Head of Finance

Success Matcher Recruitment; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Extensive benefits package

Mission-driven organisation

Strategic leadership exposure

Job summary

Success Matcher Recruitment is representing a well-established charity seeking a Head of Finance to lead commercial finance and business partnering. The role is strategic and hands-on, focusing on financial modelling, project costing, forecasting, reporting, and systems improvement to support income generation and sustainability.

The successful candidate will combine technical accounting expertise with commercial insight and the ability to influence senior stakeholders across service delivery,

Qualifications

• Fully qualified accountant with ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent.
• Proven experience partnering with senior non-finance stakeholders.
• Strong track record of systems and process improvement.
• Advanced Excel skills and large datasets reporting.
• Experience supporting bids/tenders.
• Experience in charity/non-profit environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead commercial finance across project and income‑generating activities.
• Provide profitability and cashflow insights; identify risks and actions.
• Partner with Business Development and Fundraising on bid inputs from development to submission.
• Own and improve the project costing model with governance and sign-off.
• Deliver bespoke financial modelling for commissioning and funding requirements.
• Produce monthly project reporting and analyse variances for budget holders.
• Lead forecasting through end-of-contract and rolling forecasts.
• Improve ledger integrity for projects with journals and adjustments.
• Deliver donor reporting within strict deadlines.
• Support finance systems improvements, including dashboards and self-serve reporting.
• Conduct financial due diligence as required.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Financial modelling

Business partnering

Communication skills

Education

Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)

Tools

Sage

Job description

Our client, a well-established and nationally recognised charity, is seeking an experienced Head of Finance to lead its commercial finance and business partnering function.

This is a strategic and hands‑on leadership role, focused on strengthening financial modelling, project costing, forecasting, reporting, and systems improvement. The position plays a critical role in supporting income generation activities, ensuring financial sustainability, and partnering closely with senior stakeholders across service delivery, business development, and fundraising.

The successful candidate will combine strong technical accounting expertise with commercial insight and the ability to influence decision‑making across non‑finance teams.

The Role

As Head of Finance, you will lead the commercial finance agenda, ensuring robust financial governance across projects and commissioned services. A strong emphasis will be placed on bid support, margin and cost recovery optimisation, cashflow oversight, and enhancing financial reporting systems.

This role is ideal for a commercially minded finance leader who thrives in a purpose‑driven organisation and enjoys translating financial data into meaningful operational insight.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead commercial finance support across project and income‑generating activities
• Provide insight on profitability, cost recovery, and cashflow, identifying risks and recommending actions
• Partner with Business Development and Fundraising teams on financial bid inputs, from development through to submission
• Own and continuously improve the project costing model, ensuring governance and timely sign‑off
• Deliver bespoke financial modelling for complex commissioning and funding requirements
• Produce monthly project reporting, analyse variances, and support budget holders in managing performance
• Lead forecasting through to end‑of‑contract and consolidate into the rolling organisational forecast
• Improve ledger integrity for projects, including journals and adjustments where required
• Deliver accurate commissioner and donor reporting within strict deadlines
• Support finance systems improvements, including self‑serve reporting, dashboards, and coding accuracy
• Conduct financial due diligence as required

Qualifications

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
• Proven experience business partnering with senior non‑finance stakeholders
• Strong track record of systems and process improvement
• Advanced Excel skills and confidence handling large datasets and complex reporting
• Demonstrated experience in financial modelling and supporting bids/tenders
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate financial data into practical, commercial decisions
• Experience within charity and/or non‑profit environments
• Exposure to Sage or similar reporting tools and dashboards
• Experience supporting regional or national service delivery models

What’s on Offer

• Competitive salary (£65K–£70K)
• Hybrid working arrangement
• Extensive benefits package
• Opportunity to contribute to a mission‑driven organisation delivering meaningful social impact
• Strategic cross‑functional leadership exposure