Robertson Bell is exclusively partnering with Social Interest Group (SIG) to recruit an Interim Finance Director on a 9-month fixed-term contract. This is a pivotal senior leadership role within a dynamic, mission-driven organisation delivering life-changing support services across housing, mental health, addiction recovery, and complex needs.
With the Group’s new five-year strategy recently launched, this role will play a vital part in shaping and delivering the organisation’s financial approach to support its long-term ambitions. Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with both the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and Board, the Interim Finance Director will provide visible, robust financial leadership while safeguarding the long-term financial sustainability of the Group.
Key Responsibilities include:
- Providing robust, strategic financial advice to the CEO, SLT, and Board, ensuring sound financial insight underpins all key decisions.
- Driving the development and implementation of short, medium, and long-term financial strategies aligned to the Group’s new five-year strategic plan.
- Ensuring effective management of corporate risks, working through the Director of Compliance, Risk, and Internal Audit, and reporting to the Board as required.
- Acting as the SLT lead for contract oversight and procurement, ensuring appropriate financial governance, pricing models, and value-for-money outcomes.
- Providing clear leadership to the finance team, working closely with the Head of Finance (direct report), and supporting the ongoing development of a high-performing finance function.
- Taking ownership of finance system optimisation, budgeting, scenario planning, and overseeing both internal and external audits.
- Managing legal, insurance, and risk arrangements, including acting as the lead for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery planning.
- Supporting the implementation and delivery of SIG’s environmental strategy, embedding sustainable practices across the Group’s operations.
The successful candidate will bring:
- Proven experience in leading organisational change within the charity (ideally social care) or housing sectors, acting as a trusted advisor to senior leadership.
- Strong cashflow management expertise, ideally gained in environments with high staffing costs and low margins.
- Demonstrated ability to engage with and influence Boards and committees, with a clear articulation of financial risks and strategy.
- A balance of strategic vision and hands-on financial leadership, with a proactive and solutions-focused approach.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a track record of developing high-performing teams and fostering cross-functional engagement.
- A recognised accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent).
This is an exciting opportunity to join a purpose-led organisation and make a lasting impact at a critical time. Based at SIG’s Head Office in Highbury & Islington, the role offers the opportunity to lead a key finance function at the heart of an ambitious and growing Group.
Registered Charity 
101 - 500
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East End Homes are partnering exclusively with Robertson Bell in their search for a permanent Financial Controller. East End Homes, is a locally based and community-led housing association in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. This year East End Homes is celebrating its 20th anniversary. In 2005 residents of five estates across Tower Hamlets voted for their homes and communities to be transferred to the newly established social landlord. Today, its 120-strong team manages over 3,900 homes with local offices in each neighbourhood.
The newly created Financial Controller position offers a rare opportunity for a technically strong, ambitious, and commercially aware finance professional to play a key role in reshaping East End’s finance function and influencing decision-making at a senior level. The Financial Controller will be a member of the Senior Management Team and this role is seen as a natural stepping stone toward Finance Director level within the sector.
The Role:
- Work closely with the Finance Director and Executive Team to support strategic planning and organisational transformation.
- Oversee the development and delivery of Eastend Homes’ long-term financial plans, annual budgets, and business modelling (including BRIXX).
- Deliver and embed a proactive finance business partnering approach across the organisation, influencing decision-making and performance management.
- Drive improvements to financial reporting, insight, and analysis, delivering value across the organisation.
- Coordinate the production of our financial plans and reports including monthly management accounts, the annual statutory accounts, forecasts and the budget.
- Oversee day-to-day financial operations, ensuring sound internal controls, process improvement, and compliance with relevant regulations (FRS102, SORP, RSH).
- Manage cash flow forecasting, covenant compliance, and other treasury responsibilities, with support available for professional treasury qualifications if desired.
- Play a leading role in mentoring, developing, and embedding a high-performing, collaborative finance team (c.3–4 staff).
- Actively contribute to the Senior Management Team and support wider change initiatives across the business.
