Associate Director of Finance - #JBD08452

DCA Recruitment; Watford; Hybrid; GBP 71,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading charity organization in Watford is seeking an experienced Associate Director of Finance to support their financial operations. The ideal candidate is a qualified accountant with a strong leadership background in the financial sector. This full-time role (37.5 hours/week) offers a hybrid working arrangement and a salary of £70,605 plus benefits. Strong understanding of financial compliance and excellent communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading financial operations in a multi-service environment.
• Ability to influence at all levels within the organization.

Responsibilities

• Support the Finance Director in delivering financial excellence.
• Lead financial operations to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Manage audits and champion continuous improvement.

Skills

Financial compliance understanding

Leadership skills

Proactive approach to improvement

Communication skills

Education

Fully qualified accountant (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA)

Job description

Associate Director of Finance – Watford

Salary £70,605.00 + benefits

About One YMCA

At One YMCA, we believe in transforming lives and strengthening communities. We provide essential services that help people to belong, contribute and thrive. Our work spans Social Housing, Health & Wellbeing, Childrens Services, Youth & Community Programmes, and Specialist Therapeutic Support – reaching individuals and families across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and beyond. Over the past five years, One YMCA has grown substantially, with an annual turnover of over £40 million, a £22 million development programme, and a passionate team of over 750 colleagues working from more than 160 sites.

Guided by our strategic vision, ‘More and Better, Together’, we are focused on achieving 20 ambitious aims by 2030 – not by doing different things, but by doing things differently.

About the Role

This is a pivotal leadership opportunity within our Finance Directorate. As Associate Director of Finance, you will support the Finance Director in delivering strategic financial excellence across the Group. You will lead core financial operations, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency, while enabling the Finance Director to focus on strategic transformation and stakeholder engagement.

You will be a hands‑on, technically strong finance leader who can manage complex systems, lead audits, and champion continuous improvement across all financial processes. With a clear understanding of housing sector regulatory reporting, you’ll be confident connecting front‑line finances with long‑term Board planning and co‑regulation.

This is an ideal role for a qualified, forward‑thinking finance professional ready to take the next step into senior leadership within a purpose‑driven organisation that truly makes a difference.

What We’re Looking For

• Fully qualified accountant (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
• Proven experience leading financial operations and teams in a complex, multi‑service environment
• Strong understanding of financial compliance, controls, and regulatory reporting (preferably in the housing or not‑for‑profit sectors)
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to influence at all levels
• A proactive approach to improvement, innovation, and collaboration

Why Join Us?

Joining One YMCA means becoming part of a values‑led organisation committed to creating real social impact. You’ll help shape the future of our finance function, contribute to our ambitious strategy, and support life‑changing work across our communities.

If you’re ready to lead with purpose and bring your expertise to a growing, mission‑driven charity, we’d love to hear from you.

For full details about this exciting opportunity, including key responsibilities and person specification, please refer to the recruitment pack and detailed job description attached to this advert.

Apply now to be part of something that truly matters!

We do not provide visa sponsorship; you must be eligible to work in the UK.

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates. However, if you have applied for a similar role within the last 6 months and were not successful, please consider whether your experience has developed further before reapplying.

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and will strive to be as accommodating as possible. Please inform us in advance of any arrangements you may need to fully participate in the process.

At One YMCA we are an inclusive organisation and actively promote equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We do not discriminate on the basis of Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage/Civil Partnership, Pregnancy/Maternity, Race, Religion/Belief, Sex and/or Sexual Orientation. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities, and industries, and are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences, and abilities.

This is a Full Time role.

Hours per week: 37.5

Working Pattern: Monday – Friday / 37.5 hours per week (Hybrid Working)

About Us

One YMCA and its subsidiaries, the Early Childhood Partnership (ECP) and Signpost, are on an exciting journey to double our impact by 2025. We are over half way through an exciting new strategy launched in the first hour of the new decade, via email where all staff and volunteers were invited to put themselves forward to apply and attend an intensive, three‑day Kickstarter Event.

By the end of these three days, there was a brilliantly multi‑faced set of themes and ideas, which formed the starting point for the rest of the Mission 25 process to build on. The aim of Mission 25 is to give every staff member and volunteer the opportunity to play their part in shaping the strategy to do more and better, together so that we double our impact by 2025. We deliver a vast array of services across Herts, Beds and Bucks that reach over 135,000 individuals annually.

These Include:

• Provision of over 700 units of accommodation for homeless people
• Move‑on accommodation for individuals moving onto independent living
• Housing and practical/emotional support for young asylum seekers
• Community HUBs hosting a range of activities and meeting space hire
• Childcare provision in Hertfordshire
• Family support through a network of children’s and family centres covering Hertfordshire and Bedford
• Therapeutic and non‑therapeutic support for male and female victims of domestic abuse and their children
• Independent sexual violence services across Bedfordshire, Luton and Hertfordshire
• Domestic abuse perpetrator reform programmes across Bedfordshire
• Youth services offering emotional wellbeing support and youth club opportunities for 11‑19 year olds alongside our National Airplay programme funded by the RAF Benevolent Fund