Senior payroll administrator jobs

Hours: 25 hours per week

Contract: Temporary until September 2027. Expected start date of August 2026.

Salary: £29,209 full-time equivalent (19,472 Pro Rata)

Department: Finance

Location: 1 Northgate Road, Middlesbrough, TS5 5NW

The Senior Finance Assistant and Payroll Administrator will provide financial administrative support for the Finance Team, and the payroll function for the organisation, allowing appropriate information to be provided to stakeholders at all times.

You will support the implementation of our Finance strategy and have empathy for the work of Teesside Hospice.

You will assist in providing a communication link between the Finance Department and other departments who rely on robust support.

You will work closely with the Financial Controller to ensure the effective day to day operation of your duties, thus allowing The Financial Controller to prepare timely, complete and accurate management accounts. A large element of the role involves taking the lead on the purchase ledger system. The role also involves other aspects such as daily logging of donations, weekly reconciliation of lottery membership records, bank reconciliations, submitting Gift Aid claims and more outlined in the duties section.

You will lead in preparing, running and finalising the payroll for companies in the Teesside Hospice group. You will be the payroll link between the Finance Department and other departments who rely on our support. You will work closely with the Financial Controller and Group Director of Resources to ensure the effective day to day operation of the payroll, thus allowing for accuracy of payments to staff alongside meeting all of the necessary regulatory requirements i.e. apprenticeship levy, SMP, auto enrolment.

You will be highly organised and able to work to deadlines, working independently as well as collaborating as part of a team.  An enjoyment and appreciation for attention to detail is essential.

We endeavour to exceed customer / donor expectations by delivering high quality of customer service and adhere to all policies and procedures.

As part of our committed Team environment, the working atmosphere is friendly and supportive.

At Teesside Hospice, we believe in making every moment count. Our team is dedicated to providing exceptional, specialist care and support to patients and their families during challenging times.

People are at our core. We offer a supportive environment with opportunities for professional growth and development and are always aiming for the highest standards and working environment. Our teams work positively together, collaborating to ensure our patients get the best care, and staff enjoy a fulfilling career knowing they make a real difference in people's lives.

Our values are Compassionate, Skilled, Accountable, Trustworthy and Principled - working here means being part of a community that focuses on empathy, respect and teamwork. We're there for everyone who needs us and are on a mission to change the way society and healthcare systems care for people.

Join us at Teesside Hospice and be part of a place where your skills and compassion can truly shine.

Closing date for applications is 25th June 2026, but we reserve the right to close the advert earlier if we have a high volume of applications.

Teesside Hospice is committed to eliminating discrimination and values diversity in the workplace.

This role requires a DBS check. We will do this for you.

About Adolescent Health Study

The Adolescent Health Study (AHS) is an ambitious new UKRI-funded initiative to establish a prospective, longitudinal population study that will generate a globally leading open science data platform and research resource. AHS aims to recruit at least 100,000 young people aged eight to 18 years from across the UK and to follow their mental and physical health and wellbeing over at least 10 years. It plans to collect data through questions and measures; to obtain bio-samples for a wide range of genomic and other high-throughput assays; and to capture linked data relevant to health and wellbeing from participants’ health, education and other administrative records. Recruitment will take place mainly through schools. There will be a strong emphasis on engaging with and involving young people, schools, parents and other relevant stakeholders in the design and delivery of the study, as well as on including young people that represent as wide as possible a range of backgrounds, experiences and characteristics. AHS will focus on enabling a wide range of research, including studies of the critical biological and social developments that occur during the transition from childhood to adulthood and the determinants of both mental and physical health and wellbeing in adolescents and young adults.

Purpose of the post

The HR Officer plays a key role in delivering an effective, professional, and compliant HR service across the organisation. Supporting both operational HR processes and employee experience, the post holder will contribute to attracting, developing, and retaining talent in a collaborative and values-driven research environment.

