Head of financial accounting jobs in Stevenage, hertfordshire

Head of Financial Accounting
£65,000 - £70,000
Permanent | Full-time
Fully Remote Working

Our client is a globally recognised organisation with operations across multiple countries and a strong reputation for delivering meaningful impact worldwide. As part of an exciting period of development and continuous improvement, they are looking to appoint an experienced and technically strong Head of Financial Accounting to lead financial accounting, statutory reporting and audit activities across the organisation.
This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified accountant with a strong audit and financial reporting background to take ownership of a broad remit, lead a high-performing team and play a key role in strengthening financial control, governance and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead financial accounting policies, processes and controls, ensuring compliance with UK accounting standards and other relevant international reporting requirements.
• Oversee the preparation and review of annual statutory accounts and financial statements, ensuring accuracy, completeness and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Lead the planning, preparation and delivery of annual external audits, managing relationships with auditors and driving continuous improvement through audit action plans.
• Provide expert technical accounting guidance across the business, embedding best practice and supporting the development of finance teams.
• Oversee quarterly balance sheet reviews, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of financial data and implementing corrective actions where required.
• Support governance and reporting requirements, including contributions to senior leadership, board and committee reporting.
• Manage and develop the Financial Accounting team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Review and oversee key tax compliance activities, including VAT and other statutory reporting requirements.
• Partner with finance, operational and project teams to ensure financial accounting implications are considered in strategic initiatives and organisational change programmes.

Who Are We Looking For?

• ACA qualified accountant (or equivalent) with a strong technical accounting background.
• Previous experience gained within a leading audit practice and/or a large, complex organisation.
• Extensive knowledge of UK GAAP and statutory reporting requirements.
• Proven experience leading external audits and managing auditor relationships.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with a track record of developing high-performing teams.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities with the confidence to interpret and communicate complex accounting matters.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and build relationships across all levels of an organisation.
• Experience of improving financial processes, controls and reporting frameworks.
• Advanced Excel and financial systems knowledge.

If you are a technically strong financial accountant looking for a leadership role where you can drive best practice, influence senior decision-making and lead a high-performing team, we would be delighted to hear from you.

The National Biodiversity Network Trust is the UK charity dedicated to making biodiversity data accessble and useful. We co-ordinate the National Biodiversity Network, develop the NBN Atlas, support iNaturalistUK and are developing the NBN Record Manager. Our work connects biological recording, digital infrastructure and better decisions for nature across the UK. 

Our vision is Nature thriving everywhere, in all its diversity,.Our mission is Making data work for nature. 

This is a senior and pivotal role. The Head of Finance & Operations is the Chief Executive Officer's trusted strategic and operational partner on finance, governance, people systems, risk and organisational operations. They provide calm judgement, clear information, early warning and reliable follow-through. The role will turn strategy into affordable and deliverable plans, protect the Trust's financial resilience, and ensure that its core systems and controls enable colleagues to do their best work. They will combine strategic leadership with a willingness to enage in the practical detail when needed. 

More details, including on how to apply and a Recruitment FAQ, are available on our website. 

Head of Communities and Prevention Services

Job title: Head of Community and Prevention Services

Salary: £55,000 FTE

Hours: 30 – 37.5 hours

Contract Type: Permanent

 Start date: ASAP

Reporting to: Chief Executive

Line Reports: x2 -3 (tbc)

Place of work: DENS locations in Hemel Hempstead/Some home working will be possible.

Overall Job Purpose:

 As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will be instrumental in developing and driving forward DENS community and prevention services, during an exciting period for the charity, as we move into the new DENS Centre and relocate our Foodbank. As an ambassador both internally and externally, you will work collaboratively with the CEO and the wider leadership team to deliver DENS strategy and role model organisational values. With a focus on building and maintaining a strong network of external relationships, you will identify opportunities for growth and partnership working. You will be responsible for a diverse range of services in the community.

About You

You are a strategic and visionary leader with a solid background in the homelessness sector, a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the client community, and a firm grasp of safeguarding principles. With proven line management experience, you know how to motivate teams, coach peers, and foster a collaborative, high-performing culture. You excel at building strong external partnerships with local government and funders, using your exceptional interpersonal and communication skills to influence, negotiate, and champion DENS’s strategy. Highly organised and proactive, you bring strong project delivery skills to drive service innovation, such as leading the long-term development of the new DENS Centre, while remaining deeply committed to equity, diversity, and DENS’s mission to help rebuild lives.

How to apply

Read the full Job Description & Personal Specification.

If you match our criteria:

· Fill in the DENS Application Form including your Supporting Statement

· Closing date for receipt of applications is 9am 11th August 2026

· We may interview, and offer the role to a suitable candidate before the deadline

We will not accept a general CV for this role

Please advise us should you require adjustments to be made for you at interview.

Please advise us should you require adjustments to be made for you at interview.

 Extra info re benefits……

Why join DENS?

You’ll be part of a supportive, friendly, and dedicated team of fundraisers who foster a collaborative "One Team, One Goal" culture. We value and celebrate every member's contribution, ensuring you thrive in our positive working environment. Enjoy flexible working arrangements that support your work-life balance, along with ongoing training and development to enhance your skills. Your fundraising efforts will directly contribute to creating positive change and making a lasting impact in our community.

Benefits include:

• 25 days or equivalent annual leave, excluding Bank and Public Holidays
• One additional day of annual leave after each 5 years’ service, up to 3 days.
• Flexible working environment
• Medicash plan, including Virtual GP, some dental and optical cover
• Employee assistance programme – 24/7 mental health support helpline
• Blue Light Card discounts
• Professional development and training, including on-going access to e-learning platform
• Staff Networks, Wellbeing Days and whole team events
• One day to volunteer for DENS or another organisation
• NEST pension scheme

About DENS

Our aim is to be the first port of call for people in Dacorum who are facing homelessness, poverty and social exclusion; to support and empower them to take the next positive step in their lives, secure and maintain a long-term housing option and be an active member of their community.

We ensure individuals have access to temporary and short-term accommodation, and individuals and families have access to emergency food and provisions. We provide a range of services so that people can develop the resilience, skills, and confidence to take the next step in their lives.

The Southmead Project is seeking an experienced and motivated Fundraiser to support the charity’s long-term financial sustainability.

The postholder will identify, research and secure funding from trusts, foundations, charitable bodies, statutory funders and other appropriate sources. They will lead on developing high-quality, persuasive funding applications and reports that clearly communicate the impact of the Southmead Project’s work and the needs of the people it supports.

Working closely with the CEO, Head of Finance and trustees, the Fundraiser will develop and deliver an annual fundraising plan, maintain a strong funding pipeline, and support the organisation to diversify its income. The role will require excellent writing, research, relationship-building and organisational skills, alongside a strong commitment to the charity’s values and mission.

• Develop an annual fundraising plan, alongside the Head of Finance and CEO.

• Carry out ongoing prospect research to identify new sources of funding from trusts, foundations, charitable bodies, statutory funders and other appropriate sources.

• Maintain a fundraising pipeline, ensuring that opportunities, deadlines, applications and reporting requirements are monitored effectively.

• Build and maintain a database of prospective and current funders, including key contacts, deadlines, funding priorities and application requirements.

• Monitor relevant local, regional and national funding opportunities, including being a sponsored charity at community events.

• Produce funding applications for trusts, charities, foundations and statutory bodies as an ongoing part of the charity’s income generation.

• Analyse data and feedback collected through outcomes processes for report writing.

• Build and maintain positive relationships with funders, partners and relevant stakeholders, including the corporate sector as part of the charity’s income diversification strategy.

• Attend monthly meetings with the Senior Leadership Team and trustee meetings as required.

• To work within the framework, spirit and ethos of the Southmead Project’s Equal Opportunities Policy, and actively engage in promoting the policy within the charity and in all dealings with clients and other agencies.

• To follow the Southmead Project policies, procedures and professional code of conduct as outlined in the Team Handbook.

• All members of staff, paid and unpaid, are required to undergo the   enhanced level of Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Please see job description for full details.

We can’t fix issues like poverty, inequality, health and climate change alone. We are fully conscious of the scale of the challenge that faces the country and the urgent need to respond. That’s why the School for Social Entrepreneurs exists, to empower and equip people with entrepreneurial ideas and solutions to grow the social economy. The social economy is a movement of organisations and enterprises that prioritise people and planet. Together, we are committed to tackling the greatest social and environmental challenges of our time.This is a new and exciting role at a significant time of growth for the School for Social Entrepreneurs. In the coming year. we are developing new programmes, working with leaders who are developing small community led social and environmental projects as well as leading larger charities and social businesses developing social investment and housing solutions.

