Financial Controller

Canterbury Oast Trust; Ashford; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Canterbury Oast Trust as a Financial Controller, leading financial management for a charity supporting adults with learning disabilities. You'll oversee budgeting, financial reporting, and process improvements, driving impactful decisions in a supportive environment focused on inclusivity and development.

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualification experience in financial management and audit.
• Experience ideally in a multi-site or social enterprise environment.
• Dynamic and proactive leader, committed to developing others.

Responsibilities

• Lead the month-end and year-end close processes.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Maintain and enhance financial controls and accounting systems.

Skills

Financial management

Communication

Process improvement

Leadership

Education

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

Job description

Financial Controller | Canterbury Oast Trust

A finance leadership opportunity with a purpose-driven charity.

This is an opportunity to join COT, an ambitious charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, in a leadership role as Financial Controller. Based on our 100-acre working farm in the beautiful Kent countryside, you’ll be a key member of our finance team, ensuring robust financial management and supporting the continued transformation and growth of our services.

In this Financial Controller role you'll lead process improvements and drive real impact by delivering clear, timely financial insights to colleagues. If you're an ambitious finance professional with outstanding communication skills, it's an opportunity to make a substantial organisational impact through empowering confident and effective decision-making by leadership colleagues.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the month-end and year-end close processes
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis
• Maintain and enhance financial controls, accounting systems, and policies.
• Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and tax compliance.
• Optimise our recently implemented financial system, driving further automation and process improvement
• Collaborate with managers across the organisation to share financial insights and support service delivery.
• Provide reporting and project support to the Director of Finance.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the finance team, embedding a culture of accuracy, efficiency, and service.

About You

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent) with significant post-qualification experience.

• Demonstrable experience in financial management, audit, budgeting, and process improvement—ideally in a multi-site or social enterprise environment.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain financial concepts to non-finance colleagues.

• Dynamic, proactive, and supportive leader, committed to developing others and driving change.

Why Join Us?

COT is built on acceptance, respect, and inclusion—where everyone feels that they belong and can make a meaningful contribution. We believe in creating a supportive, high-performance culture that empowers both our teams and the people we support.

We’d be delighted if you tick off all our boxes, but we also believe it’s just as important we tick all of yours. If you think you have most of what we’re looking for but not everything, go ahead and apply. We’d still love to hear from you!

Canterbury Oast Trust is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.