60 Lead project accountant jobs

National AIDS Trust is the UK’s HIV rights charity. We work to stop HIV from standing in the way of health, dignity and equality, and to end new HIV transmissions. Our expertise, research and advocacy secure lasting change to the lives of people living with and at risk of HIV. 

Each year, we run a huge World AIDS Day campaign across the UK, engaging thousands of schools, colleges, universities, companies, community groups and individuals to raise awareness of HIV and vital funds to support our work. We also run an online shop, taking hundreds of ribbon and brooch orders during the campaign. 

We’re looking for someone self-motivated and enthusiastic to help our small, dedicated fundraising team liaise with our many supporters and send out packs of red ribbons and supporting materials. You’ll also coordinate and manage the dispatch of online shop orders, and support the finance and resources team to reconcile donations received through our website. 

You’ll be part of a small team of dedicated colleagues working across different fundraising specialisms whilst collaborating to reach our goals, and a key part of an organisation of people who are all inspired by the difference we can make. This is a good opportunity for anyone looking to gain experience of working in fundraising, finance, or in the HIV/charity sector. 

• Closing date for applications: 5pm on Monday 14 September 2026 

• Interviews: week commencing Monday 21 September at National AIDS Trust’s offices in London E1

Diversity and inclusion 

National AIDS Trust is committed to becoming a diverse and inclusive organisation. We strive to create a workplace that represents our mission and the people we serve, and where all voices are valued and heard. 

To reflect this, we actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, disability or religion. As the UK’s HIV rights charity, we particularly encourage applications from those with an understanding of the issues faced by people living with HIV. 

At National AIDS Trust, we would like our application process to be as accessible as possible. Please speak to us about any reasonable adjustments that you might require throughout the interview process or the role. 

We are looking for a conscientious Finance & Administration Officer, to join our Finance team on a one-year maternity contract. You will process financial transactions, maintain accurate records, reconcile accounts and support month-end and annual reporting activities. You will work closely with the Head of Finance, Financial Accountant and wider Secretariat teams to ensure effective financial administration and compliance.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance administrator or finance officer looking to develop their career within a respected humanitarian organisation.

About you

We're looking for someone who combines strong financial administration skills with excellent attention to detail and a collaborative approach. You must be detail-oriented with a zeal to support the financial backbone of the secretariat. You must demonstrate strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with a proven ability to manage multiple priorities.

Some of the key criterion for this role include:

• Experience in processing invoices and handling supplier payment queries.
• Experience of bank, cash and credit card reconciliations.
• Experience using finance systems and reporting tools
• Understanding of accounting and bookkeeping procedures.
• Knowledge of charity finance processes and compliance.
• Previous administrative experience in a busy office environment, being proactive and demonstrating excellent organisational and time-management skills, to manage competing priorities.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
•  Strong Excel skills and confidence working with financial data.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

***Please download the job description for full details***

The DEC is committed to the safeguarding and protection of children and vulnerable adults and participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from successful applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. 

Compassion in World Farming International is a global movement transforming the future of food and farming. Join us as our Management Accountant and help strengthen the financial insight, reporting and data integrity that supports effective decision-making across our global organisation.

Management Accountant

Role type:Permanent; Full time

Location: Godalming, Surrey - HQ. Hybrid working pattern 2x days per week in the office. The office is located close to Godalming station, with direct trains from/to London Waterloo in approximately 45 minutes.

Salary: £39,000 - £48,000 per annum, depending upon skills and experience.

About the role 

As our Management Accountant, you’ll play an important role in helping Compassion in World Farming make well-informed financial decisions. Working within our Finance Business Partnering team, you’ll provide accurate and timely management information, support budgeting and forecasting, and help ensure our financial data, coding and reporting structures are robust and reliable. 

As part of this new role, you’ll be responsible for:

• Management reporting and analysis - Preparing monthly management accounts, variance analysis and clear financial commentary.
• Budgeting and forecasting - Supporting annual budgets, periodic forecasts and monthly staff cost monitoring.
• Financial data integrity - Maintaining coding structures, grant records and reporting frameworks in Netsuite.
• Stakeholder support - Helping budget holders and non-finance colleagues understand financial performance, coding and reporting requirements.
• Process improvement - Identifying practical ways to improve reporting, processes and financial insight.

About you

To succeed as our Management Accountant, you’ll bring strong experience in management accounts, budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis, together with the confidence to explain financial information clearly to colleagues who may not have a finance background. 

