Head of Finance

Are you a qualified accountant looking to use your expertise to make a global impact? Goodman Masson are partnered with The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to recruit for a Head of Finance to lead their accounting function and play a pivotal role in the UK’s national response to major humanitarian crises.

Since 1963, the DEC has been a unique force in the charity sector, bringing together 15 of the UK’s leading humanitarian agencies—to raise over £2.5 billion for disaster-affected communities worldwide. When a humanitarian emergency warrants a national response, they launch high-profile appeals that save lives and protect livelihoods.

We are looking for an experienced, qualified accountant to lead the DEC’s finance function, ensuring accurate day-to-day accounting and robust financial controls, and delivering high-quality management and statutory reporting. The Head of Finance oversees budgeting and forecasting across the Secretariat, leads the annual audit and year-end accounts production, and provides clear financial insight to budget-holders and senior stakeholders. 

During the DEC public appeals, the role plays a critical part in processing and reconciling high-volume donation income at pace, maintaining strong controls across multiple channels, and supporting timely reporting and allocation of funds to members. 

Key Responsibilities

• Financial Leadership: Oversee the accounting function, including management accounts, budgets, and the annual audit.
• Appeal Management: During emergency appeals, ensure the accurate daily processing of high-volume income and produce critical "FinSit" reports.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Coordinate the "Indicator of Capacity" (IoC) process with member agency Finance Directors to ensure fair allocation of funds.
• Compliance & Control: Maintain a robust financial control environment, ensuring compliance with tax (VAT, Gift Aid), legal, and regulatory requirements.
• Team Management: Line manage and support the development of the Financial Accountant and Finance & Administration Officer.

Who You Are

• Qualified Expert: You are a CCAB qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with proven post-qualification experience in the charity sector.
• Systems Savvy: You have experience using database accounting systems (Sun Accounts/Infor SunSystems Cloud is a plus).
• Strong Communicator: You can translate complex financial data for non-financial colleagues and build strong relationships across diverse teams.
• Adaptable & Resilient: You thrive in a fast-paced environment and are ready to work flexibly when a global emergency strikes.
• Mission-Driven: You are committed to the values of collaboration, transparency, and humanitarianism.

Salary is crica£65,000 per annum + Excellent Benefits. London based with very flexible hybrid working arrangements.

You can find out more details by visiting our dedicated careers site here: .

Application deadline is Friday 5^th June.