Wildlife jobs

Could this be your next role? We are looking for a new Head of Finance to lead financial strategy at scale and influence decisions at the highest level at one of the UK's most respected conservation charities.

Head of Finance
Reference: AUG20259208
Location: Flexible in UK – With regular Travel to HQ in Sandy, Bedfordshire
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £70,490.00 - £80,025.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance, 26 days annual leave

This is an exciting opportunity for a finance leader reporting to the Director of Finance, who can balance strategic vision with operational delivery, ensuring the finance function operates with agility and remains fit for purpose, providing well-informed financial decisions, transparency that are aligned with effective corporate governance. Striking this balance will be key to your success as Head of Finance.

What's the role about?

You will be accountable for a functional specialism covering the main RSPB charity, its subsidiary companies, and connected entities. This high-impact role is responsible for leading the development and coordination, of our financial controls and compliance across the RSPB, providing detailed, insightful financial analysis that supports the delivery of the RSPB’s strategic objectives.

With income and expenditure of around £200m annually, and a new finance system covering financial operations and systems integrations, you will bring proven expertise in managing large volumes of transactions, managing financial controls, running audits, and dealing with complex tax and contracts issues, leading the Financial Operations, Financial Control and Finance systems teams.

You will be a finance professional who not only brings strong technical expertise and experience but also demonstrates a clear commitment to our values and a collaborative approach to leadership. You will have the credibility and emotional intelligence to influence, engage and build trusted relationships both across the organisation and with external partners.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Qualified accountant, with at least 5 years post qualified experience.
• Outstanding analytical skills to understand complex financial performance, see the underlying major issues and strong communication skills to convey this in a simple and powerful
• Excellent knowledge of financial standards ,UK GAAP (FRS102), IFRS.
• Proven leadership and people management skills, able to develop team members for high performance and build a positive culture
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to present, influence and represent the functional specialism at all levels
• Collaboration skills to build partnerships, navigate politics and manage conflicts
• Business management skills to understand strategy, business functions and decision-making
• Ability to evaluate incomplete, complex and large volumes of financial information, to develop and consider a range of options and make a recommended course of action
• Proven ability to translate strategy into action, developing programmes, prioritising and leading change
• Highly competent user of Microsoft office in particular Excel

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Knowledge of the charity sector and the frameworks within which we work, including Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP)

Additional Information:

• This role is home based with the requirement to regularly travel to our UKHQ in Sandy, Bedfordshire (expected to be once per month) plus occasional travel to other locations as required (overnight stays may be necessary).

Closing date: 23:59, Friday 19th September 2025
We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from week commencing 29th September 2025.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

This role will require completion of the standard pre-employment checks.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

As part of this application you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete a short form. In the cover letter section of the form you will have the opportunity to explain how you meet the criteria set above. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

No agencies please.

enior Programme Advisor: Asia

2 Year Fixed Term Contract

£43,851pa

Woking, Surrey, GU21 4LL/Hybrid working

This is a UK based contract and as such, you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. We unfortunately do not have any opportunities available for sponsorship. Any offer of employment, if applicable, will be subject to receiving evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.

About the role

The Senior Programme Advisor (SPA) in the Asia team will focussing on the delivery of a large 3-year corporate partnership started in June 2024 working on freshwater issues in Asia (with focus in India, China, Pakistan) and looking at palm oil production in Indonesia. The programme also has strong advocacy and learning components, and it is testing new innovative approaches such as insetting.

The SPA will coordinate and, when possible, lead on all programmatic input - including technical, financial, M&E - as well as overseeing the coordination and facilitation of other partnership delivery needs including advocacy and communications, science, learning and knowledge sharing.  Working as part of an Asia Regional Unit, in direct collaboration with the Senior Relationship Manager in the Corporate Partnerships team, the SPA role is responsible for:

· Overall coordination of the partnership components (on the ground conservation in 5 geographies, advocacy and communications, research, learning and knowledge exchange), ensuring coherence and collective contribution to the overarching Theory of Change.

