Head Of Finance

YMCA of the Cedar Rapids Metro Area; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

YMCA England & Wales is seeking a Head of Finance to lead a finance team, ensure robust financial controls and provide strategic financial guidance to senior leadership. The role includes statutory reporting, tax compliance and investment oversight, reporting to the Director of Resources and supporting the Board.

The candidate will bring senior finance leadership within a charity context, strong business partnering skills, and a record of partnering with trustees and committees to drive

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with ICAEW/ACCA/CIMA/CIPFA.
• Proven senior management experience in large finance teams.
• Experience in charity reporting and SORP knowledge.
• Strong business partnering with trustees and committees.

Responsibilities

• Lead the organisation's finance function and act as lead on all financial matters.
• Oversee statutory reporting, investments, VAT and taxation compliance.
• Provide expert counsel to the Board of Trustees and Finance & Audit Committee.
• Oversee payroll and revenue-generation-related financial support where required.

Skills

Senior management

Financial leadership

Business partnering

Charity accounting

Education

Chartered accountant qualification

Tools

Microsoft Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Job Title: Head of Finance

Location: London/Hybrid (with 1 to 2 days a week in the office)

Salary: £80,000.00 per annum

Weekly Hours: 35

Reference: YMC1228366

About Us

Founded in 1844, YMCA is a global movement and the world's largest youth-focused charity. In England and Wales, YMCAs are based in over 700 communities across 168 local authorities supporting young people and communities to reach their potential. The turnover of YMCA in 2025-26 was £386m. YMCA England & Wales is a £23 million organisation of more than 400 colleagues, supporting a Federation of 80 local YMCAs to deliver vital services which positively impact young lives across the country. As we grow our income and impact, we are seeking an established and inspirational Head of Finance to take on one of the most pivotal roles in our organisation.

The Opportunity

This is a senior leadership appointment, reporting to the Director of Resources and leading a Finance team of around nine, including the payroll function. You will act as our lead on all matters of finance, liaising with our Federation members where necessary, providing expert support to our Income Generation Directorate (Fundraising and Retail) and other internal Directorates, embedding financial insight into revenue-generation strategy and working in close collaborative partnership with senior colleagues both within those teams but also across the Federation. Beyond this, you will oversee statutory reporting, investments, VAT and taxation compliance, and provide expert counsel to our Board of Trustees and Finance and Audit Committee.

Why You

Perhaps you have already established an excellent track record within a charity with significant fundraising and retail operations and are ready for the scale and influence this role commands. Or perhaps this is your first move into a charity; you are a seasoned accountant whose clients have included charitable organisations, and you now plan to apply that expertise where it matters most. Either way, this is a genuine opportunity to shape the financial future of a movement with over 180 years of heritage as we continue to embed strong financial practices whilst delivering our strategic ambition

What We're Looking For

You will be a fully qualified accountant (ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA or CIPFA) with senior management experience leading finance in an organisation of comparable scale, ideally with charity reporting and SORP knowledge. Strong business partnering skills, gravitas with trustees and committees, and genuine collaborative leadership are essential to succeed in this crucial role.

Our recruitment process is anonymised and candidates' names are hidden. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. Safer recruitment is important to us and the successful applicant will be asked to provide two references. They will also be required to complete a safeguarding self-declaration, safeguarding training and undertake a DBS check.