Strategic Charity Finance Manager (Part-Time, Edinburgh)

Three Bridges Recruitment is recruiting for a Finance Manager for Dance Base, Scotland’s National Centre for Dance, based in the Grassmarket, Edinburgh. This is a flexible, part-time finance leadership role with a values‑led arts charity. Dance Base is on a mission to help dance flourish and change lives, delivering professional artist support, public dance classes, health and wellbeing programmes, community projects, performances and international exchange. The organisation is now looking to bring more finance capability back in‑house after several years of outsourced support. This role will suit someone who can strengthen reporting, improve systems and controls, support funder and charity reporting, and work closely with the CEO and Board during a period of repositioning and growth.

Why work here?

• Salary of £45,000 - £50,000 FTE, depending on experience
• Actual salary of £27,000 - £30,000 based on 0.6 FTE
• Permanent, part‑time role - 21 hours per week
• Highly flexible working pattern, including possible 3 days, 2.5 days or shorter days across the week
• Hybrid working, with regular office presence in Edinburgh
• Senior finance role with genuine strategic input
• Opportunity to shape and improve the finance function
• Purpose‑led charity with visible social, creative and community impact
• Friendly, inclusive and values‑led working culture
• 35 days’ holiday pro rata, inclusive of public holidays and Christmas closure

Job

The job of Finance Manager will give you the opportunity to be involved with the following:

• Preparing monthly and quarterly management accounts for the CEO, Board and Finance Committee
• Supporting annual budgets, forecasts, cashflow planning and financial modelling
• Preparing annual accounts and audit documentation, with scope to take more of this work in‑house over time
• Managing restricted and unrestricted fund reporting
• Providing financial information for grant applications, funder reports and project monitoring
• Supporting budget holders with clear, useful financial insight
• Maintaining strong financial controls, policies and compliance
• Managing VAT, tax compliance and relevant charity finance requirements
• Improving reporting frameworks, budgeting tools, financial systems and processes
• Working closely with, and line managing, a part‑time Bookkeeper
• Supporting the CEO and Trustees with clear financial information for decision‑making

This is not a purely transactional finance role. Day‑to‑day bookkeeping and transaction entry sit outside the main scope of the position, although you will oversee the wider finance process and help ensure information is accurate, timely and useful.

You

As Finance Manager you will ideally be skilled &/or qualified in the following:

• Qualified Accountant, or qualified by experience with strong relevant finance experience
• Skilled in preparing management accounts, budgets and forecasts
• Experienced in annual accounts preparation and year‑end audit support
• Skilled in Board, senior leadership or committee reporting
• Strong understanding of charity finance, including restricted and unrestricted funds
• Experienced in funder reporting, grant budgets or project‑based financial reporting
• Knowledge of charity and public fund reporting requirements
• Skilled in financial controls, compliance, risk management and process improvement
• Comfortable working with Xero or similar cloud‑based finance systems
• Able to work well with non‑finance colleagues and budget holders
• Proactive, practical and able to manage deadlines independently
• Interested in working for a values‑led organisation where decisions are shaped by social impact, creative value and public benefit

Charity, arts, culture, education, membership or publicly funded sector experience would be particularly useful. Candidates from accountancy practice with charity accounts experience will also be considered.