Chief Operating Officer

ACCA Careers; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 95,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Refugee Council invites an exceptional Chief Operating Officer to join the Senior Leadership Team. Hybrid role with travel across England is required. You will shape financial strategy, lead the Finance & Resources directorate and ensure robust sustainability to support frontline services and policy influence.

You will boast qualified accountant credentials and a proven track record in governance, risk management, and organisational transformation, driving performance and resilience.

Qualifications

• Must be a qualified accountant with senior leadership experience.
• Experience in financial strategy, business planning and governance.
• Able to communicate effectively with internal teams and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Finance & Resources directorate and drive organisational transformation.
• Develop robust financial strategy and ensure long-term sustainability.
• Provide strategic advice and assurance to the Board and executive team.
• Collaborate across finance, people, IT, risk and governance to enable frontline services.

Skills

Qualified accountant

Senior leadership

Education

Qualified accountant

Job description

Refugee Council

Chief Operating Officer

Salary: c.£95,000–£100,000

Location: Hybrid, with travel to London and across England as required.

Contract: Permanent, full-time or 4 days

Help to lead a remarkable charity that stands alongside refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK.

About Refugee Council

For more than 75 years, Refugee Council has stood alongside refugees and people seeking asylum, providing practical support, influencing policy and campaigning for a fair and humane refugee protection system.

Our vision is for a UK where refugees are welcomed, can rebuild their lives safely and with dignity, and are empowered to contribute to their communities.

In 2024/25, we supported more than 15,203 refugees and people seeking asylum, including more than 7,022 children and young people through our specialist youth services. Our work combines direct support, advocacy and campaigning to create lasting change.

About The Role

Refugee Council is seeking an outstanding Chief Operating Officer to join our Senior Leadership Team and to partner with our new Chief Executive and amazing colleagues to shape the organisation’s future.

This is a pivotal new role providing strategic leadership across finance, people and culture, IT and digital, data, risk, governance and premises. You will lead our Finance & Resources directorate, drive organisational transformation and ensure our systems, resources and culture enable our frontline services and policy and influencing to thrive.

You will lead the charity’s financial strategy ensuring robust stewardship and long term sustainability and provide strategic advice and assurance on financial sustainability, operational resilience, governance and organisational performance to the Board and executive team.

About You

You will be a qualified accountant with significant senior leadership experience and a strong track record in a broad organisational role including financial strategy, the development of robust, sustainable business models, organisational transformation, business planning and governance.

You are passionate about people – someone who sees finance, people, digital, data and systems not as back-office functions, but as the platform that allows our frontline work to thrive. Confident with charity finances, and able to communicate effectively internally and externally, you are truly collaborative and eager to be part of a cohesive Senior Leadership Team.

Why join us?

This is a moment for you to use all your experience and talents to ensure the Refugee Council’s financial sustainability, operational resilience and organizational effectiveness, and to support the wider sector.

If you are a highly relational leader with a passion for involving colleagues, refugees and people with lived experience in delivering the charity’s mission we would love to hear from you.

Closing date for applications is Monday 12 October at 11:45pm.

We encourage early applications as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications.