Head of change portfolio jobs in addlestone, surrey

Contract:  Permanent, full time 

Salary:  £37,368 - £43,451 per annum + £3,954 London Weighting Allowance  

Location: Hybrid, office days based at Victoria 

Closing date:  Sunday 11 May 2025

Interview date:  w/c 19 May 2025 

We’re looking for an experienced and proactive Estates and Facilities Business Partner to help us maintain a safe, efficient, and welcoming estate across all Blue Cross sites. You’ll ensure our properties are fit for purpose—supporting great care for animals, proud workplaces for our people, and confidence for our supporters. 

More about the role

At Blue Cross, we are committed to the welfare of animals and the people who cherish them, providing essential care, services, and support to both pets and their owners. This includes veterinary care, rehoming services, fostering support, education for pet owners, and pet loss support services, all aimed at helping pets and people to thrive together. 

In this key role, you’ll work with local teams to plan, manage and oversee both proactive and reactive maintenance projects, ensuring works are delivered safely, professionally, on time, and within budget. You’ll also advise and support colleagues with property-related matters, from compliance and safety to improving sustainability and service delivery. 

You’ll manage contractors, support health and safety compliance, lead minor refurbishments, and oversee maintenance budgets. Where appropriate, you’ll also line manage site-based facilities staff and play an active role in driving improvements and ensuring our estate presents the best face of Blue Cross. 

We’re looking for someone with strong project management skills, sound technical knowledge of building maintenance and compliance, and the ability to build positive working relationships across a dispersed organisation. You'll be customer-focused, well-organised, budget-conscious, and motivated to make a difference to the environments where we care for pets and people. 

You will be needing to occasionally travel to our veterinary hospitals in Victoria, Hammersmith, Merton and Grimsby.  

Want to know more? We’ve attached the full job description for further details. If you have any questions or need additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

About you

We are seeking a proactive and customer-focused Estates and Facilities Business Partner to become the visible face of our Estates and Facilities team. In this key role, you will work closely with teams across the organisation, regularly engaging through a variety of communication channels to understand their needs and deliver effective, practical solutions in line with agreed service levels. 

You will bring a flexible and responsive approach to your work, adapting to changing priorities while maintaining a strong focus on delivering results. While you will be a collaborative team player, you must also be self-motivated and capable of working independently without supervision. A strong customer focus is essential, as is a commitment to providing an excellent service experience across all touchpoints. 

In this role, you will need to be cost-conscious and able to evaluate the merits of different solutions to ensure value for money. Attention to detail is vital to ensure that programmes of work run smoothly and budgets are accurately maintained. You should feel confident managing multiple tasks at once and be comfortable switching between them as needed. 

We are looking for someone who is proactive and passionate about enhancing our working environments and ensuring that our properties reflect the professionalism and values of Blue Cross. If you enjoy building relationships, solving problems, and making a tangible difference to how an organisation operates, we’d love to hear from you. 
 

Essential Qualifications, Skills, and Experience 

• Sound working knowledge of buildings, including mechanical and electrical aspects 
• Knowledge of facilities management 
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written 
• Excellent customer service skills 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills  
• An understanding of budgeting and experience of monitoring spend and reporting against budgets 
• Experience of working to tight deadlines 
• Experience of line managing members of staff and ensuring they fulfil their roles and are well supported 

Desirable Qualifications, Skills, and Experience 

• A formal qualification (such as an appropriate IWFM, HND, surveying or similar) 
• A formal qualification in Health & Safety, such as IOSH Managing safely 
• Accredited Project Management qualification 
• Previous experience of CAD based systems 
• Relevant construction trade qualification/experience  

How to apply  

Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date on Sunday 11 May 2025. 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response.  

Blue Cross benefits

Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today.  

In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.  

Our generous benefits package includes: 

• Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays)  
• Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support  
• Free access to GP via MetLife- 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family   
• Free physiotherapy advice and face to face intervention  
• Health cash plan  
• Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme  
• Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution   
• Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and personal development support.  
• Life assurance   
• 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance   
• Enhanced family friendly policies   
• Recognition scheme   
• Annual volunteer days  
• Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers 

Everyone deserves a decent place to live – join Habitat for Humanity Great Britain as our new Director of Finance, Operations & Compliance, and support people to find a safe, affordable home. 