Skills and experience you’ll need to bring:

• Experience of producing, reviewing or supporting monthly management accounts, including variance analysis and clear commentary.
• Experience of supporting budgeting and forecasting processes, and explaining movements against budget.
• Experience of working with accounting or finance systems, ideally Netsuite or a similar system.
• Strong Excel skills, including lookups, pivot tables, data sorting and analysis.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy, with a proactive approach to identifying and correcting errors.
• The ability to communicate financial information in a clear, accessible and supportive way to non-finance colleagues.
• Experience of charity finance, restricted and unrestricted funds, grant coding or donor reporting would be beneficial.

If you don’t meet every requirement but believe you could thrive in this role, we encourage you to apply.

Why join us

This is a meaningful opportunity to use your finance expertise to support a global organisation working to end factory farming and build a more compassionate, sustainable future.

We offer a supportive, flexible workplace with a strong focus on wellbeing and development, including: 

• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays 
• Health Cash Back Plan and 24/7 GP access 
• Employee Assistance Programme and MHFA support 
• Premium Calm App subscription 
• Electric car scheme available
• Defined contribution pension scheme 
• Enhanced discretionary sick pay 
• Hybrid working model (role and location dependent) 
• Free onsite parking and office next to mainline station 
• Cycle Benefit scheme and other savings options 
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities 

How to apply and key dates

If you’re ready to make a global impact, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit your CV and a cover letter outlining how you meet the Person Specification. To support a fair and unbiased recruitment process, we kindly ask that you do not include a photo in your CV. 

Please note that we may begin interviews on a rolling basis, so early applications are encouraged. 

Closing date: 9am 16 September 2026

1stStage (Teams) Interview: 23 September 2026

2ndStage (Face to Face at HQ) Interview, with task: 29 September 2026

“Join us in building a more compassionate future for animals, people, and the planet.”

As part of Stage 1 interviews, for some roles shortlisted candidates may receive pre‑shared, values‑based interview questions to support a positive candidate experience. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know, we’re always happy to support candidates.

About Compassion

Compassion in World Farming International is a leading global organisation working to end factory farming. Founded in 1967 by British farmer Peter Roberts, we’ve spent over 50 years driving change, successfully campaigning to ban cruel practices such as barren battery cages, veal crates, and sow stalls across the UK and Europe.

Our work combines advocacy, campaigning, and collaboration with policymakers and businesses to promote animal welfare and sustainable food systems. We envision a future where animals are treated with compassion, and farming supports both people and the planet. To learn more about our mission, culture, and opportunities, please explore our Candidate Pack, and Careers Page on our website.

To comply with legal requirements in the UK and internationally, all applicants must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the country where the role is based.  

Compassion in World Farming is absolutely committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background. We value diversity and live experience and acknowledge the underrepresentation of people from certain backgrounds, both within our organisation and across the sector. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups, whether these be of ethnicity, gender, identity, religion, physical ability, sexual orientation or other. 

A leading UK charity is seeking an experienced Systems Accountant to join its finance team on an initial 3–4 month interim contract, with an immediate start required.

 This will be a hands-on role taking responsibility for the day-to-day administration, improvement and optimisation of the organisation’s finance systems. You’ll act as a key link between Finance, IT and system providers, helping improve processes, reporting and the overall user experience.

Key responsibilities include:

• Take ownership of day-to-day finance systems administration, user access, permissions and troubleshooting.
• Support the continued development and improvement of Open Accounts, Medius and WebExpenses.
• Review and improve financial coding structures across the general and project ledgers.
• Develop and improve finance reports and dashboards.
• Review finance system processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and controls.
• Support the Finance team with systems queries, training and guidance.
• Liaise with external system providers on issues, upgrades and system changes.
• Ensure strong data integrity and support effective month-end processes.

You will:

• Have strong experience working with and improving finance/ERP systems.
• Ideally have experience with Open Accounts and/or Medius.
• Have a strong accounting background and understanding of financial processes.
• Be confident reviewing processes, identifying issues and implementing practical improvements.
• Have strong Excel and reporting skills; SQL or similar tools would be advantageous.
• Be comfortable working independently and engaging with finance and non-finance stakeholders.

What's on offer:

• 3–4 month interim contract
• Immediate/short-notice start
• Hybrid working – 3 days per week on-site in London
• Day rate: £250 - £350per day (depending on experience) 

We're looking for an experienced Management Accountant who is excited by the role finance can play in creating social impact. Working closely with colleagues, senior leaders and trustees, you'll provide the financial insight, forecasting and analysis needed to support effective decision-making, ensure strong financial stewardship, and help us make the best use of our resources to deliver our strategy, Leading with Hope. This is an opportunity to combine technical accounting expertise with a commitment to using finance as a tool for positive change. 

