Head of finance jobs in Bristol
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Salary: £66,351 FTE (pending April 2026 pay award)
Hours: 37 hours per week (part time hours maybe considered for the right candidate, if applying for part-time working, please add this to your supporting statement)
Contract: Fixed–term maternity cover (anticipated 9 months, with possible extension)
Location: Hybrid – Based anywhere in the South West, with travel to local hospice sites as required. This is a hybrid role, with the flexibility to work from home and attend your nearest hospice—Charlton Farm (Bristol), Little Bridge House (Barnstaple), or Little Harbour (St Austell)—as needed.
Make a real difference every day
At Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW), we provide vital, compassionate care for babies and children with life limiting conditions and their families. Our work is only possible thanks to our dedicated teams who share our passion, values and commitment to excellence.
We are looking for an experienced and inspirational Head of Finance to lead our finance function during a period of maternity leave. This is a key leadership position within CHSW, ensuring that our financial reporting, control environment and strategic planning continue to support outstanding care delivery.
If you are a senior finance professional who enjoys leading people, improving systems and delivering high quality financial information that informs organisational decision making, this is an exceptional opportunity to join a charity that truly changes lives.
About the Role
As Head of Finance, you will:
• Lead, motivate and develop the Finance team to deliver a professional, supportive and efficient service
• Oversee monthly and quarterly management accounts, KPIs and performance reporting
• Lead on budgeting, reforecasting, cashflow and short– to medium term cash management
• Produce annual statutory accounts for CHSW and its subsidiary, and work closely with external auditors
• Oversee payroll processing and statutory compliance (pensions, HMRC, P11Ds etc.)
• Ensure accurate VAT and tax accounting, working closely with specialist advisers
• Maintain effective financial controls, policies and system governance
• Act as the finance lead on cross functional projects and internal committees
• Work closely with senior leaders and operational colleagues, promoting strong financial stewardship across the organisation
• Support the Director of Finance & Retail, providing cover for SMT, committee and Board work where required
About You
To be successful, you will need the following:
• ACA qualified (or equivalent) and a member of a recognised accounting professional body (e.g., ICAEW)
• Significant finance leadership experience in a similar sized organisation
• Strong experience in:
o annual financial reporting and charity accounts
o budget preparation and financial modelling
o management accounts and KPI reporting
o financial processing functions
o internal controls and finance procedures
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex financial matters to non finance colleagues
• Experience leading and developing teams
• A proactive, solutions focused approach and the ability to manage multiple priorities
• A full UK driving licence
Ideally you will also have:
• Charity taxation experience, including VAT and partial exemption
• Experience with Xledger
• Experience working within a hospice, charity or large retail linked organisation
• Knowledge of statutory grant or charitable trust reporting
What we offer:
We value our staff and offer an excellent working environment with an enthusiastic and committed team, you will also benefit from:
• 33 days (plus bank holidays) holiday entitlement, which increases with service
• enhanced sick pay scheme rising up to 6 months full and 6 months half pay*
• personal pension scheme with 7% employer contribution
• family friendly policies, with enhanced maternity/adoption pay
• occupational health, wellbeing and counselling services and employee assistance programme
• group life insurance scheme
• training and development opportunities
• environmental and green agenda
• a supportive and inclusive environment
• a chance to make a real difference
How to Apply
To apply, please submit your CV and a supporting statement outlining how your experience meets the role requirements. If you are looking to relocate prior to taking on this post or are interested in part time hours, please specify this in your supporting statement.
Closing date: 15/02/2026
Interview date: Anticipated initial telephone screening 19/02/2026 and face to face meetings at our Charlton Farm Hospice near Bristol on 26/02/2026
If you have any questions, please visit our website to find our more, or use our email to contact us and speak to one of our HR team today
Please note: We may close this vacancy early if sufficient suitable applications are received; therefore we recommend you apply early
CHSW Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement
CHSW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and all employees must apply for an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.
Charity Registration Number 1003314
You may have experience of the following: Finance Manager, Senior Finance Manager, Finance Lead, Head of Financial Operations, Financial Controller, Group Financial Controller, Financial Reporting Manager, Director of Finance (Deputy/Associate), Finance Business Partner (Senior/Lead).
REF-226 436
Non Charity Employer 
101 - 500
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!
Nb: This piece of recruitment is rolling and may close at any time.
In recent years OTR has seen a significant increase in demand for our youth mental health services and we now reach over 17,000 young people each year. We are seeking a Head of Finance to oversee our (circa) £3m annual budget and to ensure that our finance operation is efficient and effective. This role will lead OTR’s finance function and, as well as having responsibility for day-to-day financial processes, will be a key member of the organisation’s senior leadership team (SLT). The role will involve providing financial insight to the SLT and Board of Trustees to improve understanding and inform strategic decision making. Examples of this will include analysing the financial performance of different activities of the organisation and preparing budget and forecast information.
We are looking for an individual with demonstrable experience in a finance management role which includes a strategic focus, preferably in the voluntary sector. The successful candidate will be a flexible and meticulous individual who is able to present complex information to a range of audiences. Equally important is a strong personal interest in and commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of young people.
To find out more about the role please download the job pack. If you would like an informal chat about the role, please email the main contact as listed in the job pack
To apply for this role click the 'Apply now' button
We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a team that reflects the diversity of the people we work with
Safeguarding:
OTR is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff, trustees, and volunteers to share this commitment.
As part of our Safer Recruitment practices, all roles involving contact with young people will be subject to robust pre-employment checks, including references, a full employment history, and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Where applicable, overseas criminal record checks will also be required.
We are dedicated to creating a culture of vigilance, transparency, and accountability. Our safeguarding procedures are guided by the principle that the welfare of the child is paramount, and all staff are required to adhere to OTR’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.
OTR & Benefits:
OTR is a mental health social movement by and for young people. The charity is at an exciting stage of its 59-year history and is proud to be reaching more young people than ever before (around 17,000) across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset with creative and diverse mental health and wellbeing info and support.
Our approach to mental health is grounded in a set of beliefs and values that underpin all of our work. We believe in celebrating diversity, empowering and mobilising young people to make change, and that catering to the unique strengths, interests and circumstances surrounding young people is key. Our approach centres on collaboration and partnership, building relationships between individuals, peers and communities.
Each day is as engaging and fulfilling as the last, and with a network of supportive, community minded people, we hope you’ll feel welcome here. As a thank you, we like to compensate our employees for the important work they do with a range of benefits including a flexible leave policy, healthcare cost and wellbeing assistance with HealthShield, flexible and hybrid working arrangements, enhanced sick pay, parental leave, training and development, social and wellbeing events, and more (subject to contractual terms and conditions).
A Willingness to Work with Difference
At OTR, whatever your role or professional background, you will be expected to work in a way that is anti-oppressive and inclusive. A key focus for OTR is to develop an organisation that is inclusive for all but we do not claim to be experts in this. We are committed to continuous learning and improvement in these areas and invite you to join us on this journey.
OTR recognises the benefits to individual practice and organisational credibility of having a diverse community of staff and volunteers and to this end is continually working towards building and maintaining an environment which values and pursues diversity accordingly.
We recognise that tackling systemic inequality, prejudice, racism and oppressive practice requires each of us to actively engage, self-examine and make changes where necessary, in order to improve access and equitable experience for all in society and all of those who come through our doors at OTR.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.