Head of Finance (part time, o.6 FTE)

Do you have a recognised accountancy qualification and experience operating as the sole finance lead within an organisation? Are you confident managing payroll, expenses, and financial processes delivered via external providers, ensuring accuracy and compliance? Are you self‑reliant, able to balance hands‑on finance processing with higher‑level budgeting, reporting, and statutory responsibilities? If so, this might be the perfect role for you!

The organisation is an independent regulatory body overseeing the qualification, registration, and ongoing professional standards of patent attorneys and trade mark attorneys, including education and training, firm registration and licensing, continuous professional development, professional conduct, and disciplinary processes.

As Head of Finance, you will play a central role in ensuring the organisation's financial health, transparency, and operational stability. This is a highly influential position within a small, close‑knit organisation, where your expertise will directly support strategic planning, regulatory work, and day‑to‑day operations. You will be the organisation’s only dedicated finance specialist, giving you full oversight of all financial processes – from routine transactions to higher‑level planning, analysis, and statutory reporting.

Working closely with the CEO, the wider team, and the Board, you will provide accurate, timely financial insight that supports informed decision‑making and promotes confidence among internal and external stakeholders. A major part of your role involves overseeing newly modernised finance systems, including outsourced payroll and integrated expenses processing. You will help ensure these arrangements deliver efficiency and accuracy while identifying opportunities to refine processes and strengthen internal controls.

You will also act as the primary point of contact for banks, auditors, the Legal Services Board, and other financial service providers. This includes managing the annual audit process, preparing statutory accounts for Companies House, and handling external enquiries relating to fees, registration, or finance‑related matters. Because the client is a small team, the role offers notable autonomy, variety, and visibility.

You will move between hands‑on finance tasks such as invoice processing and CRM updates, and more strategic responsibilities like forecasting, budgeting, and recommending financial efficiencies to the CEO. For the right person, this combination provides a fulfilling balance of operational ownership and strategic contribution to the wider regulatory mission.

Key facts:

• Contract: Part time (0.6 FTE – 3 days per week), permanent
• Location: Hybrid – office-based with minimum 50% office attendance (London EC1A 7DH), with flexibility to allocate office days across a two‑week period to avoid half‑days. Working‑day patterns are open to discussion.
• Salary: £55,000 p.a. FTE + benefits (including 25 days paid holiday a year + 8 bank holidays + Christmas closure from the end of the last working day before Christmas until the first working day of the New Year without having to take leave; Life Insurance; Company Sick Pay and Health Cash Plan)

Key areas of responsibility:

• Keeping all necessary up to date and accurate financial and accounting records for IPReg Limited, including processing invoices.
• Updating and monitoring payroll provision (Board and Team), expenses, and fee payment systems by external providers and dealing with associated enquiries.
• Checking expense claims from Board and Team members via external provider.
• Budget planning/monitoring including drafting practising fee applications to the Legal Services Board using standard templates.
• Payment of invoices and bills – on CEO’s authorisation.
• Liaison with external auditors and filing accounts at Companies House.
• Liaison with banks and payment provider.
• Assisting with the annual re‑registration process including finance functions on the CRM.
• Answering enquiries from external parties including registrants.
• Identifying opportunities for efficiencies in the finance functions and making recommendations to the CEO.
• Other matters as requested.

The ideal candidate will meet the following requirements:

• Full Accountancy Qualification.
• Experience in compliance, governance and internal control.
• Experience of invoice and expense processing.
• Experience of payroll.
• Experience providing finance reports.
• Excellent IT skills.

Interested? For a confidential conversation before applying, please contact us on 0203 195 3600, or email us at resourcingteam@fjwilson.com.