Interim Senior Management Accountant – Grants

Hertfordshire | £300–£400 per day | 6 months | 3 days onsite | ASAP

We are working with a well-established £50m+ charitable and grant-funded organisation to recruit an experienced Interim Senior Management Accountant – Grants for an initial six-month assignment.

Reporting to the Finance Director, this is a senior, hands-on role combining management accounting, complex grant and project finance, business partnering and financial analysis.

A key part of the brief is finding someone who is naturally curious and questioning. They want someone who will interrogate the numbers, investigate anomalies, understand what is driving performance and come forward with solutions rather than simply reporting what has happened.

Key responsibilities

• Take senior oversight of a portfolio of complex, high-value grants and funded projects, ensuring robust financial management throughout the funding lifecycle.
• Work closely with project leads and senior stakeholders, providing financial advice, challenge and insight.
• Lead on management accounts, budgeting, forecasting, variance and trend analysis.
• Ensure restricted and grant-funded income and expenditure is accurately accounted for, allocated and reported.
• Produce and review financial reports and returns for major institutional and public funding bodies, ensuring compliance with individual funding requirements.
• Monitor project cash flow, income recovery, billing schedules and financial risks.
• Investigate variances and anomalies, getting underneath the numbers to understand the underlying issues.
• Identify financial risks and opportunities and develop practical solutions with stakeholders.
• Support improvements to financial processes, controls, systems and management information.
• Provide guidance and support to other members of the finance team and help strengthen financial understanding across the organisation.

What we are looking for

• Qualified accountant – ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent.
• Strong charity, research, education or similarly grant-funded/not-for-profit experience.
• Ideally experience within a £20m+ organisation with a reasonably complex funding structure.
• Significant experience managing restricted grants and project-based funding.
• Understanding of the requirements associated with major institutional, government or research funding streams, including cost allocation, compliance and funder reporting.
• Strong management accounting, budgeting and forecasting experience.
• Excellent Excel, analytical and financial modelling skills.
• Confident business partner who can work effectively with senior stakeholders and non-finance project leads.
• Curious, analytical and willing to challenge – someone who questions their findings rather than taking information at face value.
• Solutions-focused and proactive, with the confidence to identify an issue, investigate it and recommend a way forward.
• Able to operate autonomously and quickly get up to speed within a complex organisation.

Contract: 6 months
Rate: £300–£400 per day
Location:  Hertfordshire – 3 days per week onsite
Start: ASAP

Finance & Governance Lead

Salary: £45,000 - 47,500 FTE (£22,500-£23,750 pro rata depending on experience)

Hours: The role is 0.5 FTE employee ie 2.5 days/20 hours a week. Occasional flexible working may be required.

Location: Remote, preferably in the Northwest, with monthly travel to Liverpool.

Contract: 24-month contract with the intention to extend, subject to funding. 

Responsible to: Chief Executive Officer and working closely with the Programmes Lead and Development Manager.

Probation period: 3 months

Line Management: This role has no line management responsibility.

About Worldwide Radiology

We are a volunteer-led charity committed to reshaping the landscape of global healthcare. We work internationally  and have a clear and ambitious mission: to improve access to quality diagnostic imaging worldwide, specifically within low- and middle-income countries.

About the role

Your work will span all areas including bookkeeping, financial management and reporting, statutory accounting, budgeting, grant management, and charities commission governance and compliance. In short, it is a very hands-on role.

We are seeking the right person to join our Senior Leadership Team and lead the charity’s finance and governance functions. This is a pivotal role focused on ensuring financial integrity, regulatory compliance, and effective charity governance. You will play a strategic role in supporting the organisation’s mission by enabling robust financial planning, reporting, and operational support. You will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Trustees, and Programmes Lead to ensure the charity remains financially resilient and well-governed.

This job is for you if you have charity finance and governance experience and possess expertise in financial control and reporting, allowing you to effectively handle your responsibilities. Your numerical skills and critical thinking abilities will enable you to proactively address challenges and streamline processes. You will be proactive, reliable and adaptable and you will be comfortable using a range of IT tools and working in a remote, global environment.

Working closely with our UK and international team, as well as our global network of volunteers and partners, clear communication and cultural awareness are also important.

Key responsibilities

Strategic Financial Leadership

● Contribute to the strategic leadership and development of the charity, providing financial advice and insight to the Chief Executive, Senior Management Team and Board of Trustees

● Lead financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting supporting the  organisational sustainability and long-term financial resilience

Financial Administration

●      Full bookkeeping responsibilities on Xero accounts package.