We’re on the lookout for an experienced finance and operations professional, with the energy and drive to lead a team focused on excellent service delivery, continuous improvement and sustainable growth. This is your chance to take charge of a support services team with a real purpose—helping families build a better future through safe and affordable housing.

Reporting to the CEO, you’ll take the lead on all financial, compliance, operational and people support activities.  This role demands a combination of the hands-on approach needed in a medium-sized charity with the strong people management skills to enable all members of your team to deliver high quality services and to thrive in their roles.

You’ll also be working closely with colleagues across the international Habitat network, so good communication and collaboration skills will be key to success in this role. 

Job Title: Director of Finance, Operations & Compliance 

Department: Finance, Operations & Compliance 

Reports to: National Director/CEO 

Budget responsibility: Yes 

Line management: Team of 6, with 3 direct reports (Head of People, Finance Manager, Finance Business Partner) 

Location: Home-based with regular travel to internal meetings and team events, and occasional travel to our registered office in Slough 

About Habitat for Humanity Great Britain 

Habitat for Humanity Great Britain (Habitat GB) is part of the global Habitat for Humanity network fighting global poverty and homelessness. We believe that a decent home helps to permanently break the cycle of poverty and allows families to achieve strength, stability, and self-reliance.

Habitat GB has recently completed a strategic review, resulting in a new National Strategy and an organisational restructure, to ensure the organisation is able to deliver the Strategy impactfully, efficiently and effectively. This has included the integration of a subsidiary entity (GB Homes) into Habitat GB.  As a result, the Finance, Operations & Compliance team has been expanded to ensure the right capacity and capability for these crucial functions.

Habitat’s turnover for the financial year ended 30 June 2023 was £3.0m with net assets of £2.5m: for the year ended 30 June 2024, it was £3.5m with assets of £2.1m. 

Job Purpose 

The Director of Finance, Operations & Compliance will be a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, working to ensure the impact, sustainability, diligence and productivity of the organisation, with a commitment to organisational transformation within the framework of a values-led approach to people and culture. 

Taking a lead on all financial, support and compliance activities, the role demands a combination of the hands-on approach needed in a medium-sized charity with the strong people management skills to enable all members of their team to deliver high quality services and to thrive in their roles.

Key responsibilities include: 

• All aspects of financial strategy, planning and control. 

• Providing oversight of organisational priorities, productivity, performance, people & HR, risk and due diligence. 

• Support to fundraising and programmes. 

• Being an active leader across the organisation, collaborating effectively with teams, and contributing fully to organisational wide initiatives and opportunities. 

• Co-creating ways of working to enable an adaptive, collaborative and high performing organisational team. 

• Leading and managing a team of 6, including 3 direct reports. 

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities:

Financial Strategy, Planning and Control: 

• Accountable for organisational financial strategy, working with senior staff and trustees to ensure multi-year planning, target setting and monitoring in line with Habitat GB’s strategic objectives.

• Accountable for all aspects of financial management and control, including budgeting, reforecasting, treasury management, cashflow, management information, performance and statutory reporting.

• Accountable for the development and continuous improvement of reporting frameworks, including leading regular reviews with Senior Leadership team and providing quantitative and qualitative reports for the Board including clear and accessible narrative analysis.

• Provision of financial management and accounting services, management information, and statutory reporting. 

• Lead the organisation of quarterly Finance, Audit & Risk Committee meetings, in line with the Committee Terms of Reference and in consultation with the Treasurer, and National Director/CEO. 

• Responsible for the preparation and submission of annual statutory accounts in accordance with SORP and legal requirements and coordinating the external audit exercise and seeing the process through to Board approvals and filing with statutory bodies. 

• Lead a positive and collaborative relationship with HFHI Finance teams and ensure that Habitat GB meets its regular reporting requirements. 

• Lead Habitat GB’s relationship with relevant external partners, including auditors, bankers, insurers, pension providers, HMRC, Charity Commission and Companies House. 

GB Homes Subsidiary Entity: 

• Working closely with the National Director/CEO on planning for the future wind-up of the entity, providing all financial management, reporting and compliance resources as required in the interim. 

