Head of infrastructure jobs in Manchester

Help us protect the legal rights of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and strengthen SEND Support in law

Job title: Head of Finance and Resources

Location: Home-based or Hybrid (with occasional travel to our office in Takeley, Essex, and other locations in England for events and meetings)

Reports to: Chief Executive

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: Part-time (up to 28 hours per week considered)

Salary: £48,000 – £55,000 per annum (FTE, pro-rata for part-time)

Who we are

IPSEA is a national charity working to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the educational support they are legally entitled to. Since we were formed in 1983, we have helped to improve the education experience of thousands of children and young people across England. We do this by providing free and independent legal advice and casework support for families, undertaking policy work and delivering training on the SEND legal framework.

What you’ll do

We are seeking a Head of Finance and Resources to provide strategic leadership and operational management across IPSEA’s finance, HR and Fundraising functions, ensuring the charity has robust financial management, effective systems, and sustainable infrastructure to deliver its mission. This role focuses on organisational management, financial integrity and coordination across functions, rather than providing specialist Fundraising or HR expertise.

This is a hands-on role. While the postholder leads on financial strategy, planning and control, they are also responsible for delivering key financial processes and day to day operations. The role oversees key organisational functions including HR and fundraising.

They line manage the Finance Administrator, HR Manager and Fundraising Manager, ensuring alignment, coordination and effective use of organisational resources across the organisation.

Professional expertise and delivery within HR and fundraising remain the responsibility of the relevant managers. The role does not carry responsibility for income generation targets but ensures robust financial and operational support for fundraising activity.

As Head of Finance and Resources, you will be responsible for:

• Financial systems, control and operations
• Financial reporting and Management Accounts
• Budgeting, forecasting and financial strategy
• Restricted funds, compliance and governance
• Fundraising and income support
• Leadership, resources and organisational operations

This role offers the opportunity to make a real difference as part of a small, friendly, and dedicated team. If you are passionate about helping children and young people with SEND and have the skills and experience needed, we would love to hear from you.

Who are we looking for?

You’ll need to be a fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent) with a strong understanding and experience of charity finance, SORP, compliance, risk management and governance.

Significantly experienced in charity finance and financial management or organisational resources, you will be able to prepare management accounts, budgets, forecasts and financial reports and support budgeting and longer-term financial planning.

You will have experience of managing and motivating staff while working with senior leadership teams and/or trustees.

You have strong organisational and analytical skills and can analyse financial information and translate it for non-financial stakeholders. Experience improving systems, processes or digital infrastructure would be preferred but is not essential.

It would be desirable if you had experience overseeing HR, fundraising or wider operational functions, or managing multi-disciplinary teams.

IPSEA should also reflect the communities we support. We would particularly like to hear from candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ people, under-served communities and disabled people, as well as those with lived experience of the SEND system, either as a child or as a parent/carer.

What we can offer you

• 5% employer pension contributions
• Healthcare cash plan
• Flexible working arrangements
• 5 weeks annual leave plus bank holidays and an additional day off for your birthday

To apply

Please visit our website to download a recruitment pack and application form. 

Deadline for applications: 9am on 15 June 2026

First-round interviews: week commencing 22 June 2026 in either London or our offices in Takeley (to be confirmed)

Hybrid or home working with an expectation to be in the London office occasionally

Temporary – 6 months FTC

Full time but open to conversations around flexible working or part time

Context and Background

The NSPCC’s mission is to end cruelty to children. Today, the NSPCC lobbies government on child welfare issues, leads national campaigns and offers front line service support for thousands of vulnerable children. We do this directly and through schools, local safeguarding children’s boards and others, offering support, advice and training.  Since 2006, we have run Childline, the telephone helpline and counselling service.

Beyond our front-line support services, campaigns and consulting provisions, we carry out a comprehensive programme of groundbreaking research.  With a core staff and thousands of nationwide volunteers, the NSPCC remains a central organisation in the fabric of British society, with the welfare, protection and prosperity of children at the centre of everything we do.

The Supporter Data Operations team is part of the Fundraising Operations team in the Engagement & Fundraising Directorate.

The team is responsible for donation processing, data processing, data quality, and user training and support. The team are also involved in delivery of our ongoing Supporter Centricity project, focussing on delivering Salesforce to maximise engagement as part of the wider programme.

The Associate Head of Supporter Data Operations leads and manages a varied team who work with stakeholders across Engagement and Fundraising, Technology, and Finance. The postholder is responsible for c20 office based and remote staff.

