Associate Director Finance

University of Manchester Students' Union; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational support organisation in Manchester is looking for an Associate Director of Finance. This role includes managing month-end processes, leading budgeting and forecasting, and developing strategic finance capabilities. The position offers the opportunity for a varied workload with a hybrid working model, providing flexibility and autonomy. The ideal candidate will have strong technical accountancy skills and experience in management accounting. The salary is circa £50K to £60K per year, depending on experience.

Qualifications

• Experience in management accounting is essential.
• Ability to manage a varied workload and lead on financial modelling.
• Passionate about finance and capable of strategic development.

Responsibilities

• Manage month-end processing and balance sheet management.
• Lead on budgeting and forecasting activities.
• Develop strategic finance capabilities and work with boards.

Skills

Strong technical accountancy

Reconciliation skills

Budgeting

Forecasting

Job description

Associate Director of Finance, University of Manchester Students' Union

We are recruiting for a new role of Associate Director of Finance supporting the COO/FD. The lead employer is the University of Manchester Students' Union who have been working on developing a shared finance service model and so it will be working across multiple organisations in Manchester.

Initially this role will be taking over management accounting responsibility from the COO/FD. It will involve delivering hands on management accountancy duties such as month end processing, balance sheet management, VAT and leading on budgeting and forecasting. The role requires strong technical accountancy and reconciliation skills.

There is significant scope for development in this role once the day to day management accountancy aspects of the role are embedded. This will include developing strategic finance capabilities such as long term financial modelling and working with Boards and committees.

The role is hybrid and there is a requirement to spend time in offices in Manchester, however this can be delivered flexibly and the role holder will be given autonomy over how time is managed. UMSU is an exciting organisation and no two days are ever the same due to the varied nature of activity. This is a good opportunity for someone who likes a varied workload, is passionate about finance and has the drive to shape the role and make it their own.

Please read the full role profile before applying, as well as our guide to recruitment.

Details

Salary: Circa £50K to 60K per year, dependant on experience

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 35 hours per week

Recruitment Timeline

Applications opened: 19/12/2025

Interviews: 26/01/2026

We may close applications early if we receive a high volume of applications. We recommend that you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Once the vacancy has closed, we’re unable to accept late applications to ensure a fair process for all candidates.

Contact

People Team:

You can contact the People Team with any questions regarding this vacancy or our recruitment process.

Email: [e-mail]

Phone: [phone]

You can contact the hiring manager with any questions regarding this vacancy or our recruitment process.

Seniority level

Mid-Senior level

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Finance and Sales

Industry

Higher Education