• Working with the Director of Programme Delivery, provide financial resource and support to the management of the former GB Homes asset portfolio, developing appropriate reporting mechanisms that provide data which can be included into the combined budgeting and reporting of Habitat GB 

• Accountable for integration and ongoing provision of the operational requirements of the GB Homes subsidiary, including insurance, technology, and communications requirements. 

Fundraising & Programmes support: 

• Work closely with the Directors of Fundraising & Partnerships, and of Impact & Influence to set ambitious and achievable targets across restricted and unrestricted fundraising, track performance, and ensure high quality forecasting, reporting and budget management. 

• Be responsible for the development and oversight of policies, protocols and systems required for restricted fund management which align with Habitat for Humanity International and external donor requirements. 

• Work collaboratively across Habitat GB to agree service delivery expectations and ensure the timely provision of relevant inputs from the Finance, Operations & Compliance team across partnership and programme cycles.  For example, audit or financial reporting requirements from donors, up to date policies, review of proposal documents, grants and contract agreements. 

• Work closely with the Directors of Programme Delivery & Retail to ensure Habitat GB has the specialist knowledge and financial skills relevant to our diverse types of programmes, including a new and growing retail operation, as well as construction project delivery. 

Risk Management and Compliance: 

• Lead on the development and maintenance of the organisational Risk Register, being responsible for the management and mitigation of financial, regulatory and operational risks and coordinating with others on the reporting and review of other risk areas. 

• Ensure Habitat GB is fully compliant and up to date with all its data protection and insurance requirements and has access to appropriate legal and other expert resources where necessary. 

• Be responsible for technology infrastructure, hardware and the management of outsourced support services. 

People Policies and HR Administration: 

• Support the Head of People to deliver a high-quality People and HR service to the organisation and our partners, including efficient HR administration, pension and payroll, people management, safeguarding, strategy and leadership. 

• Working closely with the National Director and others, have overall responsibility for the provision of up to date, user-friendly and legally compliant policies and procedures which support an efficient and effective organisational culture and environment. 

Leadership & Management: 

• Lead a high performing and ambitious team, inspired to implement and grow the strategy and with a core focus on positive impact for Habitat GB’s community and strategic partners through the provisional of excellent functional and subject matter expertise. 

• Develop, lead and focus the Finance, Operations & Compliance team, its budget, activities and performance, to ensure the delivery against targets. 

• Manage, motivate and develop team members. Ensure regular 1-2-1s are held, set individual objectives, encourage a culture of giving and receiving feedback, where kindness and ambition support the progression of people and plans. 

• Set quality standards and meaningful KPIs to encourage ownership and accountability with direct reports, team, and others and effectively monitor progress towards agreed targets. 

• Role model our values in line with Habitat GB’s inclusive approach to people and culture. 

Organisational Leadership: 

• Support the National Director/CEO in delivering Habitat GB’s strategy and vision, acting as a collaborative and supportive member of a shared leadership team. 

• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, provide oversight of organisational priorities, productivity, performance, risk and due diligence. 

• Be an active leader across the organisation, collaborating effectively with teams, and contributing fully to organisational wide initiatives and opportunities. 

• Co-create ways of working to enable an adaptive, collaborative and high performing organisational team. 

• Deputise for the National Director when required and represent HFHGB in external meetings and forums. 

Person profile: 

• Holder of a relevant professional or accounting qualification: e.g. ACCA or equivalent. 

• Expertise in charity sector compliance (FRS102) reporting requirements. 

• Expert knowledge of financial strategy, management and reporting, with experience relevant to funding and grants, retail, commercial or construction. 

• Proven track record of developing and leading complex financial strategies and supporting teams to deliver high quality functional inputs in an inclusive, collaborative environment. 

• Hands-on experience with relevant accounting systems and the ability to quickly learn new systems (Habitat GB uses SUN and SAGE systems). 

• Experience working in and leading teams responsible for operational and people related functions. 

• Experience of working in a similar organisation, collaborating across teams and operating in a highly effective way across a diverse, networked structure. 

• Significant and successful experience in senior management roles, encompassing strategic management and team leadership. 

• Understanding and experience of complex organisational change projects, including the ability to support new teams to develop and thrive. 

Skills and competencies: 

• You have excellent interpersonal skills and can communicate with impact across diverse audiences. 