Financial management

● Lead all aspects of financial management and control including the preparation of timely management accounts, finance reports and forecasts. These will allow you to monitor the financial performance of the organisation and provide analysis and recommendations.

●      You will manage the cashflow management, reserves and investments, and oversee the payroll and other statutory obligations

● Ensure effective financial systems, processes and internal controls are maintained

Statutory Accounting

● Lead the preparation of annual statutory accounts liaising with the external accountant, ensuring compliance with Charity SORP, Companies House, Charity Commission and HMRC requirements

Funding & Grant Management

● Lead the financial management, monitoring and reporting of restricted and unrestricted funding, ensuring compliance with funder requirements and supporting effective budget management across the charity

● Support budgeting and reporting for grants, contracts and funding agreements.

Governance & Compliance

● Prepare financial reports and papers for the Board of Trustees and present at the meetings.

● Support organisational risk management and governance processes

● Develop and maintain financial policies and charity wide policies

● Manage the Charity insurance requirements and renewal

Management

● Lead and develop the finance function identifying opportunities to improve systems, processes and reporting

● Support the wider aims of the charity and, from time to time, carry out other general duties as may reasonably be required by the Chief Executive Officer

Essential skills and qualities

● A financial control and reporting background with an accounting qualification (e.g. ACA,ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or QBE)

● Experience in a senior finance role

● Experience of organisational governance, ideally with knowledge of Charity SORP and charity regulations. 

● Experience of restricted fund accounting and grant management

● Experience of liaising with accountants to prepare annual accounts and reports required by the Charity Commission. 

● Experience of cash flow forecasting. 

● A confident and clear communicator with the ability to communicate financial information in an appropriate manner for non-financial trustees and staff. 

● Ability to prioritise and plan activities to meet strict deadlines. 

Desirable

● Experience supporting boards or governance processes.

● Experience working or volunteering in the non-profit and/or health sector.

● Experience working or communicating across cultures

Our partner is an international non-profit and social enterprise working across Asia to improve access to essential health and rehabilitation services. They are now entering an important stage of organisational development and are seeking an experienced finance systems and project lead to lead an ERP system implementation, and help strengthen financial visibility, reporting, controls and decision-making across their global operations.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the selection, implementation and ongoing management of a new finance / ERP system across regional operations.
• Manage the full systems implementation process, including requirements gathering, vendor engagement, configuration, data migration, testing, training, go-live and post-implementation support.
• Ensure the system supports multi-country, multi-currency operations, donor and investor reporting, country-level management information and group reporting requirements.
• Strengthen financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis and performance reporting across country operations.
• Improve visibility of costs, margins, cashflow, financial drivers and operational performance to support decision-making.
• Work with country teams to strengthen financial controls, expense management, reporting processes and day-to-day operational finance practices.
• Build finance systems capability across country teams through training, mentoring and practical support.
• Support financial planning and systems design for new country operations, expansion and organisational growth.

Person specification

The successful candidate will bring:

• Strong experience leading finance systems, ERP implementation or significant financial systems improvement projects.
• A professional accounting qualification, or equivalent senior finance and systems experience.
• Strong financial management skills, including reporting, budgeting, forecasting, analysis and controls.
• Experience working across multi-country and multi-currency environments, preferably within an international not for profit organisation.
• Strong project management skills, including planning, delivery, stakeholder management, risk management and practical problem-solving.
• Experience supporting finance teams through change, including training, mentoring and building system adoption.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively across cultures, time zones and different levels of finance capability.
• Experience working in South or Southeast Asia, or comparable international contexts, would be highly beneficial.
• Experience in organisations combining charitable, development, commercial or social enterprise objectives would also be helpful.

Ways of working

• The organisation is open to considering different working models, depending on the right person’s experience and availability. This could be a salaried appointment or a consultancy arrangement, and may be full-time or part-time.
• There is a defined overall budget for the role, and the final structure, time commitment and remuneration will be shaped around the preferred candidate’s experience, availability and proposed approach.
• The role is remote, with flexible working arrangements across time zones. Regular international travel to regional operations across South East Asia will be an important part of the role, with work-related travel expenses and per diems covered.

The Finance and Funds Business Partner role is a fantastic opportunity for an individual looking to work for a fast moving, growing organisation. Everything we do is geared to supporting the renowned Christie NHS Foundation Trust to ensure cancer patients receive the highest level of treatment and care and have access to world leading research and technology, ensuring they have the best possible experience.

We are looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic self-starter to support the Charity Financial Controller with:

- The financial management of the Charity’s funds and individually funded projects; and

- The financial control and governance of The Christie Charity group, particularly its two wholly owned subsidiaries (The Christie Trading Company Limited and Northern Pathology Developments Limited).

