Financial Director

Bee Ethical Ltd is a trusted External Lottery Manager that enables charities and not-for-profits of all sizes to achieve sustainable growth through secure, state-of-the-art lottery software services, while protecting the licence, the funds, and player trust. Bee Ethical Ltd helps causes of every size to grow support, raise more income and reduce hidden costs that hold fundraising back. The organisation combines advanced, continuously evolving technology with disciplined compliance, financial integrity and operational excellence. We listen to the issues charities face and flex our software, service and support around their needs, timing and pace, helping them reduce burden and scale. We pursue growth responsibly, with clear separation of duties, embedded risk guardrails, and transparent governance, ensuring that innovation and commercial ambition never compromise regulatory obligations, charity confidence, or financial control.

Main purpose of the role of Financial Director

The Financial Director is a key member of Bee Ethical's senior leadership team, with responsibility for shaping financial strategy, providing commercial and strategic counsel to the Managing Director, and ensuring the business has the financial discipline, insight, and control framework required to succeed. Reporting to the Managing Director, the role leads the finance function and is accountable for the integrity of financial reporting, cash flow, budgeting, forecasting, statutory compliance, and risk management across the business. The Financial Director will play a central role in supporting board and leadership reporting, challenging business performance, leading scenario planning, strengthening governance and internal controls, and ensuring the organisation is well positioned to scale responsibly in a regulated environment.

The role also provides financial oversight and coordination across the wider Bee Ethical Ltd Group, including multi-entity financial management and intercompany control. As the business takes on a new EMI for payment services, the Financial Director will be instrumental in ensuring that the financial control environment, governance arrangements, reconciliations, safeguarding processes, and oversight framework remain robust and support ongoing FCA compliance and regulatory readiness.

Bee Ethical Ltd is growing and is at an important inflection point. The business is mid-way through a planned reorganisation by function, with new leadership positions being embedded across the business. The Financial Director is one of five functional director roles reporting directly to the Managing Director and is a critical appointment in that structure. The person joining will step into a business with clear ambition, a defined growth plan, and a finance function that the person in this role will strengthen from the ground up.

Key responsibilities/Tasks:

• Financial leadership and strategy
  • Lead the finance function for the business, balancing strategic input with hands-on oversight of day-to-day financial operations.
  • Partner closely with the Managing Director, owner, and senior leadership team to support business planning, decision-making, and growth strategy.
  • Provide commercial insight on pricing, margins, cost control, investment decisions, customer profitability, and business performance across product lines.
  • Support scenario planning and financial modelling as the business scales across its three-part ecosystem.
• Reporting and control
  • Own the budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management processes, ensuring the business maintains strong financial visibility and liquidity.
  • Produce timely and accurate monthly management accounts, performance reporting, and financial commentary for board and leadership review.
  • Maintain robust financial controls, accounting processes, and risk management arrangements appropriate to the scale and regulated nature of the business.
  • Develop and improve finance systems, reporting processes, and internal controls so they remain fit for purpose as the business grows.
• Statutory and compliance responsibilities
  • Ensure compliance with statutory reporting, tax, payroll, VAT, audit, and other financial obligations.
  • Lead the year-end process, including preparation of statutory accounts and liaison with external accountants.
  • Ensure the smooth implementation and ongoing financial oversight of EMI payment service under FCA regulations, including safeguarding, reconciliations, and governance arrangements.
• People and team
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a small finance team (Finance Manager, Finance Business Partner, Finance Assistant), while remaining willing to work at detail level where required.
• Group and multi-entity
  • Provide financial oversight and coordination across the Bee Ethical Ltd Group, including multi-entity financial management and intercompany control.
  • Support the financial governance and reporting requirements as the group structure evolves toward its revenue target.

Essential Skills and Qualifications

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent) with experience.
• Significant senior finance experience within an SME, owner-managed business, or growing organisation.
• Proven track record of leading financial planning, reporting, control, and cash flow management in a hands-on environment.
• Experience of partnering with senior leaders to support commercial decisions, business growth, and business performance improvement.
• Experience of managing statutory accounts, tax, payroll, VAT, and audit requirements.
• Experience of improving systems, controls, and reporting processes within a growing business would be highly beneficial.
• Meticulous and accurate.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to multi-task.
• Self-motivated and able to meet tight deadlines under pressure.
• IT skills, including proficiency in Excel, BACS and Xero.

Ability to commute/locate:

The role is 9am to 5pm office-based with an option for hybrid working.