Head of Finance

St John's Foundation Est. 1174; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A long-standing charity in Bath is seeking an experienced Head of Finance to ensure the financial health and sustainability of the organization. You will lead the finance team, manage day-to-day financial operations, and oversee compliance with accounting standards. The ideal candidate will have a recognized accounting qualification and significant experience in finance leadership. Join a caring, collaborative team supporting older adults and individuals in financial need.

Qualifications

• Proven significant experience in senior finance leadership, including management accounts, budgeting, and statutory reporting.
• Strong technical knowledge of accounting standards and charity finance.
• Proven experience managing or implementing finance systems or digital transformation projects.

Responsibilities

• Manage the finance team, ensuring timely, accurate financial reporting and high standards of control.
• Lead on the statutory reporting and oversee budget setting and management accounts.
• Provide insightful analysis and reporting to the Executive Team and the Board of Trustees.

Skills

Leadership

Financial reporting

Budgeting

Cashflow management

Communication skills

Education

Recognized accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent)

Tools

Cloud-based finance systems

Job description

Head of Finance

Location: Bath (minimum of 4 days in the office)

Contract: Permanent, full-time (35 hours per week, Monday Friday)

Salary: Up to £65K (dependant on skills and experience)

About St John s Foundation

St John s Foundation is one of Bath s oldest charities, supporting individuals and communities for over 850 years. Today, we continue to make a lasting difference across Bath and North East Somerset by helping people to live independent, fulfilling lives and by working to build stronger, more resilient communities.

As we continue to evolve, we are investing in modern systems, governance and talent to ensure we can deliver lasting social impact with integrity, efficiency, and purpose.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Head of Finance to join our team. This role will play a pivotal role in ensuring the long term financial health and sustainability of St John s Foundation and its trading subsidiaries.

Reporting to the Director of Finance, you will lead and take responsibility for our day-to-day financial operations and manage a dedicated team of finance professionals. You will ensure robust financial control, accurate reporting, and effective systems that underpin the charity s strategic ambitions and operational delivery.

This is a senior, operational leadership role, offering the opportunity to shape our financial systems, guide a talented team, and contribute directly to our mission. You will also manage the next phase of our finance system implementation.

What You ll Do

• Manage the finance team, ensuring timely, accurate financial reporting and high standards of control.
• Manage all aspects of financial management including cashflow, balance sheet integrity, and statutory reporting.
• Lead on the statutory reporting and oversee budget setting and management accounts.
• Manage the next phase of our finance system implementation, embedding process improvements and digital innovation.
• Support the Finance Director with governance, risk management, and strategic financial planning.
• Manage investment and endowment accounting, ensuring compliance and effective performance monitoring.
• Provide insightful analysis and reporting to the Executive Team and the Board of Trustees.

About You

We re looking for an experienced senior finance professional who combines technical expertise with strong leadership skills.

You will have:

• A recognised accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent).
• Proven significant experience in senior finance leadership, including management accounts, budgeting, and statutory reporting.
• Strong technical knowledge of accounting standards and charity finance (including restricted and endowment funds).
• Demonstrable strong knowledge of financial controls, accounting standards, and (ideally) charity finance.
• Proven experience managing or implementing finance systems or digital transformation projects.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build trust across all levels.
• A collaborative, proactive, and improvement-focused approach.

Desirable:

• Experience within the not-for-profit or charity sector.
• Knowledge of property and investment accounting.
• Familiarity with cloud-based finance systems.

Why Join Us?

Joining St John s means becoming part of a long-standing Bath charity that puts people at the heart of everything it does. Your work will directly support older adults and people in financial need, and you ll be part of a friendly, collaborative team that cares about doing things well and doing them with trust, courage and kindness.