to shaping the intellectual foundations of policy discourse through rigorous research and thought leadership.

BASIC is a fast-paced and rewarding environment with an exceptionally positive and inclusive team culture. We have experienced rapid growth over the past decade and are well-suited to people who are motivated by our mission, able to work at a sustained pace, keen to develop professionally, and enjoy being part of a collaborative team working on consequential issues.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary with room for growth

• 30 days annual leave (pro rata), plus bank holidays and closure days over the December festive period

• Employer pension contributions of 5% (above the national minimum)

• Flexible working arrangements, with set days (Wednesdays required) but flexibility on hours

• Remote working with option to use co-working space

• 1-2 all-staff in-person team away day per year, as well as other in-person working opportunities

• Opportunities for professional growth and development

• Excellent team culture built on respect, openness, and inclusion

The Role

BASIC is seeking a hands-on Financial Controller to lead our finance function during a period of sustained growth. The Financial Controller will work across Programme teams ensuring strong financial management and reporting to funding partners, maintain strong financial controls, ensure compliance with charity finance regulations, and provide accurate financial reporting to our Directors and Board of Trustees.

The Financial Controller will oversee the small finance team, including line management of a Finance Assistant and management of an external bookkeeper consultant. This team will be responsible for the majority of financial accounting, processing payroll, and accurate bookkeeping, for which the Financial Controller will be ultimately accountable.

The role includes managing restricted and unrestricted funds in accordance with funder requirements and programme needs, preparing statutory accounts for external audit, and overseeing payroll processing. This role reports directly to the Executive Director to prepare annual budgets and financial strategy, and works closely with the Board's Financial Development Committee to present its implementation.

The ideal candidate will be a qualified accountant with strong technical accounting skills, experience in charity finance, and a proven track record of effective financial management of a growing organisation. You should be comfortable both managing a small team and working hands-on when needed, building collaborative relationships across the organisation. You will need to be a multitasker with the ability to work at pace, and be willing to develop the finance function and best practices to enable the organisation to grow further.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Accounting and Reporting

• Oversee the maintenance of accurate financial records and bookkeeping in accordance with charity accounting standards (SORP)

• Prepare monthly management accounts including variance reporting and rolling forecasts

• Prepare annual statutory accounts and manage the annual independent audit process in its entirety

• Manage restricted and unrestricted funds in accordance with funder requirements

• Provide accurate and timely financial reporting to the Board of Trustees, Executive Director, and funding partners

Financial Operations

• Oversee day-to-day finance operations including payment processing, staff expenses, and cost allocation (including staff costs)

• Oversee monthly payroll using QuickBooks (led by Finance Assistant)

• Manage treasury functions including bank and cash management

• Oversee procurement of key assets such as IT equipment

• Cashflow management

Grant and Budget Management

• Support budget development for funding bids and proposals

• Monitor spend against grants and projects, working towards full cost recovery

• Prepare financial reports for donors and funding partners

• Lead annual budget-setting and forecasting processes in collaboration with the Board and Executive Director

Financial Systems and Controls

• Develop and maintain robust financial systems, processes, and controls

• Continuously improve finance processes and identify efficiencies

• Advise on financial governance and best practice

• Manage financial risks and opportunities (e.g., insurance, foreign exchange)

Team Management and Stakeholder Relations

• Line manage the Finance Assistant and oversee external bookkeeper consultant

• Build collaborative relationships across the organisation

• Manage relationships with key external stakeholders including banks, international transfer services, and audit partners

• Work closely with the Board's Financial Development Committee and BASIC's Treasurer

Please note: This list is not exhaustive. Other tasks may be required as they arise.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria:

• Qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent) or part-qualified with significant relevant experience
• Proven experience in a mid-level to senior finance role, with responsibility for financial accounting and reporting
• Experience managing restricted and unrestricted funds
• Experience preparing statutory accounts and managing audit processes
• Experience in a growing organisation, implementing and improving financial systems and controls
• Strong technical accounting skills and understanding of financial controls
• Excellent numeracy and attention to detail
• Proficiency with accounting software (experience with QuickBooks highly desirable)
• Strong Excel/spreadsheet skills
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain financial information to non-finance colleagues
• Highly organised with ability to manage multiple priorities and work to deadlines
• Proactive and solutions-oriented, with ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Comfortable working hands-on when needed while also providing strategic oversight
• Ability to work at pace in a fast-growing organisation
• Commitment to BASIC's mission and values

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in charity finance and understanding of charity accounting standards (SORP)
• Experience line managing finance staff
• Experience in an international organisation or with international funding
• Understanding of charity governance and regulatory requirements

Prospectus are delighted to be supporting a key client within the sector who are recognised for their amazing, impactful work.  We’re looking for a highly skilled Data Platform Lead to design, build, and evolve a modern data platform that supports complex, high-impact work. This is a hands on technical leadership role, ideally suited to someone who is a data architect and engineer first, with the ability to guide a small team and work confidently with senior stakeholders.

