Head of Finance

BCS Learning and Development Ltd; Swindon, Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid Working

27 days holiday + bank holidays

Birthday leave

Private Medical Insurance

Job summary

BCS Learning and Development Ltd is seeking a Head of Group Finance to lead strategic financial direction for the Institute and its group subsidiaries, ensuring accurate financial data and robust governance.

This senior role will require interaction with the Board and external contacts, overseeing budgeting, reporting, VAT matters, and financial controls to support sustainable growth across the Group.

The position is Hybrid (Swindon/London) with a 12‑month maternity cover contract.

Responsibilities

• Annual Budget and 3-year projections planning and coordination with business units.
• Manage annual statutory consolidated financial statements for BCS Group, including VAT considerations.

Job description

Location: 35 Hours, Mon-Fri, Hybrid working - min 2 days a week in the office (Swindon/London)

Contract Type: FTC contract 12 Months – Maternity Cover

The Head of Group Finance is responsible for the strategic financial direction and long-term financial viability of the Institute and its Group subsidiaries.

In addition, the Head of Group Finance is responsible for providing BCS Group financial services including the operational responsibility for the provision of finance of the Group, the statutory financial services, financial accounting system, HMRC and Business Intelligence reporting for the Group.

This is a senior management role requiring communication and representation at a senior level with both internal and external contacts as well as maintaining a close and effective working relationship with the Senior FP&A Analyst, ensuring clear accountability for the production and integrity of financial data.

Key responsibilities:

• Providing sound financial advice to BCS L&D Board of Directors, the Managing Director for each entity and other senior management colleagues;
• Providing an effective financial management service to the Institute, BCS L&D and other BCS Group subsidiaries;
• Providing general administration encompassing contractual matters for the Group;
• Provide effective management and standardize performance reporting for the Group

Specific tasks

Annual Business Planning and Budget cycle:

• Agree and manage compliance with Group budget timetable leading up to approval of budget;
• Preparation of Annual Budget and 3-year financial projections in agreement with business units and in line with 3-year Business Plan and current operating performance;
• Provide financial advice to business units.
• Work jointly with Senior FP&A to lead and coordinate the annual budget and regular reforecasting cycles, ensuring assumptions are robust, outputs are accurate and financial implications are clearly communicated.
• Contribute as part of the Senior Management team to the overall business objectives within the business plan;
• Provision of appropriate financial and management reporting to support the management of the Group;
• Provision of regular sales/expenditure forecast reports for the Group, highlighting areas of concern and developing cost saving solutions where necessary;
• Development and maintenance of appropriate financial policies, procedures and controls. Operating and monitoring these financial controls to ensure compliance with Group policies and procedures. Including establishing appropriate delegated authority and approval limits;
• Monitor the financial aspects and approve any changes to the financial aspects of other relevant non-core financial systems;
• Maintain proper accounting records for the Group, ensuring all transactions (both income and expenditure) are promptly and accurately recorded;

Annual Report:

• Preparation of annual statutory consolidated financial statements of BCS Group of companies, including BCS L&D, in conjunction with the requirements of the Annual Report of the Society and statutory regulations (including the Statement of Recommended Practice (‘SORP’): Accounting for Charities and Companies Act);
• Management of the annual external financial audit
• Treasury management and monitor cash flow and working capital requirements;
• Financial responsibility for the Finance Department budget and general company wide financial responsibility for the financial affairs of the Group (including cheque signatory responsibility);
• Maintain appropriate documentation and guidance on the treatment of VAT within the company and keep up to date with current VAT legislation;
• Supervision of the Finance Department staff, providing management support and development to all teams, and team members, within their area of responsibility;
• Ensuring that the reputation of the company is actively managed and monitored with all stakeholder groups;
• Proactively, through strong external sensitivity, bring a questioning mind and best practice to the company;
• Maintain the core finance system for the BCS Group of companies;
• Ensure that the BCS Group of companies complies with VAT, PAYE, and Corporation tax requirements;
• Undertake submission of the quarterly Group VAT returns and maintaining appropriate liaison with HMRC;
• Develop and maintain monthly performance reporting and reviews, for submission to senior management, relevant Boards and Trustee Board;
• Significant and high profile liaison with third parties (auditors, bank, Inland Revenue, etc);

BCS is dedicated to providing training and development to help all staff realise their potential, and also offer a generous benefit package.

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT are committed to promoting equality at every opportunity as an employer. This statement and our policies are designed to ensure our recruitment and employment practices and procedures actively promote equality of opportunity and value diversity.

All applicants must be eligible to work in the UK upon application.

PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy may be removed before any listed closing date once a sufficient amount of applications have been received.

In the event that we receive a high number of applications for this vacancy, we may be unable to provide an individual response to every candidate, therefore if you haven’t heard back from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful on this occasion.

No recruitment agencies please.

What we offer

• Hybrid Working
• 27 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Birthday leave
• Paid Christmas office shutdown
• Private Medical Insurance and/or Health Cash Plan
• Life assurance (x4 salary)
• Income protection
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• Free BCS membership
• Financial wellbeing support
• Unum Help@Hand (including access to EAP, online GP consultations, wellbeing support, retail discounts and more)