Head of Finance - EY Foundation - Permanent - London, Birmingham

The EY Foundation is a charity established in 2014 to help young people from a low‑income background develop the skills needed to succeed in the workplace. We were founded by EY, the professional services firm, who continue to be our primary funder.

Our ambition is that all young people eligible for Free School Meals have an employment and earnings potential equitable to other young people in the UK. We do this through deep understanding of both sides of the labour market, bringing together employers and young people, delivering employability skills programmes, scalable digital interventions, and influencing systemic change.

We work in regions across the country, with team members based in four hubs in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham. We operate a hybrid working model, where staff work in the office at least one day per week. Depending on the nature of your role or specific business needs, you may be required to attend the office or events more than once a week.

As an independent charity we raise income through corporate partners, traditional fundraising and grants. EY Foundation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will need to undertake an Enhanced DBS check via the Disclosure and Barring Service, where appropriate.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At the EY Foundation, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are at the heart of everything we do. We believe in the transformative power of embracing differences and creating a culture where everyone feels valued, respected and empowered to be their authentic selves. We are committed to fostering an environment that celebrates diversity in all its forms, ensuring that everyone – regardless of background, identity, or experience – feels safe, accepted and truly belongs. We are an Equal Opportunities Employer and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, identities and experiences.

Your role as Head of Finance

You will report directly to our Chief Financial Officer (CFO). You will be responsible for the effective day‑to‑day functioning of the Finance Function, including budgeting, reporting, auditing, and financial planning, as well as advising senior management on financial strategy. The ideal candidate has a solid financial background, strong business acumen and is an experienced manager of people. The ability to forecast financial trends and manage financial risk is critical to this role.

• Lead the finance team to deliver an effective financial service to the EY Foundation, maintaining a focus on continuous improvement, collaboration and championing a business partnering approach.
• Deputise for the CFO in all finance matters and at Board/Committee meetings.
• Stakeholder collaboration: Work closely with internal and external stakeholders, including finance and non‑finance colleagues and across EY, to support strategic planning and decision making.
• Financial analysis: Monitor actual performance against projections and conduct analysis to identify trends, variances and opportunities.
• Run a successful department through effective management including motivation, encouragement, training and developing colleagues.
• Oversee the monthly financial reporting, quarterly reforecasting and annual budget processes to provide challenging but supportable financial targets for the organisation in accordance with the guidance set by the Leadership Team.
• Oversee pricing models ensuring full cost recovery to support bids, tenders and commercial partnership models.
• Provide KPI information to the Leadership Team and Board.
• Champion best practice financial management, commercial decision making and internal financial controls and risk across the organisation, putting in place new processes or systems if required.
• Prepare and present the annual statutory accounts liaising with the external auditors and implementing audit findings.
• Ensure compliance with Company, tax and Charity law with responsibility for VAT/gift aid.
• Manage procurement guidance and contract reviews ensuring compliance with organisational requirements.

Skills, knowledge, experience and qualification

• Have a CA (or equivalent) qualification.
• Proven experience in producing the departmental plan and budget as part of the annual business plan, monitoring progress and reforecasting.
• Proven experience in producing financial plans for the organisation for the coming years including cashflow forecasts.
• Previous experience in ensuring systems are in place to report against the KPI's.
• Required experience in people line management and development of staff including leading by example, and implementation of professional development plans.
• Required experience in building effective team working relationships within the department and organisation, promoting strong links between the departments.
• Proven experience in delivery of insightful monthly management accounts and financial information.
• Previous experience in developing the performance, quality and cost effectiveness of departmental outputs and cross department working.
• Proven experience in developing and maintaining all accounting systems procedures to monitor internal controls, providing segregation of duties and to support training.
• Required previous experience in reviewing, scoping and implementation of new methods/ systems of reporting to identify and deliver improvements to the way financial information is collected and reported.
• Experience in management of outsourced payroll arrangements.
• Demonstrable experience in monitoring the cash flow position to ensure the most efficient use of cash balances.
• Proven experience in reviewing VAT returns to ensure they provide the correct information.
• Proficiency in Excel.
• Proven knowledge of the relevant GDPR legislation.
• Adapts communication for diverse audiences to drive clarity, confidence and commitment.
• Facilitates purposeful meetings and presentations that secure decisions and enable delivery.
• Uses data and insight to make recommendations, improve processes and assess impact.
• Understands and communicates EY Foundation's value proposition to senior stakeholders, while contributing to strategic objectives and identifies opportunities to strengthen delivery, efficiency and outcomes.
• Role models inclusive behaviours and considers diverse perspectives in decision‑making.
• Strong personal alignment with and commitment to the charity's mission and values, enjoyment of working with and alongside a diverse group of people in a busy environment.
• Identifies and implements improvements to systems, processes and ways of working that enhance consistency and effectiveness.
• Strong commitment to improve the working lives and prospects of disadvantaged young people in the UK.

Desirable competencies and knowledge

• An understanding of the practical applications of the Charity SORP.
• SharePoint proficiency.
• Experience in using Xero and Microsoft Dynamics.
• Experience in using financial systems.
• Awareness of PowerBI.
• Project management expertise, with a track record of successful completion.
• Contract review/ procurement.

Recruitment Process

Our recruitment process is designed to identify the best candidates through a comprehensive evaluation of their skills, motivation and potential.