Head Of Finance Operations

Discretionary Application Deadline: 6 September 2026

Department: Finance

Location: London

Compensation: £87,000 / year

Bonus: Discretionary

Location: Kings Cross, London (Tuesdays-Thursdays - 3 days at HQ, Monday + Friday - anywhere)

Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract - 12 month maternity leave cover full time

Closing Date: 06.09.26

About ARIA

ARIA is a new R&D funding agency built to unlock technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone. We fund scientists and engineers to pursue research at the edge of the possible. From climate change to AI, society faces enormous challenges and opportunities that can be uniquely addressed by science and technology. ARIA was created to activate the UK’s world-class R&D in new ways, so we can meet these head on.

Role Summary

Reporting to the Director of Finance, you will direct ARIA's Finance Operations function during this period of maternity leave cover, ensuring that our financial control environment, statutory reporting and operational finance continues to support an aspiring and rapidly evolving organisation. In addition to this, you will play a key role in modernising how Finance operates.

What You’ll Do

• Lead ARIA's Finance Operations function, ensuring the effective delivery of financial operations and control including procure-to-pay, month end close, cash management, tax and financial controls.
• Lead, support and develop the Finance Operations team (two direct reports), with line management responsibility for setting clear objectives and priorities, managing performance and capacity, and supporting their development and wellbeing.
• Promote an open and encouraging team culture where colleagues can raise concerns, question constructively, receive feedback and develop.
• Ensure high quality financial support and advice within the Finance Operations remit to colleagues across ARIA through efficient and proportionate processes.
• Oversee the continued development of financial policies, controls and procedures, ensuring risks are effectively managed whilst enabling organisational agility.

Lead financial control and statutory reporting

• Own the delivery of ARIA's Annual Report and Accounts which includes owning technical accounting judgements, coordination of organisation wide inputs and governance approvals.
• Manage and direct the external audit process, acting as the principal contact for the NAO throughout the audit cycle.
• Escalate material or contentious matters to the Director of Finance and CFO when appropriate.
• Ensure robust financial reporting, accounting and control processes that supports Executive decision making and meet all statutory and government reporting requirements.
• Maintain an effective financial control framework appropriate for a growing public body operating under MPM principles.
• Support the Finance Director on engagement with ARIA’s Audit and Risk and Assurance Committee, Board, DSIT and other external stakeholders on matters within the Finance Operations remit.

Modernise finance

• Play a dynamic role in Finance's contribution to ARIA's automation and AI transformation programme, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, insight and user experience through technology.
• Drive continuous improvement across finance systems, data, reporting and operational processes, ensuring they remain scalable as ARIA grows.
• Drive the effective use of data and automation to improve decision-making across Finance and the wider organisation.

Strengthen portfolio financial stewardship

• Lead the continued development of financial frameworks, controls and assurance processes that promote compliance with Managing Public Money, National Audit Office expectations and ARIA's funding model.
• Contribute to the evolution of finance operating models, ensuring clear accountability for financial governance whilst promoting effective programme delivery.
• Work closely with Programme Finance colleagues to strengthen the financial stewardship of ARIA's expanding funding portfolio, ensuring financial governance and post award processes remain proportionate, effective and scalable.
• Lead ARIA’s counterfraud approach and own the continued development and day to day operation of ARIA’s counterfraud framework, ensuring that fraud risks are identified, assessed and managed proportionately.
• Coordinate fraud prevention and detection measures, staff awareness and training, incident response, record keeping and lessons learned.

Leadership

• Act as the main point of contact for direction, feedback and prioritisation for the Finance Operations team.
• Escalate material risks, capacity constraints and contending priorities to the Director of Finance, who will provide timely direction and secure any necessary organisational support.
• Help shape ARIA's Finance function and wider culture, by supporting colleagues driving continuous improvement, and directing or contributing to cross functional projects requiring financial leadership.

Who You Are

A successful candidate will bring many of the following skills and experience.

Essential Criteria

• A recognised professional accountancy qualification, or equivalent substantial technical accounting experience.
• Significant experience leading finance operations and financial control within a complex organisation, including line management and team development.
• Demonstrable experience delivering statutory financial statements and leading external audit processes.
• Strong practical understanding of public sector financial accountability, government accounting and Managing Public Money, (or comparable experience within a highly regulated environment) with the ability to apply these requirements proportionately.
• Experience developing finance systems, processes or operating models that improve organisational effectiveness.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across operational, executive and external stakeholders.
• Strong professional and commercial judgement, analytical ability and communication skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast moving environment.

Desirable Criteria

• Background in grant making, research funding or investment organisations.
• Proven ability to direct teams through organisational change, including technology enabled transformation.
• Track record of supporting organisations through significant growth or scale up.
• Experience in implementing automation, AI and digital transformation within finance.
• Ability to work alongside programme, commercial and investment teams to develop scalable governance frameworks.
• Experience with modern finance systems, vibe coding and workflow automation tools.
• Knowledge of developing and operating counter fraud, financial risk and assurance arrangements.

Benefits

• 27 days annual leave provision, with the option to buy/sell additional days.
• Hybrid working arrangements; 60% in office / 40% at home.
• Supportive environment for learning and development opportunities.
• Enhanced family leave arrangements.
• A free and confidential 24/7 employee assistance programme.
• Life Assurance.
• 2 days of paid volunteer days.
• 5% defined contribution pension scheme with Smart Pension.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• An excellent office location in Kings X, London.

If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please notify us and we will make every effort to accommodate you. Disclosing any requests are intended to provide ARIA with the best opportunity to support candidates and will have no negative impact on your recruitment process.

ARIA adopts a highly considered approach to ethical and social responsibility.