Main responsibilities

HR Operations & Administration Support

• Lead recruitment campaigns in consultation with hiring managers, including drafting job adverts, short-listing and coordinating interviews.
• Manage employee life cycle process, including background checks, onboarding and offboarding.
• Maintain accurate and confidential employee records in compliance with GDPR and organisational policies.
• Administer HR systems, contracts, and employment documentation.
• Manage relationship with 3rd party suppliers including HR consultancy and DBS check providers.
• Support payroll preparation including monthly absence reporting and ensuring accurate data submission and coordination with Finance/Payroll.
• Support the wider central administrative team as required.

 Employee Relations

• Provide first-line HR advice to managers and staff on policies, procedures, and employment matters.
• Support casework relating to absence, performance, disciplinary, and grievance processes.
• Support managers and the COO with complex people cases, working with the external HR partner as required.
• Promote a positive and inclusive working culture aligned with the organisation’s values.

Learning & Development

• Coordinate training activities and support professional development initiatives for research and support staff.
• Some delivery of internal people-related training
• Assist in identifying skills gaps and contributing to workforce development plans.

Policy & Compliance

• Ensure HR practices comply with employment legislation, charity sector regulations, and best practice.
• Monitor and assist with the development, review, and implementation of HR policies and procedures, including handbook updates.
• Support equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives across the organisation.

HR Projects & Continuous Improvement

• Contribute to HR projects such as staff engagement, wellbeing initiatives, and organisational development.
• Support the implementation of HR systems improvements and process efficiencies.
• Collect and analyse HR data to inform decision-making and reporting.

Knowledge, skills and experience 

Essential

1. Experience in an HR administrative or officer-level role.
2. Sound knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
3. CIPD Level 3 or equivalent.
4. Experience of supporting payroll and finance processes.
5. Proven ability to establish and evolve people processes in a growing organisation.
6. Proficiency in HR systems, such as BreatheHR or equivalent, and Microsoft Office applications.
7. Experience of working in organisations with multiple staffing arrangements i.e. direct employees, secondees, contractors etc.
8. Strong organisational and administrative skills with excellent attention to detail.
9. Ability to handle sensitive information with confidentiality and professionalism.
10. Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Desirable

1. CIPD Level 5 qualification (or working towards).
2. Experience working in the charity, academic, or research sector.
3. Experience supporting EDI and wellbeing initiatives.
4. Familiarity with public funded and/or project-based staffing environments.
5. Experience supporting or negotiating secondment arrangements, particularly within academic, charity or research environments.

Dimensions

• This is a full-time role, 37.5 hours per week, offered initially as an 18-month fixed-term contract with potential route to permanency.
• Flexible working across several geographical locations in the UK.  Travel may be required to AHS locations and partner organisations.
• AHS is a national organisation, and our activities take place across the UK.

Application Process

All candidates are required to complete the application form which can be found when clicking 'Apply Now' via Charity Job. 

Please refer to the ‘How to Apply’ section of the downloadable application form.

Please note that only applications submitted directly to Gravitate HR will be accepted for this position.

The closing date for applications is 11:00pm on Sunday 5 July 2026.

Interviews are currently expected to take place on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 August 2026.

Equal Opportunities Policy Statement

 AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. It is our policy to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of:

• Gender, including gender reassignment
• Marital or civil partnership status
• Having or not having dependants
• Religion or belief
• Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins)
• Disability
• Sexual orientation
• Age

We are opposed to all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination.  All job applicants and employees who work for us will be treated fairly and will not be unfairly discriminated against on any of the above grounds. Decisions about recruitment and selection, promotion, training or any other benefit will be made objectively and without unlawful discrimination. 

Values

It is an exciting time for the Adolescent Health Study (AHS) as we establish our senior leadership team and begin to plan the pilot studies. As the senior executive team evolves, the AHS values will be grounded in inclusivity, integrity, accountability, and collaboration.

Manchester Central Foodbank is a busy Trussell Trust-affiliated food bank, with centres in Central, North, and East Manchester. We were established in Ardwick in 2013 by students at the Manchester Universities’ Catholic Chaplaincy, making us the first student-led food bank in the country. Since then we have grown significantly, expanding our weekly sessions into Harpurhey and Openshaw.

Our core aims are to deliver the best quality support that we can to the largest number of our neighbours in need, while working with partners and influencing and organising at a neighbourhood and citywide level to reduce and end the need for food banks in Manchester.

