Head of Finance

Blackpool Football Club; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackpool Football Club is seeking a Head of Finance to lead the finance function during a pivotal period for the Club and the wider football industry.

Reporting to the CEO, you will own financial control, management reporting, forecasting, cash planning and regulatory finance across the Club and operations, including the BFC Hotel & Conference Centre. This is a broad, hands-on leadership role in a lean team.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with strong technical foundations.
• Experience in management reporting, budgeting and cash-flow forecasting.
• Leadership experience within finance and stakeholder exposure.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day finance function with strong financial controls.
• Oversee management accounts, balance sheet, VAT, tax, payroll, statutory accounts and audit.
• Lead budgets, rolling forecasts, cash-flow planning and longer-term funding forecasts.
• Provide KPI, matchday and commercial reporting with clear performance explanations.
• Partner with football, commercial, hotel and operational teams to drive performance.
• Oversee capital projects and owner investments and model regulatory impacts.
• Support licensing and governance readiness for financial reporting.

Skills

Management reporting

Budgeting

Forecasting

Cashflow management

Commercial judgement

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Qualified Chartered Accountant

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Blackpool Football Club is looking for a Head of Finance to lead its finance function at an important point for the Club and the wider football industry.

Reporting to the CEO, you will take ownership of financial control, management reporting, forecasting, cash planning and regulatory finance across the Club and its associated operations, including the BFC Hotel & Conference Centre. You will also work directly with the Club’s owner, giving clear visibility on performance, funding requirements, major spend and the financial impact of key decisions.

This is a broad, hands-on leadership role. The finance team is lean, so you will need to be comfortable moving between month-end detail and forward-looking commercial work. A key priority will be improving the speed and quality of reporting while giving colleagues across the Club better financial insight.

What you will be responsible for

• Leading the day-to-day finance function and maintaining strong financial controls.
• Overseeing management accounts, balance sheet reconciliations, VAT, tax, payroll, statutory accounts and audit.
• Leading budgets, rolling forecasts, cash-flow planning and longer-term funding forecasts.
• Providing clear KPI, matchday and commercial reporting, with a focus on explaining the reasons behind performance.
• Partnering football, commercial, hotel and operational teams to support decisions and improve performance.
• Providing financial oversight of capital projects and major areas of owner investment.
• Monitoring the Club’s position against EFL cost-control requirements and modelling the impact of football decisions.
• Playing a key role in the Club’s preparation for Independent Football Regulator licensing and future governance requirements.
• Leading and developing the finance team.

What we are looking for

You will be a qualified accountant with strong technical foundations and the confidence to take ownership of a finance function. You do not need to have held a Head of Finance title before. This role offers a strong step into a number-one finance position for someone who has already operated with meaningful responsibility and senior stakeholder exposure.

• Strong management reporting, budgeting, forecasting and cash-flow experience.
• Confidence working with senior leaders and financially sophisticated stakeholders.
• Commercial judgement and the ability to turn numbers into clear recommendations.
• Experience leading or developing others within finance.
• A hands-on approach and the ability to work at pace in a lean team.
• Clear, direct communication and high standards of accuracy and integrity.

Experience in football or professional sport would be useful, particularly exposure to cost-control or regulatory reporting. It is not essential. We are also interested in people from regulated, event-led, hospitality, leisure or owner-funded businesses who have the right transferable skills.

Why join Blackpool Football Club?

You will get exposure across the whole Club and have a direct role in decisions that affect its financial and operational performance. The position offers close contact with the CEO, owner and senior leadership team, along with the opportunity to shape how the finance function operates as football enters a new regulatory era.

The Club takes a sensible, trust-led approach to working patterns. Professional football brings periods where longer or less conventional hours are required, and the working approach reflects this.