Head of Finance

Head of Finance Merseyside (St Helens area) £60,000 Permanent Full-time Initially predominantly office-based, with greater flexibility once established Are you a qualified finance leader who enjoys improving things, developing people and having the freedom to shape a finance function? Charity Recruit is partnering with an established, community-focused charity to appoint an experienced Head of Finance at an important point in its development.

This is much more than a reporting role. The organisation is going through a period of positive change, with new leadership appointments and a genuine opportunity for the incoming Head of Finance to influence how the finance function develops. Some of the groundwork has already begun. An experienced interim has identified key areas for improvement, introduced positive change and built a strong relationship with the existing finance team.

You’ll therefore inherit good foundations and an initial plan – but importantly, you’ll have the autonomy to assess what’s working, challenge what isn’t and shape the next phase yourself. The opportunity As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you’ll be the organisation’s senior finance specialist, working closely with the Executive Leadership Team, Board of Trustees and Directors of its Trading Company.

You’ll need to be equally comfortable discussing long-term financial sustainability with senior stakeholders and getting close enough to the detail to understand what needs improving operationally. You’ll lead annual budgeting and five-year financial forecasting, providing the insight senior leaders and trustees need to make informed decisions about future priorities and financial sustainability. You’ll take ownership of timely and accurate management accounts, with an ambition to deliver these within 10 working days of month end, alongside cash-flow forecasting, analysis of income and expenditure and clear reporting on liquidity.

You’ll also work directly with budget holders, helping non-finance colleagues understand their numbers, identify opportunities and take greater ownership of financial performance. A broad finance leadership remit Alongside planning and reporting, you’ll oversee the organisation’s wider financial infrastructure and statutory responsibilities. This includes annual financial statements, financial controls, assets and liabilities, debtors and creditors, VAT, Corporation Tax and other statutory returns.

You’ll oversee an accurate monthly payroll service and relationships with external auditors, accountants, banks, advisers, HMRC, the Charity Commission, Companies House and other professional and regulatory bodies. There is also exposure to investment reporting, business cases and providing financial advice across the organisation. Fundamentally, this role is about making financial information useful – translating the numbers into clear insight that helps people make better decisions.

Leading people through change The people element of this appointment is just as important as the technical remit. The finance team has experienced change, and the organisation wants a leader who understands that successful transformation is about bringing people with you. You’ll need the confidence to improve systems, controls and ways of working, but also the emotional intelligence to listen, understand why things have historically been done a certain way and recognise what already works.

This isn’t about arriving with a predetermined transformation blueprint. There are identified priorities and an initial implementation plan, but the organisation genuinely wants its new Head of Finance to have a voice. You’ll be encouraged to bring your own ideas and influence the direction of travel. Why join now? The…