Head of Financial Planning & Control

Stepchange; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Stepchange seeks a Head of Financial Planning & Control to lead strategic financial management within the organization. This senior role entails guiding financial planning, oversight, and governance, ultimately influencing investment and resource planning. The ideal candidate will be an experienced qualified accountant with a proactive approach to financial leadership, ensuring compliance and driving meaningful impact.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in senior financial leadership roles.
• Expertise in budgeting, forecasting, long-term financial planning.
• Strong knowledge of financial controls and statutory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial planning, forecasting, and reporting functions.
• Manage external audits and statutory accounts preparation.
• Provide strategic financial input into transformation programmes.

Skills

Budgeting

Forecasting

Long-term financial planning

Performance reporting

Financial controls

Governance

Statutory compliance

Team leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Insight-driven leadership

Education

Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)

Job description

Ready to lead financial planning and control in an organisation where your insight shapes strategic direction?

Seeking a role with greater visibility, autonomy, and strategic responsibility?

Looking to apply your expertise in a context where financial leadership supports lasting social impact?

As Head of Financial Planning & Control, you’ll take on a high profile, strategic role with broad scope and senior-level influence. You’ll lead the organisation’s planning, forecasting, reporting, and internal control functions ensuring financial strength and governance are embedded across all aspects of delivery. Working in close partnership with the CFO and Executive team, you’ll help shape investment decisions, guide resource planning, and ensure our financial position supports ambitious, long-term transformation. You’ll operate with real autonomy and visibility, bringing clarity and assurance to Executive and Board-level discussions, while contributing to work that directly improves people’s lives across the UK.

What you’ll be doing

You will lead and develop two core functions—Finance Business Partnering and Financial Control—with responsibility for forecasting, performance reporting, internal assurance, and statutory compliance. Working closely with senior stakeholders, you will provide trusted analysis and recommendations that support informed, forward-looking decisions at Executive and Board levels.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading annual and long-term financial planning processes, aligned to strategic priorities

• Delivering scenario modelling, cost-efficiency planning and cash flow forecasting to support financial resilience

• Overseeing the production of timely, accurate management accounts and insight-led reporting for the Executive and Trustees

• Managing the external audit process and year-end statutory accounts preparation, ensuring compliance with UK GAAP and Charities SORP

• Ensuring robust internal controls, reconciliations and balance sheet management, maintaining a state of continuous audit readiness

• Providing strategic financial input into transformation programmes and system improvements

• Acting as a senior representative for Finance across internal forums and governance groups, deputising for the CFO as required

About you

You will be a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) with significant experience in senior financial leadership roles, ideally within complex or regulated environments such as financial services, banking, or not-for-profit sectors. You combine technical excellence with sound judgement, commercial awareness, and a clear sense of purpose.

You will bring:

• Expertise in budgeting, forecasting, long-term financial planning, and performance reporting

• Strong working knowledge of financial controls, governance, and statutory compliance

• A track record of managing audit and assurance processes in line with regulatory standards

• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams

• Confidence engaging and influencing senior stakeholders, including Executives and Board members

• A proactive, insight-driven approach to financial leadership, with the ability to operate strategically and manage complexity

• A values-led mindset, with a commitment to transparency, quality, and continuous improvement

Equality, diversity, and inclusion:

Equality, diversity, and inclusion are incredibly important to us; we have a culture of belonging. We’re always looking to increase the diversity of our workforce to ensure we can provide the best service possible for everyone. It’s not just about the professional experience you bring – we’re interested in who you are and your potential. If there’s an adjustment to our recruitment process that would help you to be your best, speak to our team and they’ll be happy to help.