Finance Director

Together Women Projects; Leeds; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Together Women Projects is seeking a Director of Finance to provide strategic financial leadership, governance and high-quality financial insight to support confident decision making. The role combines strategic direction with operational oversight, aiming to strengthen financial management, systems and processes to enable organisational growth and robust governance.

The role emphasizes influencing decisions, managing risk and delivering trusted financial advice to support the charity’s mission

Qualifications

• Significant senior financial leadership experience within a complex organisation.
• Experience advising Boards, Committees and senior leadership teams.
• Experience delivering annual budgeting, forecasting, cashflow management and statutory accounts.
• Experience leading audits and working with external auditors.
• Experience leading and developing finance teams.
• Experience planning finances across multiple funding streams, contracts or grants.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic financial leadership across the organisation and develop long-term financial plans.
• Advise the CEO, Executive Team and Board on financial strategy, sustainability and risk.
• Lead the finance function, develop systems and controls, and support organisational growth.
• Present high-quality financial reports to the Board and committees with clear insights.
• Lead the annual audit process and ensure compliance with legislation and governance requirements.
• Develop finance team capability and promote continuous improvement.

Skills

Strategic financial leadership

Governance

Financial insights

Relationship building

Commercial acumen

Education

Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent)

Tools

Financial systems

Audits

Budgeting & forecasting

Job description

Workingclosely with the Chief Executive, Board of Trustees, Finance Committee and Executive Team, the Director of Finance will provide strategic financial leadership, ensuring the organisation has robust financial management, strong governance, effective controls and high-quality financial insight to support confident decision making.

The role combines strategic leadership with operational oversight. The successful candidate will lead the finance function, develop financial systems and processes, support organisational growth and ensure Together Women continues to operate with the highest standards of financial management and governance.

Thisrole is about much more than producing financial reports. It is about influencing decisions, identifying opportunities, managing risk and providing trusted advice that enables the organisation to deliver its mission and achieve its long-term ambitions.

The role is only open to women, in accordance with the sex-based exemptions of the Equality Act 2010 pursuant to Schedule 9, Part 1.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Provide strategic financial leadership across the organisation
• Develop long term financial plans that support Together Women's strategic ambitions
• Advise the Chief Executive, Executive Team and Board on financial strategy, sustainability
• Leadfinancial modelling, scenario planning and business planning
• Ensurethe organisation maintains appropriate reserves, cashflow and financial resilience
• Identifyopportunities to improve efficiency, maximise resources and strengthen financial sustainability

Executive Leadership and Business Partnering

• Workcollaboratively as a member of the Executive Team to shape organisational strategy and performance
• Actas a trusted adviser to the Chief Executive, providing timely, balanced and commercially astute financial advice
• Buildstrong relationships with Directors and managers, supporting them to understand financial performance, manage budgets and make informed decisions
• Supportthe development of new services, contracts and business opportunities through financial modelling and costing
• Contributeto organisational planning, transformation and continuous improvement

Financial Management and Governance

• Lead the preparation of annual budgets, management accounts, statutory accounts and financial forecasts
• Ensurerobust financial controls, compliance and effective governance across the organisation
• Leadthe annual audit process and maintain excellent relationships with external auditors
• Ensurecompliance with charity, company and financial legislation
• Presenthigh-quality financial reports to the Board of Trustees and Finance Committee, translating complex financial information into clear, meaningful insight
• Ensure effective management of restricted funds, grant reporting and contract finances

Leadership of the Finance Function

• Provideleadership, support and development to the finance team, creating a high performing and customer focused finance service
• Developefficient financial systems, processes and controls that support a growing organisation
• Promotecontinuous improvement through digital innovation, automation and modern financial practices
• Fostera culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous learning

Income Growth and Organisational Development

• Supportthe Chief Executive and Director of Development in preparing financially robust funding applications, tenders and business cases
• Developproject budgets and financial models for new opportunities
• Provide financial due diligence for partnerships, contracts and new initiatives
• Supportcontract mobilisation and ongoing financial performance monitoring

Risk, Assurance and Compliance

• Maintaina proactive approach to financial risk management
• Ensureappropriate financial policies, procedures and internal controls are in place and regularly reviewed
• Supportorganisational assurance through effective risk reporting and compliance monitoring
• Workclosely with the Finance Committee, Trustees and external stakeholders to maintain confidence in Together Women's financial stewardship

Role Requirements

Essential

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent)

Experience

Significantsenior financial leadership experience within a complex organisation

• Experienceof advising Boards, Committees and senior leadership teams
• Experienceofof leading annual budgeting, forecasting, cashflow management and statutory accounts
• Experienceof managing audits and working effectively with external auditors
• Experienceof leading and developing finance teams
• Experienceof financial planning within organisations delivering multiple funding streams, contracts or grant funded programmes
• Experienceof developing financial systems, improving processes and driving continuous improvement

Knowledge and Skills

Excellentstrategic financial planning and analytical skills

• Abilityto interpret complex financial information and communicate it clearly to non-finance audiences
• Strongcommercial awareness and sound business judgement
• Excellentleadership, influencing and relationship building skills
• Strongunderstanding of governance, risk management and internal controls
• Abilityto balance strategic thinking with operational delivery

Personal Qualities

• Highlevels of integrity and professional credibility
• Collaborative and approachable leadership style
• Excellentjudgement and sound decision making
• Solutionsfocused with the confidence to challenge constructively
• Highlyorganised with excellent attention to detail
• Resilient,adaptable and able to work effectively in a fast-changing environment
• Passionateabout Together Women's mission and committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Desirable

• Experiencewithin the charity or not for profit sector
• Experienceof charity accounting, restricted funds and SORP
• Experienceof contract costing, commissioning or public sector funding
• Experience of supporting organisational growth and change
• Experienceof financial systems implementation or digital transformation

Within the first 12 months you will have:

• StrengthenedTogether Women's financial planning and reporting
• Builttrusted relationships with the Board, Executive Team and managers
• Developeda high performing finance function
• Enhancedfinancial systems, controls and business intelligence
• Supported successful funding bids, new contracts and organisational growth
• Establishedyourself as a trusted strategic adviser to the Chief Executive and Board

The role is only open to women, in accordance with the sex-based exemptions of the Equality Act 2010 pursuant to Schedule 9, Part 1.

Applicants should have the right to live and work in the UK.