We’re not a traditional funder. Our grants tend to be small, but they punch above their weight, helping social and environmental entrepreneurs take the next step to grow their organisations. Our grants run alongside learning programmes, challenging and supporting leaders. We’re innovative in how we do this, through both traditional and enterprise grants. We lead on Match Trading™, a grant that challenges leaders to grow their trading income, and we are working on further grants innovations.

You will work with our Grants Team, Project Co-ordinators and Assessment Lead to develop and support grant management across a range of programmes. Your role will be to lead on specific programmes, including supporting assessment, onboarding and grant management. You will ensure that grantees are fully supported to manage their grants and ensure that grant management is compliant, auditable, efficient, and timely. You will support the development of grant policies and processes, writing grant paperwork and documentation, overseeing payments, and reporting to the wider Programmes Team and others about our work.

You don’t need to have managed grants before, but you do need to have a good understanding of a wide range enterprises and charities, gained through experience of training, business consultancy or development support. You will have a good understanding of business models, legal structures and financial systems that social and environmental organisations and community run and owned businesses may use. You will need to understand social enterprise finances, be able to read accounts, budgets, cashflows and have a good knowledge of social enterprise income streams.

We need someone who understands how hard it is to start up and grow social and environmental enterprises and can support people from diverse backgrounds in managing their grant, finances and growing their business.

Are you up for the challenge?

Interviews: Friday 18th and Friday 25th September (online)

NCT is the national charity for pregnancy, birth, infant feeding and early parenthood. 

Our vision is simple: a society where everyone who becomes a parent feels confident, connected and safe. 

Through our For Every Parent strategy, we're working to make that vision a reality. We support parents with trusted information, practical help, local communities and a stronger voice in the issues that matter to families. 

For 70 years, we've been by parents' sides through the excitement, uncertainty, wonder and challenges of becoming a parent. Today, our volunteers contribute more than 70,000 hours of community service each year, helping parents build friendships, find support and feel less alone. 

We educate and empower parents with evidence-based information and support. We advocate and act by listening to parents' experiences, raising their voices and campaigning for change. No judgement. No exceptions. 

About the role 

• We are seeking an experienced People and Inclusion (P&I) professional to join our passionate team and contribute to the meaningful work that transforms the lives of parents and families. Your role will work within a small P&I team, which is part of our overall Organisational Services Directorate.  Key duties include:
• Deep and proactive partnering with our charity’s managers as a trusted advisor on People and Inclusion matters across the employee lifecycle.  We rely on our talented staff team to deliver a range of important services for all parents so need our people to feel included, connected and supported to do their best work; 
• Efficient management of People administration and the operational People function to deliver an excellent employee experience.  This will include ensuring our HR System (IRIS Cascade) is optimised for our teams, delivering timely and accurate management data to inform decision-making and ensuring our People policies and practices operate at a minimum in line with employment legislation and aspire to be best practice throughout.  You will manage our People and Inclusion Coordinator and will partner with the Payroll team; 
• Leading the delivery and continuous development of employee equity, inclusion and wellbeing initiatives that support diversity and create belonging for all of our people.  Ensuring that equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) is embedded across all of our work is one of our Charity’s key strategic aims; 
• Taking a remote first approach as we have a home-based workforce and working in in partnership with the communications team to deliver motivational, supportive and informative updates alongside connection and engagement opportunities; 
• Build focussed management development, learning and community-building opportunities for our People managers. 

About you: 

• You will relish the opportunity to work in a values-driven, collaborative and parent focussed organisation where our commitment to ED&I is central to all of our work; 
• You thrive in a busy operational environment with multiple priorities, and you enjoy taking a pragmatic and strategically detailed approach to improving imperfect processes and systems.  You also prioritise building positive relationships and collaborating with colleagues. 
• You will have a CIPD Level 5 Qualification (or demonstrable equivalent) and will demonstrate an interest in continuing professional development, including ensuring you are up-to-date with the practical implementation of UK employment legislation and People best practice; 
• You will have significant previous experience operating as a People Business Partner, People and Inclusion Manager or senior HR/People Advisor or similar across the full employee lifecycle.  Your key experience will include: overseeing the efficient and effective deployment and development of an HR system; effective partnering with managers; analysing People data and trends; developing and embedding ED&I principles and practices; and supporting organisational change projects.