Finance Operations Lead

Finance Operations Lead

Permanent. Full time. Hybrid working – 2 days per week in the office

Location: Warrington, UK

Salary: £56,174 per annum

About us

Christian Aid exists to create a world where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. We are a global movement of people, churches and local organisations who passionately champion dignity, equality and justice worldwide. We are the changemakers, the peacemakers, the mighty of heart.

We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and recognise the value this brings in forming strong, creative and high performing teams. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, and from those with experience from outside of the voluntary sector. And no, you don’t have to be Christian to work here – we encourage people of all faiths and none to apply. We just ask that everyone lives out our values of dignity, equality, justice and love. We value a good work-life balance, so we’re open to part-time and flexible working. We also offer hybrid working for our office-based colleagues.

About the role

Reporting in to the Head of Finance, the Finance Operations Lead is dedicated to ensuring the efficient and compliant management of Christian Aid’s financial operations, with a focus on transaction processing, statutory reporting, treasury management, procurement, and adherence to donor and regulatory requirements.

The role is critical in fostering a culture of strong financial controls, streamlined processes, and effective oversight of outsourced service level agreements. The role enables robust financial systems and the management of restricted funds, supporting the organisation’s strategic objectives.

Some of the main responsibilities of the Finance Operations Lead include:

• Champion the management of financial operations overseeing accounts payable, income processing, and outsourced service providers to ensure timely and accurate financial transactions.
• Foster a culture of compliance & controls in relation to internal policies, agreed SLAs, donor requirements, and external regulations.
• Lead the statutory reporting & audit coordination processes, empowering others to achieve progress with successful outcomes with minimal findings.
• Lead the VAT compliance and tax efficient reporting processes.
• Drive strategic oversight for restricted funds management, empowering others to ensure compliance with donor agreements and effective fund utilisation.
• Own the Treasury & Cash Flow management ensuring accurate forecasting, liquidity controls, and effective treasury operations across multi-currency environments.
• Lead the procurement processes, working collaboratively to inspire, facilitate, and create opportunities which ensure cost-effectiveness while always adhering to organisational policies.
• Continually drive the development and implementation of policies to enhance efficiency in financial operations.
• Work in collaboration to ensure the effective management of the financial information from multi-country clusters to ensure accurate consolidated reporting.
• Provide assistance and support to ensure high value impact in relation to the transition from outsourced to in-house finance operations.

About you

Who we are looking for

Essential

• CCAB-qualified (e.g. ACCA, CIMA) if relevant experience is demonstrated.
• Extensive experience in finance operations within a complex international NGO or multi-entity organisation.
• Advanced knowledge of financial controls and treasury management.
• Advanced knowledge of statutory reporting, VAT compliance, and donor regulations.
• Advanced leadership and people management skills.
• Highly developed understanding of process improvement and change management.
• Highly developed analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Highly developed understanding of stakeholder engagement.
• Highly developed communication skills.

Further information

At Christian Aid we strive to be an inclusive and diverse employer and recognise the value that this brings in helping to build strong, creative and high performing teams.

We are actively encouraging racialised minorities, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people with caring responsibilities, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, women, and older workers to apply. This is because these groups are under-represented within our teams, especially at senior level, and we recognise and value the contributions members of these groups make to strong, creative and high performing teams.

We have a strong Christian ethos and we encourage applications from all faiths. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of and sympathy with Christian Aid’s faith identity.

All successful candidates will require a DBS/police check appropriate to the role and location and a Counter Terrorism Sanction check as part of your clearance for commencing your role with us. We also participate in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information as part of the referencing process from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

This role requires applicants to have the right to live and work in the country where this position is based and undertake the role that you have been offered. If you are successful and we make you an offer for the role, we will be required to conduct a right to work check on your immigration status in the UK. We will contact you regarding the documentation you will need to provide to evidence this.