You will be joining The Christie Charity at an exciting time as we seek to diversify the Charity’s income streams through use of innovative social investments and strategic commercial ventures. This position provides an excellent opportunity to develop a deep understanding of charity and commercial finance within a dynamic and purpose-driven organisation.

Financial management

In relation to the financial management of the Charity’s funds, you will ensure that Individual Named Funds, containing designated funds, are utilised in accordance with their Terms of Reference. In relation to the financial management of individually funded projects, you will monitor spend against budgets through accountability mechanisms agreed with The Christie NHS Foundation Trust finance team. The postholder will be an integral part of the Charity finance team and partake in the annual budget setting process to the extent budgets relate to the Charity’s Individual Named Funds or individually funded projects.

As part of your role in the financial management of individually funded projects, you will act a finance business partner to the broader Charity. You will be integral in liaising with the Charity’s newly appointed Grants Manager to ensure they are aware of new projects.  

Financial control and governance

You will play a key role in ensuring robust financial control across the Charity group, with the opportunity to take ownership of its two wholly owned subsidiaries: The Christie Trading Company Limited and Northern Pathology Developments Limited. This is a hands-on role where you will be responsible for overseeing the accuracy and integrity of financial controls and reporting, supporting the Charity’s aim of maintaining strong governance across both charitable and commercial operations.

Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, budget preparation and monitoring, completing month-end close, submitting quarterly tax returns, and preparing the statutory accounts for both subsidiaries, as well as supporting the Charity Financial Controller in maintaining effective financial control and oversight of the Charity's operations as required.

Additional information

The Finance and Funds Business Partner is a well-established role in the Charity. The successful applicant will be provided on the job training to fulfil this role by the previous postholder who now holds the role of Charity Financial Controller in the organisation.

In the immediate term, day-to-day financial transaction processing will continue to be delivered by The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, therefore, the postholder will be expected to work closely and collaboratively with their finance team to ensure seamless operations and continuity across the Charity group. These responsibilities are expected to transition in full to The Christie Charity by 31 December 2026.

This post would suit an individual who enjoys working in a dynamic, evolving environment, where responsibilities may shift in response to organisational priorities. The postholder must be comfortable navigating ambiguity, demonstrating flexibility, initiative, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

Since 2018, the LRU has grown its membership to over 7,000 renters across London.  Through our six branches, we support renters to take action to transform the housing system.  Organising in communities, the LRU runs training, facilitates peer support, takes collective action and campaigns on local issues, to grow our power.

The Operations Lead plays a key role in facilitating the union’s work, every day. By overseeing the systems, processes and resources that keep the union running effectively, this role creates the conditions for every part of the union to thrive. Working across teams, the Operations Lead helps ensure the organisation is resilient, efficient and well-equipped to achieve its goals.

You will be part of the LRU staff team alongside 15 other staff, who work with members to build the power of the union by organising, campaigning, training and facilitating peer support and member solidarity actions.  We expect staff to uphold the union’s values, and work together to implement collectively agreed strategies.  Each staff member has a line manager, and the staff team are accountable to the elected member Coordinating Group, and to each other.

Key decisions are held by the elected member Coordinating Group and subcommittees, with staff inputting into and facilitating these decisions.

Job description 

This role is varied, and can look different month-to-month.  This job description outlines some activities that you will be doing every month, and some activities that you will only do from time-to-time.

Building collective capacity

• Convening the line management team, organising monthly meetings and ensuring actions are being completed
• HR administration, including holding new starter induction processes; ensuring annual reviews are completed; supporting line managers when conflict or performance issues arise; and ensuring policies are reviewed and kept legally compliant
• Overseeing financial management, including processing invoices and expenses, annual budget development, and holding the relationship with our external accountant.
• Overseeing fundraising including prospecting, bid writing, reporting and fundraising strategy development with the fundraising team
• Overseeing office and resource management
• Overseeing formal compliance and risk management, including insurance, GDPR, and engagement with Companies House
• Inputting into staff decisions and LRU strategy discussions
• Taking part in team meetings
• Joining staff working groups when capacity allows

Building leadership

• Providing support to the elected member Staffing and Finance, and Information and Knowledge subcommittees

Building the power of the union

• Overseeing digital infrastructure, working with the Database Support Officer, and engaging external support when needed.
• Supporting member onboarding process, working with the Union Coordinator – Membership and Democracy.
• Participating in cross-staff calls sessions at least once a month.
• Attending and taking on roles at cross-union meetings, events, trainings and gatherings or other project meetings, across the year as capacity allows.
• Monitoring and responding to messages in main inboxes and carrying out other administrative tasks related to our membership system.