Job purpose 

· Strategic Development: Lead on recommendations to evolve teams, responsibilities and ways of working post Salesforce go live, ensuring that the NSPCC and our supporters benefit from the new technology.

· Team Leadership: Empower and enable the Supporter Data Operations team; foster collaboration and a culture of high performance and accountability. Support and upskill the team to evolve through change.

· Business Product Ownership: Own the vision and roadmap for the Salesforce platform for Engagement and Fundraising, ensuring it helps us to put supporters and audiences at the centre of the way we work whilst meeting organisational needs. Prioritise the backlog, balancing project and “BAU” development, working closely with business and technical stakeholders.

Key relationships - Internal

· Reporting to the Head of Fundraising Operations

· Line manages Managers within Supporter Data Operations

· The Supporter Centricity Technology project team who are leading on the replacement of supporter data systems

· Maintain a close connection with Tech teams, including working closely with the Associate Head of Data Engineering

· Senior Business Stakeholders across the Income Generation Directorate and more widely.

Key relationships - External

• Technology and infrastructure vendors and partners 

Main duties and responsibilities

· Provide effective line management and leadership within the Supporter Data Operations team. Ensure all team members are supported and empowered to deliver high quality work. Ensure that high performance is recognised, achievements are celebrated, and low performance is addressed and rectified.

· Identify opportunities to build new skills in the team on Salesforce, prioritising individual and team development.

· Evolve team structures as needed in line with Salesforce platform development, ensuring that the team has clarity of expectations and responsibilities. Identify opportunities to refine and strengthen how the team works in line with organisational priorities.

· Manage the Supporter Data Operations team budget, ensuring good value for money and maintain relationships with suppliers.

· Act as interim business product owner for the Salesforce platform, prioritising the backlog against business need and setting up ways of working for the long-term operational management of the platform.

Responsibilities for all Staff within the Engagement and Fundraising Directorate

· To actively participate in regular team meetings and department meetings, contributing to discussions and decisions which will be beneficial to the NSPCC’s development of fundraising activities. 

· To behave at all times in a manner consistent with the NSPCC’s Values. 

· To ensure data used in relevant systems is current, accurate and reliable. 

· To maintain an awareness of own and others’ Health and Safety and comply with the NSPCC’s Health and Safety policy and procedures. 

•A commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people

Person specification

· Proven experience in leading operational data teams, setting strategic direction, and with the ability to inspire and motivate them.

· Experience of effectively leading a team through a technology change programme, ensuring they are upskilled and providing technical support where required.

· Experience with and strong understanding of current and emerging platform technologies (for example, Salesforce CRM and data cloud platforms).

· Excellent understanding of data management principles, including data governance, quality and security.

· Experience in leading on the delivery of a large complex portfolio of work, working with stakeholders to agree and prioritise work, driving delivery, and implementing strategies to reduce unplanned work.  

· Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

· An outcome-oriented individual who is focussed on solving problems and driving the team forward.

Safer Recruitment

As an organisation, we are committed to creating and fostering a culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of all children and adults at risk.

Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about candidates to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work with our children and adults.

The recruitment and selection of our people will be conducted in a professional, timely and responsive manner and in compliance with current employment legislation, and relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance.

Our principles:

• Always seek to recruit the best candidate for the role based on merit including their skills, experience, motivation and competencies. Our robust recruitment and selection process should ensure the identification of the person best suited to the role and the organisation.

• Committed to diversity and equality of opportunity and will interview all applicants (internal and external) who self-declare at application as having a disability and who meet the minimum requirements in the person specification of the vacancy they are applying for.

• We will make reasonable adjustments at all stages of the recruitment process in order to enable successful candidates who declare disabilities to start working or volunteering their time with us.

• Any current member of staff or volunteer who wishes to apply for vacancies and is suitably qualified will be considered and addressed fairly and objectively based on their merit.

• As an organisation committed to safeguarding, we will ensure all under 18’s joining the organisation will have ongoing risk assessments to ensure their role and activities are safe and appropriate.

• All documentation relating to candidates will be treated confidentially in accordance with the GDPR legislation.

Who We Are

Tameside Link is a registered charity with a straightforward purpose: to enable adults with learning disabilities, autism, and complex needs to live meaningful, fulfilling lives in their own homes, with the right support around them.

Rooted in Tameside and Oldham since 1995, we were founded by families who knew that personalised, values-driven support could change lives. That belief still drives everything we do. We are person-centred, strengths-based, and proudly family-led. Our 80-strong team works every day to champion inclusion, independence, and dignity for the people we support.

This is an exciting moment for us. We are growing, investing in our infrastructure, and working towards doubling in size. The HR Manager role sits right at the heart of that next chapter.

