Head of Finance

Mount Congreve Gardens; Waterford; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Mount Congreve Gardens and Waterford Treasures seeks a Head of Finance to lead the finance function, providing strong financial control, planning, reporting and insight. You will oversee HR governance, payroll, procurement and data integrity while supporting organisational decision-making and public accountability.

You will prepare budgets, manage audits, develop KPI dashboards and compile board materials. The role requires leadership across finance, operations and people-related governance with

Qualifications

• ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent professional accounting qualification.
• Not-for-profit/public sector familiarity preferred.
• HR governance or employment law training is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the finance function across bookkeeping, payroll, accounts, controls and cashflow management.
• Prepare annual budgets, forecasts, management accounts and year-end reporting.
• Coordinate audit processes and ensure audit readiness and evidence trails.
• Provide financial analysis and commentary to the CEO, Board and senior leadership team.
• Prepare Board packs with accurate materials and timely circulation.
• Act as Company Secretary and attend Board/committee meetings with accurate minutes.
• Develop KPI dashboards and management reporting across finance and performance.
• Ensure procurement controls, delegations and compliance processes are robust.
• Oversee data governance and integrity across reporting systems.
• Support grant budgeting and funder reporting where relevant.
• Provide insight into margins, cost drivers and revenue trends.
• Oversee HR governance, payroll integrity and headcount reporting.
• Ensure managers are supported for day-to-day people management.

Skills

Financial control

Analytics & reporting

Dashboarding

Communication to non-finance

Governance & compliance

HR governance

Cross-functional collaboration

Accountability & governance challenges

Education

Professional accounting qualification (ACA/ACCA/CIMA)

Not-for-profit/public sector familiarity

Job description

Head of Finance | Mount Congreve Gardens and Waterford Treasures

Reports to:CEO

Functional oversight:Financial Reporting & Audit; KPI Dashboards & Performance Reporting; Bookkeeping & Payroll; Data Governance & Integrity; Procurement, Compliance & Revenue Insight; HR governance and oversight.

Role purpose:Lead the finance function and provide strong financial control, planning, reporting and insight to support organisational decision-making, public accountability and commercial performance, while also holding responsibility for the organisation’s HR governance, controls and oversight framework.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the finance function across bookkeeping, payroll, accounts, controls and cashflow management.


• Prepare annual budgets, forecasts, management accounts and year-end reporting.


• Coordinate audit processes and ensure appropriate audit readiness and evidence trails.


• Provide financial analysis and commentary to the CEO, Board and senior leadership team.


• Responsible for compiling and preparing Board packs, ensuring all materials are accurate, complete and circulated in line with agreed timelines


• Act as Company Secretary and attend Board and committee meetings and take clear, accurate minutes, capturing key discussions, decisions and actions for timely distribution


• Develop and maintain KPI dashboards and management reporting across finance and wider organisational performance.


• Ensure procurement controls, delegations and compliance processes are robust and consistently applied.


• Oversee data governance and financial information integrity across reporting systems.


• Support grant budgeting, financial returns and funder reporting requirements where relevant.


• Provide insight into commercial performance, margins, cost drivers and revenue trends.


• Maintain oversight of HR governance, ensuring policies, procedures, controls and reporting frameworks are in place and kept up to date.


• Act as the senior owner of people-related governance, including workforce reporting, payroll integrity, headcount data and compliance assurance.


• Ensure managers are supported and held accountable for day-to-day people management within their own teams


• Oversee the organisational approach to contracts, onboarding compliance, policy governance and mandatory people-related training.


• Provide oversight on employee relations governance, ensuring formal processes are managed consistently and in line with Irish employment law.


• Support the CEO on organisational design, workforce planning, remuneration governance and people-related risk.


• Ensure volunteer governance arrangements are in place from a policy, compliance and reporting perspective.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strong technical finance and control capability.


• Excellent analytical, reporting and dashboarding skills.


• Ability to explain financial information clearly to non-finance stakeholders.


• Strong governance, compliance and risk awareness.


• Good systems knowledge and data integrity focus.


• Strong knowledge of HR governance, Irish employment law frameworks and people-related compliance.


• Ability to work across finance, operations, commercial and people-related issues.


• Confidence to challenge and support managers on governance, process and accountability.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Professional accounting qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent.


• Relevant experience in a not-for-profit, public body, visitor attraction or comparable organisation desirable.


• Additional HR, governance or employment law training would be an advantage.