We currently support 16,000 people per year with nutritionally balanced 3-day food parcels. This is double the number of people we supported in the first year following the Covid-19 pandemic, and four times the number supported in 2019. We also provide financial inclusion support with advice workers in public sessions, access to energy vouchers, SIM cards, and other voucher or material support. We coordinate across a network of 200 active front-line referral agencies with the aim of ensuring everyone who accesses our service has appropriate, specialised, and ongoing support alongside the material provision that we provide.

We are active leaders in anti-poverty organising and community development, as convenors of the citywide Building an Anti-Poverty Community collective and aim to be key shapers and influencers of new strategies and policies, working closely to support and influence local government, NHS, education and research agendas in Manchester and more widely building upon our track record of successful anti-poverty partnership work, social value impact and Parliamentary influencing. Our core values are: care, partnership, dignity, partnership, anti-stigma and rights-based.

Key responsibilities
As Chief Executive Officer you will be the key senior staff leader for the charity. You will lead the team to ensure they have the resources, frameworks, and support to effect smooth day-to-day running of our frontline support service. You will provide a strong business management focus, through supporting the financial process, overall metrics and reporting, day to day HR and input for the external Payroll Team, Health and Safety, appropriate working conditions, and strategic planning and communications. 

As the senior lead you will also facilitate and support the Board of Trustees to develop and lead strategic development objectives and plans for transformation, and ensure the delivery and implementation of the charity’s overall strategy and specific focused strategies. You will develop and manage strategic relationships with stakeholders including Council, NHS, and other statutory partners and funders, corporate and social value funders and partners, and high-value and donors. You will also plan and lead fundraising strategies. 

You will be a key external interface for our community and partners.  You will do this by:

Staff/Board Leadership and Governance:

• Line managing a current team of operations staff, including those supporting the recruitment, training, and management of a large team of volunteers. 

• Building team spirit and employee engagement and offer.

• Leading and delivering regular staff performance and development reviews.

• Developing and delivering robust metrics and reporting to the board and staff team, through consistent monthly and quarterly reporting packs to the board of trustees.

• Ensuring all staff and volunteers are familiar and engaged with the charity’s long-term goals and objectives, and know how their work helps to implement these on the ground. Leading the development of induction packages and ongoing offers for staff and volunteers. You will be responsible for writing, implementation, and update of institutional policies as needed to staff and volunteers.

• Leading targeted volunteer recruitment strategies to maximise core delivery capacity through volunteer roles and prioritise staffing capacity to core charity operations.

• Ensure policies are kept current.

• Ensure recording and management of absence/leave.

• Ensure Health and Safety aspects of all organisational operations are compliant, in collaboration with the Board sponsor.

• Manage day to day financial input, through the Xero app, and ensure accurate and up-to-date financial reporting for the Board/Treasurer. This includes administering monthly payroll requests.

• Oversee training and personal development plans for staff and volunteers, as appropriate.

• Working with the Chair of Trustees to implement the charity’s strategic plan and structural development objectives.

• Develop and implement ongoing plans and actions to ensure operationally-appropriate and safe office, warehouse, and working spaces.

• Lead on development, modelling, and maintenance of service delivery standards, quality control, and ensuring frontline teams have the appropriate resources, support, and frameworks to deliver high quality and consistent support offers.

Foodbank Management:

• Support the Operations and Project Lead to deliver the smooth running of food bank sessions across multiple centres, ensuring an excellent standard of service across all centres, and seeking to continually develop our service in line with our goals to support the largest number of people with the best support we can while working to reduce and end the need for food banks in Manchester.

• Develop and build a new Delivery Strategy with the Chair of Trustees and Operations and Project Lead.

• Support the Operations and Project Lead and Warehouse and Logistics Coordinator to safely store and maintain optimal stock levels, maximise food donation levels and reduce food spend, develop and maintain relationships with community donors, and record incoming and outgoing stock, with the aim of ensuring that all centres are well stocked to provide as many varied, balanced, and nutritious and culturally-appropriate food parcels as necessary.

• Ensure compliance with the procedures set out in Manchester Central Foodbank’s policies, the Trussell Trust’s Operating Manual, and relevant statutory requirements at all times.

