Finance Director

The Stables MK; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 65,000; Part time

Job summary

The Stables MK in Milton Keynes is seeking an experienced, hands-on Finance Director to provide strategic and operational financial leadership across the organisation’s charitable, trading, subsidiary, festival and project activities.

Reporting to the Chief Executive & Artistic Director, the postholder will lead budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, treasury and governance, develop robust financial controls, manage a small finance team and provide clear financial insight to the Board.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified accountant with substantial post-qualification experience.
• Significant experience leading a finance function in a complex organisation.
• Strong knowledge of charity accounting, SORP, VAT and Gift Aid.
• Hands-on experience in budgeting, forecasting, cash flow and internal controls.
• Experience working with boards, auditors and funders.

Responsibilities

• Lead budgeting, rolling forecasts, cash flow and treasury management.
• Provide strategic financial insight to the CEO, Artistic Director and Board.
• Oversee charity accounting, statutory accounts, audit and governance support.
• Develop and manage finance team and maintain financial controls.

Skills

Strategic financial leadership

Leadership

Communication

Board interaction

Analytical mindset

Education

Fully qualified accountant – ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA

Tools

Cloud-based accounting software

Finance systems

Job description

The Stables is based in Milton Keynes and is one of the UK’s leading music venues with a

vision to engage the widest range of people with music in all its diversity. We enrich people’s

lives by offering opportunities to access, participate in and experience live music and the arts

more broadly.

We present around 400 concerts and events each year across all genres, alongside an extensive

programme of learning and participation. We also founded and produce IF: Milton Keynes

International Festival, a multi-artform biennial event that transforms the city into a stage.

The Stables and IF: Milton Keynes International Festival are operating names of Wavendon

AllMusic Plan, a registered charity. We are proud of our reputation for world-class music and

events, a warm welcome and high standards of customer service.

The Stables is located in one of the UK’s fastest growing and most economically vibrant cities

and is part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio.

Role Description

The Stables is seeking an experienced, hands‑on Finance Director to provide strategic and

operational financial leadership across the organisation’s charitable, trading, subsidiary, festival

and project activities. As a member of the Strategic Management Team, the postholder will lead

financial planning and help shape business planning, strengthen long‑term sustainability, lead

robust budgeting, reforecasting, cash flow forecasting and treasury management, and provide

clear financial insight and constructive advice to the Chief Executive & Artistic Director, senior

colleagues and the Board.

The role combines senior accountability with direct, hands‑on delivery. The postholder will

oversee rigorous and accurate financial management; charity, company, tax, funding and

data‑protection compliance; statutory accounts and audit; financial controls, records and

systems; funder reporting; investment, liquidity and risk; and agreed company‑secretarial and

governance support.

They will lead and develop the Finance team, support budget holders to manage resources

confidently, and personally prepare, complete or cover core processes such as management

accounts, forecasts, reconciliations, payroll, payment runs, statutory returns and year‑end

schedules when required.

Strong practical knowledge of charity accounting – including the Charities SORP, restricted

and designated funds, Gift Aid, statutory reporting and Charity Commission requirements – is

essential, together with the judgement to balance artistic ambition and charitable purpose with

financial sustainability, control and resilience.

Reporting to: Chief Executive & Artistic Director

Responsible for: A small, part‑time Finance team and any agreed finance, payroll, accounting or

company‑secretarial support.

Hours: Part‑time, up to 30 hours per week. The weekly hours and working pattern will be

agreed with the successful candidate and may be arranged flexibly to meet both individual and

organisational needs.

Salary

Circa £60,000-£65,000 per annum full-time equivalent, depending on experience and the

agreed scope, pro‑rated for the successful candidate’s contracted hours.

Qualifications and work related experience

• Fully qualified accountant – ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent – with substantial post-qualification experience. Applications from candidates qualified by experience may also be considered where they can demonstrate equivalent technical expertise and senior-level responsibility.
• Significant experience of leading a finance function and team in a complex organisation.
• Strong technical knowledge and practical experience of charity accounting, including the Charities SORP, restricted and designated funds, statutory accounts, audit, Charity Commission reporting, VAT, Gift Aid, management accounts, budgeting, forecasting and cash flow management.
• Recent hands‑on experience in an SME, charity, owner‑managed or similarly lean environment, with the ability to prepare detailed financial outputs personally and operate effectively without large specialist teams.
• Experience of payroll oversight, trading‑subsidiary arrangements and maintaining effective financial controls, including segregation of duties and delegated authorities.
• Experience of finance‑systems implementation or development, data‑quality improvement, process review and management‑information design.
• Strong working knowledge of contemporary cloud‑based accounting software, with experience of using finance systems to improve controls, workflows, data quality, reporting and management information.
• Experience of annual budgeting, rolling forecasts, capital budgeting, business cases, investment appraisal and financial modelling for new activity or income streams.
• Experience of working with boards, senior leadership teams, auditors, banks, funders and statutory bodies.

Personal Qualities

• Ability to operate strategically and practically, moving confidently between advice to the Board and detailed financial delivery.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex financial information clearly to nonfinance colleagues and support confident decision making.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to support, develop and motivate a small finance team.
• High levels of accuracy, integrity, confidentiality and professional independence.
• Ability to work flexibly in a busy, creative environment where artistic ambition, public benefit and financial sustainability must be balanced.
• Positive, calm and resilient approach, with the confidence to advise constructively and challenge appropriately.
• Collaborative and supportive working style, with an interest in helping colleagues strengthen their financial understanding.

Other

• Commercial awareness and sound judgement, with an understanding of earned income, fundraising, project‑based activity and financial risk in a creative organisation.
• Interest in the arts and commitment to the charitable purpose of Wavendon AllMusic Plan, The Stables and IF: Milton Keynes International Festival.
• Commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, good governance and safe working practices.