Year end financial accountant jobs

Head of Finance

Students’ Union - Liverpool

Location: Liverpool
Contract: Permanent, full-time (35 hours per week)
Salary: £49,897
Closing date: Midday on Wednesday 8th April 2026

Atkinson HR and Marble Mayne are pleased to be supporting a Liverpool based Students’ Union in their search for a Head of Finance to join their senior leadership team.

The Students’ Union is an independent, student-led charity dedicated to enhancing the student experience at the University it is associated with. With 32,000 members, they are committed to creating a home for every student, ensuring each one gets the most out of university life and leaves equipped to change the world.

As they continue to strengthen their financial foundations and long-term sustainability, they are seeking an ambitious finance professional ready to take the next step in their career and help drive their mission of creating an exceptional university experience for every student.

About the Role

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious finance professional ready to take the next step into a more senior role with greater responsibility. You'll oversee the day-to-day running of the finance function, from monthly management accounts and annual budgets to statutory returns and year-end audit, while playing a key part in keeping the Guild financially strong and student focused.

You will manage a small finance team and be supported in the role by an outsourced consultant Finance Director. They are ideally seeking a fully qualified ACCA, CIMA or ACA professional, though they will consider applications from those who are part-qualified. You'll ideally bring an understanding of charity finance, regulation and IT systems, along with the interpersonal skills to work collaboratively across a values-driven organisation. Experience in a similar charity or students' union environment is desirable, but not essential.

The organisation is seeking to appoint someone who can demonstrate alignment with their values and ethos; including being innovative, fun, representative, sustainable and committed to supporting a student-led organisation. They offer a supportive and friendly working environment with a strong commitment to professional development. Other benefits include hybrid working, pension contributions, generous annual leave and a salary sacrifice scheme.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your CV and complete the application form, where you will be asked to answer three questions:

· Why are you interested in applying, and how do you feel your personal values align with our organisational values?

· What are the key achievements and outcomes within your career that make you a strong candidate for the role?

· Summarise your experience in a senior level finance role that you feel is relevant to this position.

Each answer should be a maximum of 400 words.

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Jamie at Marble Mayne.

Key Dates

Closing Date: Midday on Wednesday 8th April 2026

First Interview: Thursday 16th April 2026 (remote)

Final Interview: Thursday 23rd April 2026 (in person)

BACKGROUND

Church of England Birmingham (CofEB) is on a journey of growing churches at the heart of every community. Through this we are seeing growth in many exciting ways. Financially we are at a challenging point. We have had an operational deficit for a number of years and this cannot continue. The National Church has agreed to partner with us around this through their Diocesan Investment Programme enabling us to have the time, and resource, to tackle this head on. One key aspect of this is for us to increase our Common Fund returns (the giving from our parishes that supports the costs of our life together). We are taking a radical new approach to our finances which includes intentional reallocation of income to support the costs in our most economically deprived parishes and deeper relationships with each parish around finance through conversation rather than correspondence. Over the next five years we are hoping to be able to move to a financially sustainable platform which will enable us to better serve our communities in the future.

We have recently recruited a new Head of Generosity, who is also Bishops Advisor for Common Fund, to lead on this work and we are now looking to recruit the team to work with them. The focus of the team is to develop long term relationships with all of our parishes leading to:

• Greater support for our parishes.
• Increased generosity by, and within, our parishes.
• Increased Common Fund.

The current plan is to recruit two Giving & Generosity Advisor roles and one Giving & Generosity Support Officer role. Together this team will work with all of our parishes to roll out our financial approach, through in person meetings, and the support that is on offer as part of this. 

JOB DESCRIPTION

The primary focus of this role is to work with parishes to:

• Understand their current financial situation and how this links to the wider Church of England Birmingham situation.
• Understand our model and how support is on offer for parishes who are economically deprived.
• Assess with them the support needed to increase generosity and giving at a local level and create an action plan around this that is bespoke and contextual.
• Create a long-term plan for their participation in the common fund.

We have 146 parishes and the Head of Generosity will manage the team so that all parishes can be engaged as quickly as possible. It is the Head of Generosity and two Giving & Generosity Advisors who will be carrying out the in-person meetings with each parish. These roles will work closely with a range of people and teams across Church of England Birmingham so that this work is integrated within our wider strategy and parishes are not confused by multiple disjointed initiatives. This will mean working with Archdeacons and Area Deans, Mission Support Team, Ministry Team, Property Team, Finance Team, Community Regeneration Team and Communications Team as well as others.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Develop strong relationships with parishes that will enable this project to flourish and also help increase the connection between parishes and the DBF. Signposting to other teams and projects will be important.
• Inspiring and encouraging parishes in their Christian approach to giving and generosity
• Creating bespoke multiyear plans for Common Fund with parishes with the support of a Steering Group that includes the Archdeacons and other key stakeholders.
• Provide consultancy, resources, and hands-on support to parishes to grow regular giving, legacies, and other forms of financial support. This work will be able to draw on the resources developed by the national church as well as the data held on their Cornerstone Grants Platform. The post-holder will be expected to engage in the work of the National Giving Team as part of the development of these wider resources.
• Develop and deliver training for clergy, lay leaders and PCCs on the theology and Christian practice of giving and generosity and also practical financial management (in conjunction with the Finance Team).
• Work closely with the Finance Team in matters of technical accounting, governance and financial management identified as needed by parishes.
• Encourage and assist parishes in the implementation of the Parish Giving Scheme, introduction of contactless giving mechanisms and related diocesan resources.
• Source, develop and curate practical resources (digital and print) to support local stewardship campaigns and initiatives.

• Evaluate the impact of stewardship and generosity initiatives and adapt strategies accordingly to achieve the project outcomes.
• Working with our Communications Team, create compelling communication tools that articulate the impact of generosity.