· Providing strategic programmatic leadership, oversight, support and advice on the conservation work, with a stronger focus on the work in India and Indonesia

· Identifying additional areas for programmatic development based on an understanding on the corporate partnerships ambition

· Liaising directly with Senior Relationship Manager in Corporate Partnerships team to represent the programmatic needs in the partnership and ensure consistent alignment between Conservation Programmes and Corporate Partnerships for effective partnership delivery.

· Convening and facilitating stakeholder engagement for effective partnership delivery, specifically on the programmatic side, including network partner officesin Asia, colleagues across WWF-UK, the wider WWF Network and where appropriate external organisations

· Coordinating with the wider WWF Network to ensure support to delivery of relevant network ambitions, in combination with WWF-UK’s ambitions and ensuring mutual benefits through the partnership.

· Overarching programme management of the international grants within the partnership portfolio.

On the ground conservation programmes are implemented by teams within network partner offices, the emphasis of this UK-based role will be on ensuring that all programmes are well designed, quality assured, contribute to the overarching partnership theory of change, and risks are managed appropriately, as well as providing strategic advice directly and by convening others to address identified resource and capacity gaps and playing the role of critical friend that can bring insights from across the partnership portfolio to strengthen delivery in each geographic region and the partnership coherence as a whole.

Benefits, rewards & location

The salary for this role is £43,851. We also offer a full benefits and rewards package including:

· Annual leave starting at 26 days a year, rising one day each year to a maximum of 31 days plus bank holidays

· Flexible working options

· 5% employer contribution to pension, increased to 10% with employee contribution.

· Learning and development opportunities

· Regular wellbeing initiatives.

This role is hybrid and you’ll be required to be in the office 20% of your contracted hours. The job is based at our UK head office, the Living Planet Centre in Woking, Surrey. The Living Planet Centre is one of the greenest buildings in the UK, and you’ll hot desk among trees and gardens.

About WWF-UK

We’re a global conservation charity with hundreds of projects around the world and millions of supporters.

At WWF-UK, we’re bringing our world back to life. Protecting what’s left is not enough – we’re now in a race to restore the natural world and prevent catastrophic climate change before it’s too late. And it’s a race we can still win.

We’re courageous and passionate about fighting for the future we want to see – a world where people and nature can thrive.

We were born out of passion and science, and for more than 60 years we’ve been at the forefront of global efforts to protect wildlife and the natural world. We operate with integrity, collaboratively and with respect for those we work alongside.

How to apply and the recruitment process

Please click on the link and apply via our website by completing the application form and submitting a copy of your up-to-date CV and a supporting statement to highlight what makes you a good fit for us.

Our policies and benefits reflect the importance of people being able to have a good work-life balance and being able to bring their ‘full self’ to work.

Our Diversity Promise to You

At the heart of our mission is a simple truth: the planet needs everyone. That means you – in all your uniqueness, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or how you choose to express yourself.

We don’t do stereotypes. We work together with purpose, driven by passion and enhanced by respect, courage, and integrity. We pull together from all walks of life to fight for a better future, and we want you to feel supported every step of the way.

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident employer and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels they belong. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and identities.

So, if there’s anything we can do to make your application or interview experience more comfortable or accessible, just give our Talent Acquisition Team a shout via our website.

Safeguarding Commitment

Just as we celebrate diversity in all its forms, we are equally dedicated to creating a safe environment for every person we work with or encounter. Our commitment extends to children, adults at risk, and individuals experiencing any form of vulnerability, whether temporary or permanent.

We proudly stand behind CAPSEAH (Common Approach to Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment) and put this commitment into action through clear policies, thorough training, and recruitment checks tailored to each role, which may include external vetting.

If you ever have a concern, however big or small, know that there are confidential channels ready to support you at WWF-UK. We promise to respond promptly and with care, because protecting every individual is at the heart of everything we do.