Person specification

• Experience coordinating the day-to-day operations of an organisation, ensuring systems, processes and priorities are effectively managed.
• Strong planning and problem-solving skills, with the ability to improve processes and identify practical solutions.
• Experience supporting people management processes, which can include recruitment, induction, performance management or employee relations, with the ability to work sensitively and maintain confidentiality.
• Experience overseeing organisational finances, including budgets, invoices and expenses, and working confidently with external finance professionals.
• Experience managing organisational compliance and governance, including risk management, data protection and maintaining accurate organisational records.
• Strong ability to build positive and effective relationships with a range of people, who have different experiences and positionalities
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly with a range of people to confidently explain processes and decisions
• Confidence using and overseeing digital systems, with the ability to support others in using them
• An ability to work independently, exercising sound judgement – and work collaboratively as part of a small team.
• A commitment to LRU values

The Purple Elephant Project is looking for an experienced, values driven Finance Manager to join our team in Twickenham. We are a children’s mental health charity, supporting over 100 children and their families every week with therapeutic services, such as Play and Art therapy, across the London boroughs of Richmond, Hounslow and beyond. This is an exciting new opportunity to play a key role in a growing children's charity and to use your finance expertise to help us make a real difference to children and families.

Working closely with our CEO and Trustees, you'll take ownership of our financial management, including:

• Management accounts and financial reporting
• Budgeting, forecasting and cashflow
• Payroll and financial controls
• Business partnering and financial insight
• Improving systems and processes, including Xero

We're looking for someone with strong management accounting experience, excellent attention to detail and a proactive, collaborative approach. Charity experience and Xero knowledge are desirable.

As you will be expected to spend 50% of the time in our offices, you will need to live within close reach of our charity.

If you are looking for a meaningful, senior part-time role, where your expertise can directly support the wellbeing of children and families, we'd love to hear from you. 

Citizens Advice Stevenage is an ambitious and innovative member of the Citizens Advice network. We have expanded our services and offering to meet the increased demand in the area, doubling in size over the last few years. 

As a positive subsequence, we are looking for a Head of Finance & Business Support, who will become a core member of the Senior Leadership Team, responsible for overseeing the financial stewardship of Citizens Advice Stevenage. To lead on financial governance, business support operations, and compliance, ensuring the organization operates sustainably and meets all legal and regulatory obligations. The role is pivotal in safeguarding the charity's financial integrity, supporting strategic decision-making, and enabling effective service delivery. 

Financial Leadership 

• Prepare, review, and present draft and final budgets for approval by the board, ensuring timely submission of financial information to the CEO and Trustee Board. 

• Oversee financial reporting processes, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and compliance with regulatory standards, including variance analysis and annual balance sheets, ensuring timely submission of financial information to the CEO and Trustee Board. 

• Manage the reserves policy, ensuring regular review and alignment with operational needs and financial risks. 

• Identify and manage financial risks, ensuring integration into the organization’s risk register and adherence to appropriate mitigations.

• Ensure that the day-to-day finance and back-office function is high performing and compliant, safeguarding effective and efficient financial management processes. 

• To co-ordinate the proactive and timely dissemination of high-quality financial information to services, the CEO, and Board such as annual budgets, monthly management accounts, cash flow analysis, financial forecasting and monthly business performance figures.

• To ensure that the organisation has in place, robust and compliant financial systems and procedures; and that these are complied with by all budget holders, ensuring that any oversights are fully investigated and reported upwards as necessary.

• To lead on the preparation of statutory accounts, provide year end accounts, provide appropriate support and assistance to the organisation’s auditors and delivery of recommendations arising from the Audit process.

• To ensure that all statutory returns are complete in a timely and effective manner, including those in relation to VAT, PAYE, NIC and SSP, and that appropriate compliance dates are met for the Charities Commission and Companies House.

• Oversee the transactions, activities and processes of the external payroll provider.

• To monitor and advise on current and future tax legislation, with a view to optimisation.

• To support service managers in the preparation of bids and contract negotiations and provide financial activity analysis and reports in line with specific project reporting requirements.

• To monitor, report and make recommendations regarding the Investment and Reserves Policy to the Board.

• To oversee the payroll function to ensure employees are paid in an accurate and timely manner.

• To monitor and control creditors and debtors, ensuring invoices are paid on time and the risk of bad debts is minimised.

