Finance Manager

We are pleased to be partnering with a large, household-name and extremely important charity to recruit a Finance Manager into its fundraising finance team.

This is a permanent business partnering role supporting the Individual Giving function, covering areas including cash donations, payroll giving and wider individual giving activity. The role sits within a collaborative fundraising finance team and will work closely with senior stakeholders across fundraising, marketing, strategy and the wider finance function.

The successful candidate will take ownership of financial planning, reporting and decision support for a substantial area of activity, with a budget of around £85m.

About the role
Reporting into the Senior Finance Manager responsible for the wider income generation and fundraising team, you will act as the key finance partner to the Individual Giving function.

The role will involve:

• Leading budgeting, forecasting and long-term financial planning
• Producing high-quality monthly reporting and analysis
• Understanding and explaining variances and emerging trends
• Supporting senior stakeholders with financial decision-making
• Building and reviewing business cases
• Supporting strategy development
• Working with income and strategy leads on longer-term planning
• Reviewing cost drivers and opportunities for improvement
• Supporting the onboarding of new suppliers and relevant contract activity

You will work closely with Management Accountants and the wider finance team to ensure accurate monthly reporting, while providing useful commentary and insight to help stakeholders understand performance and make informed decisions.

The planning cycle is just beginning, so this is a good time to join and get involved early in the budgeting, forecasting and strategic planning process.

There will also be exposure to senior stakeholders, including the Director of Marketing, Fundraising & Engagement, senior leaders within Individual Giving, the Group Finance team and, through strategy work, some exposure to Executive and Board-level reporting.

About you
A formal accounting qualification would be preferred, although candidates who are qualified by experience will also be considered where they can demonstrate a strong track record across the full range of responsibilities.

You are likely to have:

• Strong business-partnering experience
• Experience leading budgeting, forecasting and financial planning cycles
• Strong management accounting and month-end experience
• Experience of income budgeting
• Strong financial modelling skills
• Experience supporting strategy and business cases
• Confidence working with senior and non-finance stakeholders
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to turn financial information into clear insight
• A proactive approach to process improvement and continuous improvement
• Experience working within a large or complex organisation

Strong charity sector experience is particularly important for this role, alongside an understanding of how income generation and fundraising functions operate.

The role would suit somebody who enjoys working closely with the business rather than focusing purely on technical accounting.

Team and culture

The fundraising finance team includes three Finance Managers and a Finance Analyst and works closely with the Head of Finance for Fundraising.

The wider finance structure also includes teams supporting Retail, Philanthropy, Marketing and central consolidation.
The team is described as friendly, collaborative and supportive, with a relatively non-corporate feel. People are trusted to work independently, take ownership and build strong relationships with the areas they support.

There are also good longer-term progression opportunities across the wider finance function, including potential Senior Finance Manager roles and moves into other areas of Group Finance.

Salary and working arrangements

The salary is £57,500-£65,500, depending on experience, with the expectation that most appointments will be made around the middle of the range.

The role is based in Stratford with a highly flexible hybrid model. Contractually, the expectation is 1-2 days per week in the office, although the fundraising finance team often works more flexibly depending on meetings and business requirements.

This is a permanent, full-time role working 35 hours per week.

Recruitment process

The organisation is looking to move relatively quickly, as the current Finance Manager will be leaving in mid-November.
The process will consist of two competency-based interviews, with applications reviewed on a rolling basis.
The first stage is expected to be with the Senior Finance Manager and another Finance Manager, with a second stage to follow shortly afterwards.