• Ensure our food bank centres provide a safe and dignified environment for clients, free from discrimination, judgement, and stigma.

Strategy and External Relationships:

• Working with the Chair of Trustees on development, monitoring, and implementation of the core charity strategy and sub-strategies. Ensuring the involvement and participation of the food bank’s staff, volunteers, external partners, and service users in all strategic planning and decision making, where appropriate.

• Support the Operations and Project Lead to work build strong relationships with referral partners and wider community and statutory networks of collaborators and support to ensure that our service users are able to access the maximum amount of support before, during, and after accessing our service to minimise the length and severity of financial crisis, maximise their incomes, and provide pathways to ongoing and longer-term support.

• Play an active role in strategic and convening spaces around our city and neighbourhoods to present the foodbank’s approach, bring more partners into our network, and influence policy and funding frameworks.

• Develop and manage a Corporate Relationships and Social Value strategy, including communications, networking, and relationship management.

• Lead on directing the charity’s external communications, including social media, in person, newsletters, company visits, and other content.

• Manage internal communications, including developing and delivering two-way team briefings with the board and staff/volunteers, biannual town halls or away days with board members and staff/volunteers, newsletters, and an open and collaborative, person-focused, and developmental culture within the organisation.

About you

Essential Experience and Knowledge:

• 5 years’ experience of leading a similar profiled charity or organisation and successful Board interaction.

• Experience of leading successful transformation and change for a charity and a strong developmental mindset and focus.

• Have led a team of 5 or more staff members to successful performance, demonstrating experience of coaching and individual development skills.

• Experience in developing and leading successful and engaged volunteering programmes and support.

• Full valid driving licence. 

• Proven experience of leading the development and delivery of strategy and sub-strategies to successful conclusion and fashioning evidenced business cases for current and new development projects.

• Leading multiple complex projects or services, balancing the needs and interests of a range of stakeholders.

• Experience of implementing rigorous reporting and evaluation practices on operations.

• Experience of managing day-to-day financial administration and reporting.

• Evidence of delivering clear metric dashboards and reports.

• Experience of high-quality implementation of Health and Safety and Safeguarding policies and a leadership practice that centres care for staff, volunteers, and service users. Safeguarding lead qualification is desirable but will provide training if not.

• Demonstrable knowledge and experience in HR processes and management.

• Experience in building and delivering strategic plans.

• Proven experience of effective problem solving and responding to crisis situations.

• A good working knowledge of the social welfare and political landscape in Manchester – or demonstrable experience in similar expertise and networking and an openness to learn and develop sector-specific knowledge.

• A nuanced and sensitive understanding of the complex reasons people attend food banks.

Desirable Experience and Knowledge:

• Partnering with and building relationships with Council, NHS, and other statutory partners and funders, corporate and social value partners and funders, high net worth donors, and fundraising through grant applications and individual/community donors.

• Experience of working collaboratively with stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, faiths, and views. 

• Experience of handling safeguarding incidents, follow-ups, and debriefs with staff, volunteers, and service users.

• Demonstrated success in delivering communications strategies for internal and external stakeholders, including social media and press content and campaigns.

Personal Skills and Attributes:

• An individual who embodies the values of Manchester Central Foodbank in their core professional practice and personal approach to their work.

• An empathetic and care-centred approach and the ability to centre the experience and outcomes of people from marginalised or socially-excluded backgrounds in core decision-making and prioritisation.

• A leader who takes ownership, accountability, and responsibility to drive an organisation and team forward with a developmental mindset.

• A highly self-motivated and proactive person who centres collaboration and consensus with the staff team, volunteers and Board of Trustees in their approach.

• Able to develop strategy and plans and translate strategy to actionable delivery and developmental projects.

• A high level of literacy and communication.

• A high level of numeracy and ability to analyse data.

• Strong leadership attributes to build engagement and performance with the team.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to motivate, persuade, and coach staff and volunteers.

• Excellent personal organisation skills and the ability to manage multiple conflicting priorities and deadlines.

