Finance Operations Manager

15 Month Contract starting in December 2026

Save the Children UK has an exciting opportunity for an inspiring people leader and qualified accountant with strong financial operations experience to join us as our Finance Operations Manager
, leading and developing a high-performing team to deliver an efficient, well-controlled and customer-focused finance service.

This is a maternity cover contract opportunity for approx 15 months to start in December 2026.

Save the Children UK believes every child deserves a future. In the UK and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children's unique needs are met and their voices are heard.

We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach.

As Finance Operations Manager
, you will lead our Finance Operations team to deliver high-quality financial operations, accounting and controls across Save the Children UK. You will ensure our core finance processes run effectively and accurately, strengthen our financial control environment and use your expertise to identify opportunities to improve systems, processes and the experience we provide to colleagues and stakeholders.

• Lead, develop and motivate a high-performing Finance Operations team, ensuring an effective and customer-focused service across the organisation in line with agreed service levels.
• Own and strengthen our financial control environment
  , including the Financial Control Framework and balance sheet controls, ensuring robust oversight of accounts payable and receivable, income and cost accounting, reconciliations and banking activities.
• Manage effective month-end and year-end processes
  , ensuring activities are delivered accurately and on-time to support high-quality financial and statutory reporting.
• Drive continuous improvement across financial processes, systems, procedures and controls, identifying opportunities to increase efficiency, strengthen controls and improve user experience.
• Support statutory, external and donor audits
  , ensuring queries are resolved and accurate supporting information is provided, alongside contributing to relevant balance sheet disclosures.
• Build strong relationships and collaborate across the organisation
  , using financial expertise, data and insight to improve service delivery, solve problems and deliver effective financial operations.

To be successful, it is important that you have:

• A recognised accountancy qualification
  , with relevant post-qualification experience and a strong understanding of UK statutory financial reporting and external audit processes (ideally with understanding of the Charities SORP).
• Extensive experience of financial operations within a complex organisation
  , including financial controls and areas such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, banking and reconciliations.
• Demonstrable experience of leading and developing high-performing finance teams
  , creating a collaborative environment focused on effective and customer-friendly service delivery.
• Strong experience of designing and managing financial controls, month-end and year-end processes
  , alongside identifying and implementing improvements to processes and controls.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving and systems skills
  , with experience of working with complex finance systems and using data and technology to improve financial operations.
• Strong communication, collaboration and influencing skills
  , with the ability to build effective relationships across organisational boundaries and explain financial issues clearly to non-financial colleagues.
• Commitment to Save the Children's vision, mission and values.

We promote flexibility, inclusion, collaboration, and wellbeing both at work and beyond, and offer a wide range of benefits designed to reward your hard work and inspire you to help improve the lives of children every day.

Some of the benefits you can expect include:

• Generous Annual Leave – Starting at 27 days per year (pro rata for part-time employees) increasing with service up to 32 days, plus public holidays and our annual 'Save the Children Day'.
• Family Leave – Up to 39 weeks of maternity/adoption pay (including up to 21 weeks full pay) and paternity/adoption leave of 10 weeks full pay (plus statutory…