Finance Business Lead

Islamic Relief Worldwide; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Islamic Relief Worldwide in Birmingham seeks a Finance Business Lead to act as the primary finance partner for designated business units and global portfolios, delivering strategic financial insight to budget holders, project leads, and senior stakeholders.

You will drive grant management, budgeting and forecasting, donor reporting, month-end activities, financial analysis, and the ongoing digital transformation of finance using ERP, automation, and Power BI to deliver real-time insights for

Qualifications

• A professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Significant experience in financial management, business partnering, budgeting and forecasting.
• Proven experience managing grants and institutional donor reporting.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to support and challenge budget holders effectively.
• Experience producing management accounts, financial analysis, and performance reporting.
• Strong financial modelling and forecasting capability.
• Expertise in month-end processes, financial controls, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organisational skills.
• The ability to communicate complex financial information clearly to non-finance audiences.
• A strong continuous improvement mindset and enthusiasm for digital transformation.
• High levels of integrity, professionalism, and attention to detail.
• Commitment to the mission, vision, and values of Islamic Relief Worldwide.
• Experience with Power BI, dashboard reporting, and data visualisation tools.
• Awareness of AI, automation, and digital finance technologies.
• Experience developing the financial capability of non-finance stakeholders.
• Additional qualifications in project management, analytics, or digital transformation.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary finance partner for designated business units and global portfolios.
• Provide strategic financial support to budget holders, project leads, and senior stakeholders.
• Drive grants management and donor reporting, budgeting and forecasting, and month-end activities.
• Deliver financial analysis and performance reporting to support decision-making.
• Lead digital transformation of the finance function using ERP, automation, and reporting tools.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Financial analysis

Budgeting & forecasting

Financial modelling

Communication of financial information

Continuous improvement

Digital transformation

Grant & donor reporting

Education

Professional accounting qualification (ACA/ACCA/CIMA)

Tools

Power BI

Dashboard reporting

ERP systems

Data visualization tools

Job description

Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) is a faith-based humanitarian and development organisation working to save and transform the lives of some of the world's most vulnerable people. Established in 1984 and operating in over 45 countries, we respond to emergencies, tackle poverty, empower communities, and advocate for lasting change.

We are seeking a Finance Business Lead to join our Finance & Corporate Services Division based in Birmingham. This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially minded finance professional who enjoys partnering with stakeholders, delivering meaningful financial insight, and driving continuous improvement through digital innovation.

The Finance & Corporate Services Division plays a critical role in supporting Islamic Relief's global operations by delivering high-quality services across Finance, Treasury, ERP & Digital Transformation, ICT, Supply Chain, and Facilities.

About the Role

The Finance Business Lead acts as the primary finance partner for designated business units and global portfolios, providing strategic financial support and insight to budget holders, project leads, and senior stakeholders.

This is much more than a traditional finance role. You will work closely with non-finance managers, helping them understand their financial performance, improve decision-making, and maximise the impact of their programmes and activities.

You will also play a key role in grant and fund management, budgeting and forecasting, donor reporting, month-end activities, financial analysis, and the ongoing digital transformation of the finance function. Using ERP systems, automation, and reporting tools, you will help deliver real-time financial insight that supports effective decision-making across the organisation.

The successful candidate will have:

• A professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Significant experience in financial management, business partnering, budgeting and forecasting.
• Proven experience managing grants and institutional donor reporting.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to support and challenge budget holders effectively.
• Experience producing management accounts, financial analysis, and performance reporting.
• Strong financial modelling and forecasting capability.
• Expertise in month-end processes, financial controls, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organisational skills.
• The ability to communicate complex financial information clearly to non-finance audiences.
• A strong continuous improvement mindset and enthusiasm for digital transformation.
• High levels of integrity, professionalism, and attention to detail.
• Commitment to the mission, vision, and values of Islamic Relief Worldwide.
• Experience with Power BI, dashboard reporting, and data visualisation tools.
• Awareness of AI, automation, and digital finance technologies.
• Experience developing the financial capability of non-finance stakeholders.
• Additional qualifications in project management, analytics, or digital transformation.

Why Join Islamic Relief?

This role offers the opportunity to influence strategic decision-making across an international humanitarian organisation and contribute directly to programmes that support vulnerable communities around the world.

If you are a qualified finance professional who enjoys partnering with stakeholders, driving efficiencies, and using financial insight to support meaningful impact, we would love to hear from you.