About Us 

​Established in 2002, Greenhouse Sports is a youth charity specifically using sport to support social change. Sport is our hook to engage young people and one of the vehicles through which we support youth development. But our purpose is not to create elite athletes or address physical inactivity. Rather, we create opportunities for young people to recognise their strengths and develop the skills they need to thrive both now and in the future. 

We work across London, Portsmouth, and Leicester, specifically in areas of high deprivation. We embed evidence-based positive youth development programmes into primary and secondary schools. These programmes are delivered by our trusted, high-quality coach-mentors who deliver year-round to ensure that young people have ongoing access to sport, mentoring, enrichment, and employability activities. The result of this work is that every year, Greenhouse Sports support over 9,000 young people to attend school more often, improve their wellbeing, and raise their aspirations, transforming life chances in the communities that need us the most.

Purpose of the Role 

Greenhouse Sports believes its people are its most important asset. From our coach mentors delivering impact on the front line to the teams supporting our growth, everything we achieve is powered by our people. We are looking for a People Operations Coordinator to join our team and play a key role in delivering a smooth, professional and engaging employee experience across the organisation

This is a hands-on, operational HR role with a strong focus on administration, alongside opportunities to contribute to projects and continuous improvement across the People function

You’ll be the first point of contact for HR queries, supporting the full employee lifecycle—from recruitment and onboarding through to payroll, systems, and employee experience initiatives. Reporting directly to the Head of People, you’ll gain broad exposure across HR and play an important role in keeping everything running smoothly.

HR Operations & Systems​​​​​​

• Manage and maintain our HR system (PeopleHR), ensuring data is accurate and up to date.
• Monitor absence and holiday data, flagging trends or concerns to managers.
• Produce reports and support GDPR compliance and data integrity.
• Support the upkeep and documentation of People processes and policies.

Payroll & Benefits​

• Prepare monthly payroll data for our external provider, ensuring accuracy and timely submission.
• Manage pension data and resolve payroll queries.
• Support payroll sign-off processes with Finance and senior stakeholders.
• Administer employee benefits (e.g. Westfield Health, BetterSpace).

Recruitment & Onboarding​

• Coordinate end-to-end recruitment processes, including posting ads and scheduling interviews.
• Manage and optimise use of the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
• Prepare contracts and onboarding documentation.
• Conduct pre-employment checks (RTW, DBS, references, etc.)
• Deliver HR induction and manage new starter onboarding.
• Monitor probation periods and support line managers.

Learning, Development & Compliance​

• Coordinate internal and external training (including safeguarding and first aid).
• Track completion of training and performance reviews.
• Support CPD agreements and development activity across the organisation.

Employee Experience & Engagement​

• Support employee engagement and culture initiatives.
• Play an active role in staff wellbeing and organising social activities.
• Help create a positive and inclusive employee experience.

Support to Head of People​

• Assist with employee relations administration, including note-taking.
• Provide first-line guidance on policies and procedures.
• Support continuous improvement across the People function.

Experience​

• You have experience in an HR or administrative role.
• You have strong organisational skills and high attention to detail.
• You’re confident using systems (HRIS experience helpful, but not essential).
• You have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (especially Excel).
• You understand HR processes and best practice (or have a willingness to learn).​

Skills​

• You are approachable, empathetic, and able to build relationships quickly.
• You’re discreet and always maintain confidentiality.
• You are proactive and solutions-focused.
• You are a team player with a positive, can-do attitude.​​​

Please ensure you have provided both your CV and Cover Letter to support your application. ​

We will be interviewing candidates on a rolling basis, so please do submit your application as soon as you can. ​​

Greenhouse Sports is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children therefore applicants must be willing to undergo child protection training and screening including an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check and obtaining satisfactory references from past employers.

The Role

The Trust has grown significantly over the past five years, from a team of 30 staff in 2020 to almost 60 in 2026. Our organisational strategy, which takes us to 2030/2031, predicts further growth across all our activities, that will allow us to increase and improve the support we provide for young people, and further raise the profile of social mobility in the UK. As part of this, we are currently in the early development stages for the Trust’s first ever People Strategy.

We are seeking an organised and detail-oriented HR Assistant: Recruitment to support the administration of our recruitment, onboarding and compliance processes.

The Team

The HR Assistant: Recruitment will join a small and dynamic team that covers Finance, Human Resources, IT and Business Operations. The Finance & Operations team play a critical role by running the day-to-day operations and providing the infrastructure that enables the continued delivery of the Trust’s mission and objectives. The role will report to the Senior Operations Manager and will work closely with colleagues both in Finance & Operations and across the wider Trust.

Main duties

Pre- and Post-Employment

• Coordinating the end-to-end recruitment process, e.g., ensuring completeness of recruitment documentation, coordinating interviews, liaising with candidates etc.

• Providing routine recruitment advice and support for hiring managers, with support from your line manager

• Supporting key employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, induction, probation reviews and leavers' processes

• Maintaining an awareness of current employment trends, processes and best practice to support effective and inclusive recruitment and onboarding

HR Administration and Compliance

• Managing HR documentation, e.g., staff files, new starter contracts etc.

• Maintaining and updating HR systems, e.g., Teamtailor ATS, Personio etc.

• Supporting the Finance team with payroll administration

• Supporting the coordination and monitoring of mandatory HR compliance training across the Trust

• Supporting with day-to-day queries relating to HR policies and processes, with support from your line manager. Completing related research, as required.

Other

• Acting as the Trust's first point of contact, by providing a responsive and efficient service for general external and internal telephone and email enquiries

• Supporting general HR projects, as required

• Other duties as necessary from time to time

Person Specification

We welcome applications from individuals who can demonstrate:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and first-class interpersonal skills

• Strong organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to multi-task

• Ability to learn new systems and processes quickly

We are also looking for an individual who is or has:

• Sympathetic to the aims of the Trust and its mission to address educational disadvantage

• High attention to detail

• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and independently with a high degree of initiative

• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately

• Ability to work flexibly, manage competing priorities and meet deadlines

• Eligible to work in the UK (see here for information about right to work, please note we are not a licensed visa sponsor)

In addition, experience in the following areas will help you to stand out. However, this is not required, and training will be provided if needed for the right candidate:

• Experience of providing administrative support, particularly in an HR capacity

• Experience of managing a range of different projects

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

Terms of Appointment

• Contract: Full-time (part-time 4 days considered), 12-month fixed-term contract initially

• Salary: £30,800-£31,500

• Working location: Our home working policy gives staff the option to work from home for up to 60% of the time, with approval from their line manager.

• Office location: The Sutton Trust, 9th Floor, Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP.

• Hours: The standard working hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and may also be required to attend events / meetings outside of their normal working hours during weekday evenings and occasionally at weekends

• DBS check may be required

Interviews

Applications should reach us by 10am, Thursday 18th June, with interviews held in our London offices on Wednesday, 24th June.

Safeguarding statement

The Sutton Trust believes that a child, young person or vulnerable adult should never experience abuse of any kind. We all have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to keep them safe. Therefore all posts undergo a safer recruitment process, including but not limited to, disclosure of criminal records where necessary and eligibility to work in the UK. We have procedures in place to promote safeguarding and a safe culture at the Trust.

Contextual recruitment

The Trust is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity and that all applicants receive equal consideration for employment. We strongly encourage individuals from all backgrounds, including those underrepresented at present at the Trust, to apply for this role. As such we particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities, Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ and from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds. We are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming place to work and know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for the young people we support.

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates throughout our recruitment process and during employment.

We also operate contextual recruitment at the Sutton Trust. Our application process gives you the option to include information about your background, such as whether you were eligible for free school meals, whether your parents went to university, or whether you attended a state school. For more examples and information on contextual recruitment, please see our website.

What you’ll be doing: 

• Managing the organisation’s financial responsibilities, working to tight deadlines, and a varied workload across different areas of responsibility, particularly in relation to financial reporting. As well as ensuring that financial processes are accurate, up to date and compliant with statutory requirements

• Taking a proactive approach to maintaining efficient office systems and operations, ensuring that orders are processed and providing support for the general up-keep of the office equipment 

• Contributing to project delivery by supporting the team with a range of ongoing administrative and organisational tasks, which requires flexibility and able to manage a varied workload across different areas of responsibility.