The Organisation:
East End Homes has made significant progress in stabilising its operations and strengthening its governance. With the appointment of a highly experienced new CEO and completion of key commitments to the Regulator of Social Housing, the organisation is now focused on long-term sustainability, performance improvement, and resident impact. The recent appointment of an Interim FD has brought further structure and capability to the finance function, and this Financial Controller hire will be a cornerstone of building a modern, resilient, and insight-led finance team.
Person Specification – Essential:
- Qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA/CIPFA).
- Strong technical knowledge of financial and statutory reporting including FRS102 and Housing SORP.
- Demonstrable experience in social housing finance including business planning, management accounting and regulatory compliance.
- Experience of delivering improvements in management reporting, financial controls, and/or business partnering.
- A confident communicator with excellent interpersonal skills and a track record of engaging with and challenging senior stakeholders.
- Digitally confident with strong Excel skills and familiarity with financial planning tools (e.g., BRIXX).
- Forward-thinking and inquisitive, with a continuous improvement mindset and strong problem-solving ability.
- Experience of coaching or leading teams and ability to develop others.
This role will be based at East End Homes’ head office in Tower Hamlets, with travel between estate-based local offices as required. The closing date for applications is 6th July with interviews taking place week commencing 21st July (first stage) and final interviews scheduled for week commencing 28th July.
Applications will be reviewed continuously before the closing date. Please apply via our exclusive search partner Robertson Bell.
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This is a unique opportunity for an experienced leader to help diversify the environmental sector by scaling a Black-led nature organisation to be able to demonstrate leadership on a national scale and promote and serve the interests and needs of ethnically marginalized communities in accessing nature.
Our Ambition
We’re on an exciting journey of growth. Our vision is to become a nationally recognised, well-resourced Black institution for learning about and caring for nature.
We aim to:
- Be the go-to resource for people of colour learning about the natural world and accessing outdoor spaces with confidence.
- Be the go-to resource for mainstream environmental organisations seeking to understand Black and Brown perspectives on nature.
- Strengthen networks and community among POC-led nature organisations across the UK.
Our operating income for 2025-2026 is £230,000. Our ambition is to generate an income of over £1 million by 2027-2028, growing to a 15+ staff team.
How the COO will support our vision
The role of Chief Operating Officer is central to helping us achieve our ambitions, ensuring that Wild in the City has the resources, infrastructure and working environment to achieve its annual plans, long term aims and deliver high-quality programmes.
We are not expecting the COO to implement the key areas of operations alone, we will work together to prioritise and generate the resources to build a team to cover the functionality required for steady growth. We are also motivated to ensure that the role’s salary is reviewed to meet market expectations as the role grows, dependent on funding.
This role needs an exceptional candidate who enjoys making a role their own, who is motivated by turning strategy into impactful action and who finds fulfilment in supporting others to achieve.
The COO will ensure that;
- We secure ongoing, long term financial resources, creating stability and underpinning growth, and scaling into operations in multiple regions, nationally
- We grow our staffing to provide a steady infrastructure and achieve our strategic objectives, including creating operations, fundraising, communications and research teams, and increasing our field team.
- We retain our relational, open, authentic, personable, dynamic, collaborative, innovative culture as we grow.
Who We're Looking For
We are looking for a dynamic and dependable Chief Operating Officer (COO) to help realise our vision.
We’re seeking an emotionally intelligent, commercially competent, and values-driven leader who can bring clarity, stability, and energy in a fast-paced and mission-led environment. You will thrive in turning strategy into action and impact, and in driving Wild in the City forward in scaling our delivery and leadership on a national scale.
You will bring:
- Proven experience in operational and strategic leadership
- Strong financial and commercial acumen, including income generation, budgeting, and long-term planning
- A successful track record of managing people, partnerships, and multi-disciplinary teams
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills across staff, volunteers, partners, and board members
- Emotional resilience, sound judgement, and a calm, authentic presence
- A genuine connection to our mission and values
We welcome people from all backgrounds to fulfill the role of COO. We are mindful of the lack of diversity within senior leadership in the environmental field and encourage those from Global Majority backgrounds to apply.
Why Join Us?
This is an exciting time to join Wild in the City, we hope that you will make an application. As COO, you’ll play a central role in shaping the next chapter of our development - growing our influence, supporting Black leadership in nature, and helping transform access to the natural world for communities of colour.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.