• You are a strategic, analytical and details orientated thinker who can also appreciate the big picture, be pragmatic, collaborative and focus on increasing impact in line with Habitat GB’s mission. 

• You are resilient, able to lead positively in a role which carries significant responsibility and requires you to prioritise effectively across multiple areas of work, problem solve and demonstrate strong organisational and planning skills. 

• You are a values-led leader, who demonstrates integrity, respect for others and a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Strong leadership skills and commitment to the highest levels of integrity, honesty, openness and good governance with the capacity to inspire and motivate others. 

• You are an experienced manager, able to lead and inspire others, offering kind and constructive support to others enabling them to improve their impact and performance. 

• You are confident and able to work across different and competing priorities which require you to flex between hands on activities and strategic leadership. 

• You can demonstrate business planning acumen, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. 

The role and responsibilities will be carried out in a way which reflects: 

• Habitat GB’s commitment to safeguarding children in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. 

• A commitment to Habitat GB’s vision, mission, values and approach. 

• A commitment to effective management of risk, by operating within the Charity’s code of conduct, policies, procedures and controls and by carrying out the risk management and assurance responsibilities of the role as set out in relevant Policy and Procedures. 

Reporting to the CEO, you’ll take the lead on all financial, compliance, operational and people support activities.  This role demands a combination of the hands-on approach needed in a medium-sized charity with the strong people management skills to enable all members of your team to deliver high quality services and to thrive in their roles.

You’ll also be working closely with colleagues across the international Habitat network, so good communication and collaboration skills will be key to success in this role. 

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If this role sounds like it could be a good match for you, please take a look at the Candidate Pack.

Please note: this role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK. The sucessfull candidate will be required to have a DBS check before starting the role.

Habitat for Humanity requires that all employees take seriously their ethical responsibilities to safeguard our intended beneficiaries, their communities, and all those with whom we work.  Managers at all levels have responsibilities to support and develop systems that create and maintain an environment that prevents harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, safeguards the rights of beneficiaries and community members (especially children), and promotes the implementation of our code of conduct. The employment of this position will be subject to a satisfactory reference check and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. 

At Habitat for Humanity GB, we aim to build, develop and retain a talented workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, skills and experiences. We welcome and actively encourage applications from anyone who feels they’d be a good fit for our organisation, regardless of race, religion, colour, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, neurodiversity or any other protected characteristics. 

Unfortunately, because of high volume of applications we will not be able to contact unsuccessful applicants. If you haven’t heard from us within a month of the application deadline, please assume that your application has not been successful. 

We’d prefer to hear directly from applicants – we won’t be working with third party recruiters on this role.  

The Finance Assistant will play a key role in supporting KCLSU's finance operations, maintaining strong financial controls, and ensuring accurate financial reporting across the organisation.

Main Tasks

• Process and reconcile purchase invoices, sales invoices, and supplier payments, maintaining accurate ledgers.
• Reconcile daily income from multiple systems to banking records and update the finance system accordingly.
•  Support month-end processes, including bank reconciliations, journal postings, and assisting with management accounts.
• Assist with reconciling Balance Sheet accounts, investigating and resolving discrepancies.
• Generate financial reports and data extracts from the finance system to support financial reporting.
•  Support the maintenance of internal financial controls and ensure compliance with relevant financial procedures and regulations.
• Respond professionally to financial queries from staff, students, and suppliers, providing accurate and timely information.
• Other finance-related ad hoc tasks

General Responsibilities
• Support the efficient operation of the Finance Department, ensuring organisation and professionalism. Provide cover for colleagues where necessary, contributing to a cohesive team environment.
• Develop a strong understanding of Finance Business Partnering, providing financial advice and insights to internal budget holders, aiding informed decision-making and improved financial performance.
• Lead or contribute to projects supporting the implementation of KCLSU’s Finance Strategy, driving process improvements and strategic initiatives.
• Maintain compliance with KCLSU’s financial regulations, ensuring the integrity and accuracy of financial operations.
• Deliver excellent customer service to both internal and external stakeholders, addressing finance-related queries and providing accurate, timely information.
• Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of financial systems, ensuring sound financial controls and best practices are in place.
• Represent KCLSU professionally, supporting its objectives and upholding its positive reputation.
• Adapt flexibly to evolving responsibilities, assisting with tasks that support the wider needs of the organisation.
• Collaborate across departments, adopting a team-oriented approach to support the overall functioning of KCLSU.