What we’re looking for: 

• We are looking for someone with a strong level of experience in managing the financial operations of a small organisation, ensuring that systems and processes are both robust and efficient. This includes experience of financial forecasting, reconciliations and, where appropriate, introducing or improving financial systems. 

• The postholder must be able to communicate financial information clearly to a range of stakeholders with differing levels of financial understanding, both verbally and through written reports or presentations relating to the organisation’s finances and funded projects. 

• Strong organisational and administrative skills are essential. The role requires the ability to manage different aspects of project support, general administration and office management, while keeping the wider team informed of progress on outstanding tasks. 

If this role is of interest, please refer to the full job description and person specification for further details. 

About Us

Health Exchange (HEx) charity and its trading subsidiary Living Well Taking Control (LWTC) are purpose-driven organisations committed to improving health, wellbeing and reducing health inequalities through prevention, behaviour change and community-based support.

Together, we deliver innovative health improvement, social prescribing and lifestyle intervention services that support tens of thousands of people each year. Working alongside the NHS, local authorities, Primary Care Networks, community organisations and national and international partners, we are helping to shape the future of prevention and population health.

With a combined annual income of approximately £7.5 million and a team of nearly 50 permanent staff, we are entering an exciting phase of transformation and sustainable growth.

As we continue to evolve, we are seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Head of Finance to provide strategic financial leadership across both organisations.

Job Purpose

The Head of Finance will lead and develop the finance function across Health Exchange and Living Well Taking Control, ensuring robust financial management, effective governance and long-term financial sustainability.

As a member of the Senior Management Team, the postholder will work closely with the Chief Executive, Director of Operations, Head of Growth, Service leads and Trustees to provide financial insight, planning and analysis that supports strategic decision-making, organisational development and future sustainability.

This role combines leadership with operational oversight and offers an opportunity to play a central role in shaping the future direction of two ambitious organisations committed to improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities.

Key Responsibilities

I. Strategic Financial Leadership

Lead the development of medium and long-term financial plans that align with organisational priorities and strategic objectives, providing high-quality financial advice and insight to the Chief Executive, Senior Management Team, Board of Trustees and relevant committees. Support strategic decision-making through robust financial analysis, forecasting and scenario planning, identifying financial risks and opportunities and making recommendations to strengthen organisational sustainability. Contribute proactively to organisational transformation, continuous improvement and the successful delivery of strategic initiatives across Health Exchange and Living Well Taking Control.

II. Financial Management and Reporting

Lead all aspects of financial management across Health Exchange and Living Well Taking Control, ensuring the production of timely and accurate management accounts, financial reports and performance analysis. Work collaboratively with budget holders and senior managers to develop and manage annual budgets and reforecasts, while monitoring financial performance, cash flow and reserves to ensure robust financial controls are maintained. Oversee payroll, pensions and financial administration, and lead procurement activity and value-for-money initiatives that support the effective and efficient use of organisational resources.

III. Business Partnering and Strategic Support

Work closely with the Chief Executive, Director of Operations and Head of Growth to assess the financial viability of new opportunities, partnerships and service developments, providing robust costing, pricing and financial modelling to support bids, tenders and contract negotiations. Support the mobilisation, delivery and performance monitoring of contracts through high-quality financial reporting and analysis, while developing business cases and investment appraisals to inform strategic decision-making. Ensure effective financial governance, transparency and appropriate financial arrangements across Health Exchange and Living Well Taking Control, supporting the efficient operation of both organisations.

IV. Governance, Audit and Compliance

Ensure compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements, lead the preparation of annual accounts and external audits, and act as the main point of contact for auditors and professional advisers. Maintain effective financial controls, policies and governance arrangements, oversee organisational risk and asset registers, and support the Board of Trustees and Audit & Risk Committee in fulfilling their responsibilities.

V. Systems and Continuous Improvement

Lead the development and continuous improvement of financial systems, processes and reporting tools, maximising the use of technology to enhance efficiency, accuracy and management information. Lead, motivate and develop the finance team, fostering a high-performing and supportive culture, while contributing positively to the Senior Management Team and promoting organisational values of collaboration, integrity, accountability and inclusion. Support organisational change and continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen performance and effectiveness across both organisations.