Financial Controller, TALENT GATEWAY

Guardian Jobs; Ashford; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a purpose-driven charity as the Financial Controller, where you'll lead a finance team and enhance financial operations. This leadership role on a beautiful Kent farm empowers you to make a significant impact while fostering a culture of acceptance and respect.

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualification experience.
• Experience in financial management, ideally in multi-site environments.
• Dynamic, proactive, and supportive leader.

Responsibilities

• Lead the month-end and year-end close processes.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Manage financial operations including payroll and tax compliance.

Skills

Financial management

Audit

Budgeting

Process improvement

Communication

Education

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

Job description

Financial Controller | Purpose-Driven Charity

This is an opportunity to join an ambitious charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, in a leadership role as Financial Controller. Based on a 100-acre working farm in the beautiful Kent countryside, you’ll work with a forward-thinking senior leadership and management team, reporting directly to an experienced and supportive part time Director of Finance.

In this Financial Controller role you'll manage the finance team (of 4) to ensure effective financial operations. You'll also lead process improvements, and contribute to strategic organisational initiatives. 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?

Our client's organisation is built on acceptance, respect, and inclusion—where everyone feels that they belong and can make a meaningful contribution. They believe in creating a supportive, high-performance culture that empowers both their teams and the people they support.

We’d be delighted if you tick 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.