Other Responsibilities
• Assist in the delivery of finance systems and procedures training for over 400 student groups, ensuring they have the necessary tools and knowledge to manage their finances effectively.

Working Hours
• The role requires 35 hours per week. On occasion, working hours may exceed this, including evening or weekend work to meet deadlines. These additional hours are included in the role's grading and contract.

Additional Information
• This job description is accurate as of 28th April 2025 and outlines the core responsibilities of the role. It is intended to assist both the post holder and KCLSU in understanding the position’s primary duties.
• The description is not exhaustive, and duties may evolve over time. The post holder may be required to work at various King’s College London sites.
• KCLSU operates a hybrid working policy, requiring employees to work in the office at least once a week and five days per month.
• KCLSU reserves the right to vary the duties and responsibilities after consultation with the post holder.
• Please note that the starting salary for this role is £31,041 with annual increases.

Candidate Specification

Qualifications
• A finance-related qualification (such as part-qualified Chartered Accountant or equivalent) is highly desirable, with at least two years of relevant finance experience, ideally within a student union or higher education environment, though other sectors will be considered.
• Alternatively, candidates with strong hands-on financial experience in a similar setting, or who are working towards a finance qualification, are also encouraged to apply.

Experience
• Proven, hands-on experience working with integrated accounting systems.
• Demonstrable experience managing all aspects of financial operations, including accounts payable, receivable, reconciliation, and financial reporting.
• Experience in finance business partnering or providing financial advice and support to non-finance staff is highly desirable.
• Experience in presenting financial information clearly and effectively to senior management is desirable.
• Any experience in treasurer or fund investment management is an additional advantage but not essential.

Knowledge
• Solid understanding of accounting concepts, financial reporting, and VAT regulations, ensuring compliance and accurate financial operations.
• A working knowledge of data protection requirements, particularly in the context of a membership organisation, is beneficial.

Skills
• Excellent multitasking ability and a keen eye for detail, with the capacity to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Advanced IT skills, including proficiency with Excel (intermediate to advanced), and strong Office 365 competency to produce reports and manage data efficiently.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to interact diplomatically with staff, students, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently under pressure, demonstrating initiative and a solution-oriented approach to problem-solving.

The list above is not exhaustive. We recommend that you read through the Job Pack to understand the scope of what the role entails.

Application Process

To apply, please visit our website, download and complete the application form and the equal opportunities monitoring form below and email your completed application directly to our HR email address.

Once shortlisting is completed, we will contact you and inform you of your progress.

At KCLSU Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are at the heart of everything we do and we endeavour to ensure equal treatment of all candidates. We welcome a diverse range of applicants and are open to discussing flexibility with the right candidate. Reasonable adjustments will be made for candidates with disabilities at all stages of the recruitment and selection process, and to ensure that a successful candidate with a disability can undertake the post.

As you will also see on our Job Pack that we are an equal opportunities employer and live by our 4 main values: Inclusive, Collaborative, Open and Brave. KCLSU is a fun, social and flexible work environment which offers opportunities for development as well as great staff benefits.

Benefits of Working for KCLSU include:

• Hybrid Working Policy 
• Pension Contribution
• Interest Free Season Ticket Loan & Computer Loan
• Cycle to work Scheme
• Enhanced Sick Pay
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay
• Eye Tests & single focal glasses allowance
• 25 days holiday entitlement & bank holidays & discretionary closure days per annum
• Discounts on KCLSU venues
• Employee Assistance Programme
• "No meeting Friday" ethos
• KEATS Learning Platform & LinkedIn Learning subscription
• Death in Service
• Access to Kings Libraries

Eligibility 

To be eligible to apply for this role you must: 

• Be eligible to work in the UK, and provide proof of this (i.e. a passport/visa) prior to your start date. Please note that KCLSU is unable to provide a visa sponsorship.
• Not be a trustee of King’s College London Students’ Union 
• Have a National Insurance number, or be in the process of applying for one

Thank you for applying with us. We look forward to bringing your talent onboard and working with you!