The Opportunity

This is a chance to build something from the ground up.

As our first dedicated HR Manager, you will establish and shape our HR function, creating the processes, systems, and culture that will support our growth. You will be the go-to person for everything people-related: day-to-day ER casework, leading our digital HR transformation, onboarding new colleagues, and supporting the leadership team through change.

It is a hands-on, varied role. You will need to be comfortable rolling up your sleeves one moment and advising senior leaders the next. You will be given the space, trust, and support to make this role your own.

What You Will Do

Build and lead our HR function

• Establish and maintain HR policies, procedures, and processes that reflect our values and meet our legal obligations
• Be the first point of contact for all people matters across the organisation
• Work closely with the Head of Service Operations and leadership team to align our people approach with our growth plans

Own the employee lifecycle

• Manage end-to-end HR processes: attraction, recruitment, onboarding, development, and offboarding
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date employee records and ensure we are compliant at every stage
• Lead on DBS checks, right-to-work verification, and pre-employment processes in line with CQC and safeguarding requirements

Drive our digital HR transformation

• Lead the implementation and ongoing management of our new HRIS platform
• Help managers and staff get the most from new systems
• Use HR data and reporting to give the leadership team useful, timely insight

Support managers on performance and employee relations

• Be the expert advisor for managers navigating performance, conduct, absence, and well-being
• Ensure all disciplinary and grievance processes follow ACAS codes of practice, keeping things fair and reducing legal risk
• Coach and upskill managers so they can handle people matters with more confidence

Lead on organisational change

• Support or lead TUPE transfers and future organisational change programmes
• Help manage change in a way that is transparent, fair, and true to our values

Champion our culture and workforce development

• Support recruitment that prioritises values alongside skills and experience
• Work with managers to embed solid induction, supervision, and development practices
• Contribute to staff engagement and wellbeing work that reflects who we are

What We Are Looking For

Essential

• CIPD Level 5, qualified or actively working towards it
• Proven experience as an HR generalist covering the full employee lifecycle
• Sound working knowledge of employment law, including ACAS codes of practice
• Experience managing ER cases including disciplinary, grievance, and absence, independently and confidently
• Experience supporting or leading TUPE transfers and organisational change
• Experience implementing or managing an HRIS or HR software platform
• Able to work on your own initiative and manage competing priorities in a standalone role
• Strong interpersonal skills and able to build trust with people at all levels
• Organised, detail-oriented, and comfortable handling sensitive information with discretion

Desirable

• Experience in adult social care, supported living, or a regulated care environment
• Knowledge of CQC workforce requirements
• Experience in a charity or not-for-profit organisation

What We Offer

• Salary of £35,000 – £42,000 per annum (pro rata if part-time)
• A genuine opportunity to shape and build an HR function from scratch
• A warm, values-led team where people really do matter
• Flexible hours, full-time or part-time considered
• Workplace pension scheme (AVIVA) with employer contributions
• 20 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata)
• The chance to make a real difference in an organisation that changes lives

Our Culture & Values

Tameside Link is a close-knit organisation where senior staff are accessible, and decisions are made quickly. The trustee board is active and engaged, meeting quarterly to provide governance oversight and strategic direction.

A commitment to person-centred support, respect, empowerment, inclusion, and advocacy guides everything we do. We are looking for someone who not only understands these values but also lives them. Someone who treats every colleague with the same care and dignity we ask our teams to bring to the people we support.

How to Apply

Applications are made by CV and a covering letter, briefly answering the three questions below

1. Please describe a time when you helped create a fair, inclusive, or supportive workplace. What did you do, and what was the result?

2. Please tell us about your experience using HR systems or HRIS platforms. What systems have you used, what did you do with them, and how did you help people use them effectively?

3. What interests you about this role at this stage in your career?

Each answer should be no more than 200 words. You can answer in bullet points if you prefer. We welcome clear, direct answers and do not expect polished or formal writing.

Key Dates:

• Closing Date: 14th June
• First Interviews will be on W/c 15th June
• A date for the 2nd and final interview (including a small presentation element) will be confirmed with successful applicants

Tameside Link does not maintain a public-facing website, corporate social media presence, or any other active public digital profile. This is a deliberate, reasoned governance decision endorsed by the Board of Trustees. To find out more about Tameside Link, an organisation information pack can be requested by contacting the hiring team.

We welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to safer recruitment and equal opportunities. All appointments are subject to satisfactory references and a Basic DBS check.

Please note: To be considered for this role, you must have the legal right to work in the UK.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if sufficient applications are received.