You’ll lead the development of a scalable platform using Microsoft Fabric and Azure, shaping data architecture, engineering best practice, and the delivery of robust, trusted datasets. The environment involves large, sensitive and diverse data sources, so a strong understanding of data quality, lineage, and secure processing is essential.

This is a remote role (UK-based) with occasional travel for team or stakeholder sessions.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and modernise the organisation’s data platform using Azure and Microsoft Fabric.
• Lead and mentor a small analytics and engineering team.
• Set technical direction for data modelling, pipelines, governance, and quality.
• Work closely with stakeholders to translate operational and strategic needs into clear data solutions.
• Promote modern engineering standards including Git, CI/CD, IaC, and Delta Lake.
• Ensure robust handling of complex and sensitive datasets from varied sources.

About You
You will have extensive hands-on experience in data engineering and data architecture as well as strong skills in SQL, Python, data modelling, ETL/ELT design, and orchestration.  You will have a proven background with Azure storage, compute, security and Microsoft Fabric components such as Dataflows, Lakehouse, Pipelines or Synapse and familiarity with Azure Data Factory, Git, CI/CD, and modern DevOps practices.  You’ll also be a confident communicator able to influence and collaborate with both technical and non-technical colleagues.  Ideally, you will have experience leading technical teams and delivering high-quality, production-ready data solutions.  If you haven’t done this, you will need to demonstrate your ability to step up into a lead role.

At Prospectus we invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you with your application. We welcome candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds and we are happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable all interested candidates to apply. If you need any support with your application, please contact Catherine Bunting at Prospectus.

Team: IT

Location: Remote

Work pattern: 35 hours per week, Mon-Fri. Flexible working options available

Salary: Up to £49,655.50 per year

Contract: Permanent

We are the UK’s largest cat welfare charity. All over the country, our passionate employees, volunteers and supporters are using their kindness and expertise to make life better for millions of cats and the people who care for them.

Will you join us and make life better for cats?

Responsibilities of our IT Security Engineer:

- Support the design and operation of the enterprise-scale Security Operations Centre

- Deploy and optimise Microsoft security tools, including AI-driven XDR platform

- Monitor, detect, triage and respond to security threats proactively

- Conduct regular risk assessments and forensic investigations for any security breaches

- Develop and implement a comprehensive IT security strategy, including policies, incident response plans, and procedures

- Collaborate with the Infrastructure Team to strengthen security posture

- Promote security awareness across the organisation and act as cybersecurity expert

About the IT team:

You’ll join a team of 6 people within the Infrastructure team. The wider IT and Governance team is around 42 people. The IT Infrastructure and Support team ensures the organisation’s technology environment is secure, reliable, and efficient by managing networks, servers, storage, and cloud platforms, implementing robust security and disaster recovery measures, and monitoring performance. They provide end-to-end support through service desk operations, technical troubleshooting, and application maintenance, while collaborating with stakeholders to deliver scalable solutions aligned with business needs. Their role also includes driving operational continuity, compliance, and continuous improvement to enable seamless service delivery and future-ready infrastructure.

What we’re looking for in our IT Security Engineer:

- Must have worked within a similar role during the past 12 months

- Microsoft Security Certification and hands-on experience in Microsoft security technologies

- Experience within cloud security (Azure)

- Experience investigating incidents and implementing XDR solutions

- Expert knowledge of security frameworks and standards

- Strong analytical mindset with exceptional problem-solving and troubleshooting skills

- Ability to write and maintain security documentation

- Commitment to continuous learning and staying current with the latest cybersecurity threats, trends, and emerging technologies

What we can offer you:

- range of health benefits

- 26 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with length of service

- Salary Finance, which empowers you to take control of your financial wellbeing

- and much more, which you can learn about

Application closing date: 8th December 2025

Virtual interview date: TBC

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment. Please note, applications received after the closing date may not be responded to.

If successful, your recruitment journey will include:

1. Anonymised application form and redacted CV

2. Virtual interview

Please note, the process may change slightly dependent on application numbers. We will inform you of any relevant changes.

Please email us if you require any adjustments to be made for you to complete your application or to participate in the recruitment journey.