At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead financial management and strategic decision-making to support organisational sustainability.
- Company: Join Brathay, a charity dedicated to transforming young lives across the UK.
- Benefits: Enjoy 30 days holiday, health cash plan, life assurance, and flexible working options.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic team focused on continuous improvement and positive outcomes.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a leadership role while supporting youth development.
- Qualifications: Qualified accountant with significant senior finance experience, ideally in the charity sector.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 60000 £ per year.
We’re looking to appoint someone to support Brathay's sustainability, strengthen financial leadership and help the organisation to continue to deliver transformational work with young people across the UK.
The postholder will report into the Chief Executive, and will support them and the Trustees by providing clear financial insight, strengthening financial controls, overseeing statutory responsibilities and helping drive organisational sustainability and improvement.
This is a hands-on leadership role requiring both strategic oversight and operational delivery.
The Role
Leadership and Strategic Contribution
- Act as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to strategic and operational decision-making.
- Support the SLT with financial insight, analysis and recommendations.
- Contribute to organisational planning, sustainability and business development.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues to support delivery of Brathay’s mission, values and strategic priorities.
- Lead and support teams to encourage high performance, accountability and continuous improvement.
- Attend and report into the Trustee Board and Finance & Risk Committee meetings.
- Provide leadership support during periods of organisational change and transition.
- Contribute to risk management, business continuity and organisational resilience.
Financial Leadership and Management
- Lead the day-to-day financial management of the Trust.
- Ensure effective financial controls, systems and processes are in place and operating efficiently.
- Oversee the production of accurate and timely management accounts, forecasts, cashflow reporting and financial analysis from the Management Accountant.
- Lead the annual budgeting and forecasting process.
- Business partner budget holders with financial planning, monitoring and decision-making.
- Ensure the organisation operates within approved budgets and financial policies.
- Develop and improve financial reporting and management information.
- Oversee cashflow management, banking relationships and investment monitoring.
- Identify and manage financial risks and opportunities.
- Support the development of financial sustainability and income growth strategies.
IT Systems and Oversight
- Provide leadership guidance to support our digital transformation journey.
- Line Manage the IT & Data Systems Manager and external providers to ensure secure, reliable and effective IT services.
- Support improvements in systems, reporting and digital processes.
- Ensure effective controls are in place relating to data security, GDPR and cyber security.
Governance, Compliance & Company Secretarial Responsibilities
- Support effective governance arrangements across the Trust.
- Act as Company Secretary and ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
- Oversee preparation of statutory accounts and coordinate the annual audit process.
- Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and frameworks including: Charities Act, Companies Act, HMRC requirements, Financial reporting standards
- Maintain effective relationships with external auditors, accountants, solicitors, insurers, banks and other professional advisers.
- Ensure appropriate insurance arrangements are maintained and reviewed.
- Support organisational compliance, risk management and policy development.
Person Specification
Essential Skills and Knowledge
- Significant senior-level finance experience, ideally within a charity, public sector or values-led organisation.
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
- Experience of financial leadership, budgeting, forecasting and management reporting.
- Experience of developing and improving financial controls, systems and processes.
- Experience of working with senior leaders, Boards or Trustees.
- Strong understanding of financial governance and compliance.
- Experience managing teams and supporting organisational change.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to communicate complex financial information clearly to non-financial audiences.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workloads and meet deadlines.
- Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
- Understands and models good leadership and collaborative behaviours, working effectively with others to achieve shared goals and deliver positive outcomes.
- Should have experience of working in smaller organisations
- High levels of integrity, professionalism and discretion.
- Strong IT skills including financial systems and Microsoft Excel.
- Understanding of employment law and organisational compliance.
- Experience within the charity sector.
- Knowledge of charity accounting and SORP.
- Experience of acting as Company Secretary.
- Experience overseeing IT, systems or digital transformation.
- Experience of managing audits and external relationships.
Terms of appointment
Brathay is offering a full time equivalentsalary of £60,000 per annum equating to £48,000 per annum for a 0.8 FTE (4 days a week) permanent role.
Additional benefits include
- enhanced holiday - 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays (FTE-pro-ta-ra for part-time)
- a health cash plan with employee assistance programme (EAP)
- life assurance and company sick pay
The role base is at our Ambleside site.
It is envisioned that this person will be a present and visible member of our senior leadership team.
Hybrid working will be with agreement with line manager, overnight accommodation is available on the estate.
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Head of Finance in Ambleside employer: Brathay Trust
Brathay is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to lead financial strategy in a values-driven organisation dedicated to transforming the lives of young people across the UK. Located in the picturesque Ambleside, our hybrid working model promotes flexibility while fostering a collaborative and supportive work culture, enhanced by generous benefits such as 30 days of annual leave and a health cash plan. We prioritise employee growth through continuous improvement and leadership development, making Brathay a rewarding place to build a meaningful career.
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We think you need these skills to ace Head of Finance in Ambleside
Some tips for your application 🫡
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How to prepare for a job interview at Brathay Trust
✨Brush Up on Technical Skills
Make sure you're comfortable with key financial concepts, especially around forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis. Sometimes, interviewers may throw in technical questions or case studies, so practicing these types of scenarios will help you shine!
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