Compliance and Risk Management 

• Ensure compliance with all applicable regulatory frameworks, including the Charity Commission, Companies House, FCA, ICO, and other relevant bodies. 

• Maintain and regularly review financial systems, controls, and policies, ensuring they are effectively implemented and aligned with legal requirements. 

• Conduct due diligence for pension, redundancy, and other liabilities, ensuring plans are in place for management and mitigation. 

• Support the trustee board in understanding risks related to projects and contracts, providing assurance of compliance with funders’ requirements. 

• To lead on the Risk Management process, advising the CEO and managers on risk matters, and reviewing the risk register on a regular basis, reporting to the Board of Trustees.

• To check, amend and monitor the Financial Procedures Manual; reporting material breaches to the CEO and Board of Trustees, as required/in-line with governance.

• Working with the senior leadership team monitoring and updating Insurance matters as required, reporting to the CEO and Board of Trustees.

Business Support Operations 

• Lead on organisational business continuity planning, ensuring resilience during crises and alignment with the charity's objectives. 

• Oversee the development, implementation, and review of key policies, ensuring they reflect legal obligations and organisational values. 

• Manage IT systems and cybersecurity measures to protect organisational data and operations, ensuring compliance with standards such as Cyber Essentials. 

Strategic Contribution 

• Provides proactive strategic financial advice and guidance to the Trustees and wider leadership team, monitoring and reporting on the financial performance against agreed targets, identified risks and key performance indicators. 

• Provide financial and operational insights to inform strategic decision-making and long-term planning. 

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and financial accountability across the organisation. 

• Funding strategy: Support the CEO and board to regularly review the sustainability of its income sources and their impact on achieving charitable purposes in the short, medium and longer term.

• Work with the CEO and Head of Impact and Development to prepare the funding strategy that should go beyond immediate budgetary considerations and look at the wider funding landscape. The organisation needs to understand potential emerging opportunities and the organisation's readiness to pursue them. 

Team and Stakeholder Engagement 

• Build and maintain effective relationships with trustees, funders, regulators, and key stakeholders, to ensure that Citizens Advice Stevenage meets its financial, regulatory and legal obligations. 

• Provide leadership and support to finance and business support teams, ensuring professional development and effective performance management. 

People management and development  

• Develop and implement a culture of continuous learning that will equip and develop people to deliver outstanding delivery. Responsibility for the training and development plan for the Finance and Business Support ensuring it is in effective operation including maintaining records of training needs identified and training attended.  
   

• Working with the rest of the leadership team ensure the organisation delivers a fair, inclusive, equitable and transparent employee and volunteer experience, taking account of our EDI aims and in line with employment law and the Equality Act 2010. 
   

• Ensure Open and timely communication that provides information about the organisation and context for decisions that are made, helps to build trust and confidence and earn legitimacy. 
   

• Ensure the effective performance management and development of staff through regular supervision sessions, appraisals and learning and development.  
   

Person Specification 

• ACA/ACCA/CIMA Qualified, CPE up to date.

• Strong financial management experience at a similar level within the charity/not for profit sector 

• A proven track record of leading, developing and inspiring small teams 

• Experience of strategic business & financial planning, forecasting and budget management. 

• Sound experience of producing month-end management accounts and audited year-end financial accounts 

• Experience of managing and using financial systems 

• A working knowledge of relevant legislation (regulatory, legal and financial) in the context of a charitable organisation 

• Experience of managing change and change programmes 

• A track record of initiating, leading and managing associated risks 

• Strong influencing, negotiating and collaborative working skills, with the ability to present complex financial information clearly and concisely in writing or verbally 

• Confident IT skills; confident using Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel

• Experience designing and introducing new financial processes, procedures and reports

• Working knowledge of QuickBooks software [advantageous]

• Experience working with a Board of Trustees [advantageous]

• Understanding of Charity Commission and Companies House reporting requirements

• Project and/or professional services experience

• Understanding of Charity Law

• Experience of working in the not-for-profit sector

• Understanding and experience using the Charity Governance Code

• Experience in working with Charity SORP

• Legal experience – as so far as they can scrutinise and review basic contracts and their revenue recognition requirements and VAT implications

• Strategic and forecasting experience

Head of Finance

Salary£80,000.00 per annum

LocationLondon/Hybrid (with 1 to 2 days a week in the office)

Weekly Hours35

The Vacancy

Job Title: Head of Finance

Location: London/Hybrid (with 1 to 2 days a week in the office)

Salary: £80,000.00 per annum

Weekly Hours: 35

Reference: YMC1228366

About Us

Founded in 1844, YMCA is a global movement and the world's largest youth-focused charity.  In England and Wales, YMCAs are based in over 700 communities across 168 local authorities supporting young people and communities to reach their potential. The turnover of YMCA in 2025-26 was £386m. YMCA England & Wales is a £23 million organisation of more than 400 colleagues, supporting a Federation of 80 local YMCAs to deliver vital services which positively impact young lives across the country. As we grow our income and impact, we are seeking an established and inspirational Head of Finance to take on one of the most pivotal roles in our organisation.