As we are looking to recruit two people into these roles there is flexibility to appoint people with complementary skill sets who may have greater expertise in certain elements of the role.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Qualifications & Experience:

• Strong understanding of church governance structures and financial operations and requirements.
• Knowledge of generosity principles and Christian financial stewardship.
• A prayerful Christian with a deep commitment to the Church’s mission (Genuine Occupational Requirement).
• Experience of working in a sensitive environment and handling confidential matters with tact and diplomacy.

Essential Skills & Attributes:

• Resilient and adaptable, able to handle challenges and maintain momentum in a demanding role.
• Strong people skills, able to engage effectively with parishes and church communities.
• Good communicator being able to engage a wide range of stakeholders and hold their attention.
• Trustworthy and credible, able to build and maintain confidence with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Empathetic towards parishes and deeply committed to supporting the local church.
• Excellent conflict resolution skills, capable of handling difficult conversations with care and professionalism.
• Highly organised, able to manage multiple priorities and keep track of numerous ongoing responsibilities.
• Capable implementer, ensuring initiatives are successfully delivered, both at a local and diocese wide level.
• Financially literate, with a good understanding of budgets, stewardship, and sustainability within the Church.
• As the role involves visiting parishes across the diocese, including some locations not accessible by public transport, candidates must be able to travel independently. This requires holding a valid driving licence and access to a suitably insured vehicle.
• Be a person of integrity. 

Other Considerations:

• The role requires significant evening and weekend work, demanding flexibility and commitment.
• Local presence is essential—the role must be delivered in an incarnational way, engaging directly with communities.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The post-holder will be employed by the Diocesan Board of Finance for a fixed term ending on 2nd November 2030, subject to funding.

Salary and Pension: Salary of £35,000 plus membership of the Church Worker’s Pension Scheme with 12% employer contribution. We are open to discussion especially if you are ordained and are moving out of parish ministry. 

Hours: Full-time 35 hours (5 days) per week. Weekend and evening work will be required, for which the equivalent time may be taken back from standard working hours. We are happy to consider requests for flexible working and candidates seeking part-time hours. Please do mention in your application if you would be interested in looking at alternative working hours.

Holidays: 5 weeks per year plus Bank Holidays and 3 Discretionary Days between Christmas and New Year

Employer: Birmingham Diocesan Board of Finance

Responsible To: Head of Generosity

CLOSING DATE: 12th April 2026

INTERVIEWS: 23rd April 2026 in central Birmingham

For an informal conversation or further information about the role, contact Dawn Baker, Head of Generosity. 

The Church of England Birmingham is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where all can be themselves and bring their unique identity to their ministry and/or work. 

We welcome applications from any individuals who feel that they meet the person specification for any post, in particular from those who are currently under-represented in or staff teams such as those from Global Majority Heritage or UK Minority Ethnic backgrounds, those with visible or invisible disabilities and those who identify as LGBTQI+.

We offer a range of inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and other services to our staff teams.

The Church of England Birmingham is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders are expected to share this commitment.

Social Finance is an ambitious non-profit that designs, funds and scales solutions to complex social problems. Our vision is a fairer world where together we unleash the potential of people and communities. We work with governments, funders, communities and the social sector to tackle some of the most persistent challenges facing society in the UK.

Our multidisciplinary team brings together experience from the public, private and charity sectors. We are known for our collaborative and intellectually curious culture and for delivering systems change, improving how entire systems operate so they produce better, lasting outcomes.

One of our most significant initiatives is IPS Grow, which supports the national expansion of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) employment services across England. IPS is an evidence-based approach that helps people experiencing severe mental illness, addiction and other health challenges find and sustain competitive employment with tailored support.

IPS Grow works with commissioners, healthcare providers and delivery partners to expand high-quality IPS services, improve quality and learning across the system, and ensure the data and evidence behind IPS continue to demonstrate its impact. Scaling IPS has been a priority for Social Finance since 2015 and continues to be an integral part of our work today.

With IPS Grow transitioning from a fast‑growing initiative to a mature organisation with expanding reach and influence, we are now looking for an experienced Chief Operating Officer to join the IPS Grow and Social Finance Senior Leadership Team.

The COO will provide strategic leadership across IPS Grow’s operational infrastructure, ensuring the organisation has the systems, processes and capabilities required to deliver impact at scale. You will strengthen financial oversight, resource planning and risk management while helping develop IPS Grow’s data and digital capability. The role will also help shape the organisational structures and culture needed to support sustainable growth.

We are looking for a senior operational leader with experience in finance and the non-profit or publicly funded sectors, ideally with a track record of helping organisations scale. You will bring strong financial literacy, sound strategic judgement and the ability to build effective operational frameworks in complex environments.

You will be a collaborative partner across IPS Grow and the wider Social Finance organisation, building trusted relationships, bringing clarity to operational challenges and fostering a strong “one team” culture across a distributed team.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the next phase of IPS Grow’s development. If this resonates with you, we would be delighted to hear from you.

To download a full copy of the candidate brief and learn more about the role, please click the ‘Apply’ button, where you will be redirected to the website of our recruitment partner, Tall Roots.

Applications should include a CV and covering letter responding to the following questions:

1. What is motivating you to become our new Chief Operating Officer for IPS Grow? (200 words)
2. Given what you have read about us so far, what do you believe would make an effective Chief Operating Officer for IPS Grow? (200 words)
3. Please describe your experience ensuring an organisation had the right systems, processes or capabilities in place to use data effectively. What was your role and what difference did this make? (250 words)
4. Please tell us about a time when you built strong partnerships across teams or organisations to deliver a shared goal. What approach did you take and what was the outcome? (250 words)