Head of Finance

London Wildlife Trust; Ebbw Vale; Hybrid; GBP 66,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

A wildlife charity in London is seeking a Head of Finance to revitalise its finance function. The successful candidate will lead financial management, budgeting, and forecasting while driving a finance transformation programme. They should possess significant experience in the charity sector, with strong skills in financial reporting and governance. The role offers a hybrid working model and requires someone who can build and coach a confident finance team. Competitive salary with great benefits included.

Benefits

25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)

Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay

Benefits platform with discounts

Salary sacrifice schemes

Free Employee Assistance Scheme

Qualifications

• Significant experience at Head of, or equivalent, level in the charity sector.
• Strong working knowledge of Charity SORP.
• Experience with delivering and overseeing exceptional financial operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of financial management for London Wildlife Trust and its trading subsidiary.
• Own budgeting, forecasting and multi-year financial planning.
• Act as a finance business partner to senior leaders and teams across the Trust.

Skills

Financial reporting

Budgeting

Financial governance

Team leadership

Communication

Education

Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA)

Job description

Head of Finance (Hybrid)

Salary: £66,576 - £70,309

We also offer:

• 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) and a discretionary Christmas closure
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Benefits platform with discounts on retail, dining and days out
• Salary sacrifice schemes
• Access to a free Employee Assistance Scheme to support you inside and outside of work

Location: Head Office, Victoria

Flexible working: this role is based at our head office typically 2 days per week, the remaining can be worked from home. Flexible working requests are available from day one.

Role & Responsibilities

We're entering an exciting new phase. With a bold new strategy, ambitious Nature Recovery programmes (including species reintroductions, landscape-scale rewilding and river restoration), and a rapidly rising public profile – including recent collaboration with Sir David Attenborough on the BBC's Wild London – this is a pivotal moment for our organisation.

To support this growth, we're looking for an exceptional Head of Finance to reinvigorate, strengthen and modernise our finance function – ensuring it's fit for the organisation we're becoming.

Reporting to the COO and working closely with the Senior Leadership Team, Finance Committee and Board, you'll lead all aspects of financial management across London Wildlife Trust and our trading subsidiary. You'll play a critical role in shaping how Finance operates – improving systems, controls, reporting and insight so the organisation can confidently adapt to recent and future growth.

Transaction volumes have increased significantly in recent years, and a key early focus of this role will be leading a programme of operational improvement. You'll roll up your sleeves, lead the finance team through change, and embed better ways of working that strengthen our foundations while enabling smarter decision-making across the organisation.

• Lead all aspects of financial management for London Wildlife Trust and its trading subsidiary
• Lead a programme of finance transformation, improving systems, processes, controls and ways of working to ensure Finance is fit for a growing organisation.
• Own budgeting, forecasting and multi-year financial planning, producing clear, insightful management accounts and analysis to support decision-making.
• Provide high-quality financial reporting and advice to the SLT, Finance Committee and Board, highlighting risks, opportunities and strategic choices.
• Act as a finance business partner to senior leaders and teams across the Trust, improving financial understanding, ownership and accountability.
• Work closely with fundraising, trading and project teams to support income generation, funding compliance and effective financial oversight.
• Lead, coach and develop the finance team, building a confident, collaborative and improvement-focused finance function.

Our ideal Head of Finance

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA)
• Significant experience at Head of, or equivalent, level in the charity sector (likely 3-5 years)
• Strong working knowledge of Charity SORP and charity financial governance
• Experience with delivering and overseeing exceptional financial operations
• Strong financial planning, reporting and insight experience

Closing Date: Monday 26th January at 9am

Interviews: Arescheduled to take place on 4th and 6th February and reasonable adjustments will be offered to all candidates.

Does this sound like you? We'd love to hear from you!

Our vision is a London alive with wildlife, with nature in everyone's neighbourhood. To achieve our goal of inspiring everyone to help restore London's wildlife, we recognise that our team must better reflect and represent all of London's diverse communities. Find out more about London Wildlife Trust's commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion here: https://www.wildlondon.org.uk/jobs.

We are also committed to ensuring that the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and adults at risk is at the heart of our engagement with people. Read about our commitment to safeguarding here: https://www.wildlondon.org.uk/safeguarding.