Finance Manager

Ibraaz London; Greater London; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Ibraaz London is seeking a commercially minded finance professional to own the financials as the sole finance person. You will build management accounts, cost models for events, and drive budgeting with the Finance Trustee oversight.

You will run day-to-day finance, ensure robust controls, and collaborate with programme teams to capture costs and forecast cash flow for a diverse events programme.

Qualifications

• Qualified accounting professional with demonstrable charity or not-for-profit experience.
• Experience producing monthly management accounts end-to-end.
• Strong cost and project accounting, incl. event budgets.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and reconcile the general ledger and month-end close processes.
• Oversee payroll and staff cost recording.
• Prepare monthly management accounts (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow) and variance commentary.
• Maintain cost models for events (venues, production, artist fees, travel, hospitality, marketing).
• Prepare year-end accounts with auditors and manage VAT returns.

Skills

ACA/ACCA/CIMA

Management accounting

Cost accounting

Excel

Xero

Charity accounting

Communication

SORP familiarity

Budgeting

Audit liaison

Education

Professional accounting qualification

Tools

Xero

Job description

Ibraaz is a leading platform dedicated to art, visual culture, and critical thinking from the Middle East and North Africa. Through a dynamic programme of over 120 events each year — spanning exhibitions, talks, screenings, residencies, and international collaborations — Ibraaz connects artists, scholars, and communities across the globe. We are a small, passionate team where every person makes a visible difference.

This is a standout role for a commercially minded finance professional who wants genuine ownership. As the sole finance person in the organisation, you will be the engine behind our financial clarity — building the management accounts that guide strategic decisions, and bringing rigour and creativity to costing and budgeting across a rich and varied events programme.

You will work closely with the Finance Trustee who holds strategic oversight of finance, but will look to you to run the day-to-day with confidence and initiative. If you thrive in an environment where your work is seen, valued, and directly linked to mission impact, this is the role for you.

• Maintain and reconcile the general ledger, ensuring all transactions are correctly posted
• Manage month-end close processes, including accruals, prepayments, and journal entries
• Oversee payroll processing and ensure accurate recording of staff costs
• Prepare accurate and timely monthly management accounts, including P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statements
• Analyse variances against budget and prior periods, producing clear commentary for Leadership
• Ensure detailed cost models for each event is maintained by the programmes teams, capturing all variable costs including venues, production, artist fees, travel, hospitality, and marketing
• Work with programme teams ahead of each event to set realistic budgets and flag risk areas early
• Maintain rolling cash flow forecasts, clearly distinguishing between fixed overheads (premises, salaries, core operations) and variable event costs
• Contribute to annual budgeting
• Identify opportunities to improve financial efficiency without compromising programme quality
• Ensure robust financial controls are in place and adhered to across the organisation
• Manage relationships with external accountants and auditors, preparing year-end accounts and supporting the audit process
• Handle VAT returns and other statutory filings accurately and on time
• Maintain organised financial records and documentation in line with charity and company law

You will bring:

• A professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or significant demonstrable experience in a comparable role
• Strong hands-on experience producing monthly management accounts end-to-end
• Confidence with cost and project accounting — ideally including variable or event-based cost structures
• Excellent Excel skills; experience with accounting software (preferably Xero)
• The ability to work independently, prioritise under pressure, and meet deadlines without close supervision
• Clear, confident communication — able to translate financial data into plain language for non-finance colleagues
• Experience in a charity, arts organisation, or similar not-for-profit environment
• Familiarity with charity accounting and SORP reporting requirements
• Experience building or improving financial systems and processes from scratch