The Opportunity

This is a senior leadership appointment, reporting to the Director of Resources and leading a Finance team of around nine, including the payroll function. You will act as our lead on all matters of finance, liaising with our Federation members where necessary, providing expert support to our Income Generation Directorate (Fundraising and Retail) and other internal Directorates, embedding financial insight into revenue-generation strategy and working in close collaborative partnership with senior colleagues both within those teams but also across the Federation. Beyond this, you will oversee statutory reporting, investments, VAT and taxation compliance, and provide expert counsel to our Board of Trustees and Finance and Audit Committee.

Why You

Perhaps you have already established an excellent track record within a charity with significant fundraising and retail operations and are ready for the scale and influence this role commands. Or perhaps this is your first move into a charity; you are a seasoned accountant whose clients have included charitable organisations, and you now plan to apply that expertise where it matters most. Either way, this is a genuine opportunity to shape the financial future of a movement with over 180 years of heritage as we continue to embed strong financial practices whilst delivering our strategic ambition

What We're Looking For

You will be a fully qualified accountant (ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA or CIPFA) with senior management experience leading finance in an organisation of comparable scale, ideally with charity reporting and SORP knowledge. Strong business partnering skills, gravitas with trustees and committees, and genuine collaborative leadership are essential to succeed in this crucial role.

Our recruitment process is anonymised and candidates' names are hidden. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. Safer recruitment is important to us and the successful applicant will be asked to provide two references. They will also be required to complete a safeguarding self-declaration, safeguarding training and undertake a DBS check

We are hiring two Finance Business Partners in our London Team to support our mission-driven programmes by providing insightful financial guidance, strengthening decision-making, and ensuring the effective stewardship of donor and organisational resources.

The Finance Business Partners (FBP) report to their Finance Business Partnering Manager (FBPM) based in London within the Finance, Planning & Analysis (FP&A) team and hold key relationships with Programme Heads and Leads, the core Finance team and members of the Programme Management and Development teams based in London and other ClientEarth entities.

For the second role, we are seeking a candidate with proficient French language skills to support Partners who operate mainly in French.

Important dates to note: Applications close on Monday 7 September 2026. If your profile passes initial screening, you will be requested to submit additional information in the form of three additional questions. The deadline to have your responses to these questions submitted is 10 September 2026 for your application to be fully considered. Please also remember to check our recruitment process section at the bottom of the advert to get acquainted with our recruitment process for this role.

Key Responsibilities

• Working closely with the FBPM, oversee the financial management of a portfolio of departments and projects, keeping budgets under continuous review, and providing regular financial information and analysis.
• Contribute proactively within the FP&A team to improving programme finance systems, procedures and templates.
• Assist the Programme Management Group to keep track of and reconcile actual and committed project expenditure. 
• Create and post monthly salary allocation and cost recovery journals into our accounting system Dimensions.
• Ensure that the financial aspects, reporting and audit requirements of grant/donor funded projects are aligned with donors’ contractual requirements and ClientEarth standards. 

See the job description for a full list of duties for this role.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Qualified Accountant (desirable) 
• Fluency in French for one of the roles
• Demonstrable experience of financial administration of a portfolio of grants 
• Demonstrable experience of preparation of budgets and grant financial reports (ideally trusts, foundations and institutional donors such as FCDO and EU) 
• Experience and knowledge of donor funding and compliance 
• Advanced excel skills and strong general IT skills 

See the job description for a full list of requirements for this role.

Job Benefits

Flexible working:  We are proud to be a Flexa accredited Employer. Visit our Flexa Employer page for more information on our approach to flexible working. Our flexible working policy allows our people the choice to decide to work from home/another location in the country where their contract of employment is issued for 80% of their month, with the other 20% of their month being office-based. See our benefits page for more: Benefits | ClientEarth Careers as well as our flexible working FAQ.
 

ClientEarth values diversity and inclusion and the benefits this brings. We aim to appoint the most suitable candidate at all times and welcome applications from people from all different backgrounds. See our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at ClientEarth | ClientEarth journey page for more.

Please note that ClientEarth is only able to employ those who have the pre-existing legal right to work in the UK.
 

ClientEarth is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal services to third parties.