Director of Finance: UK

Girls Not Brides is a global partnership working to end child marriage and ensure every girl can shape her own future. Since 2011, we’ve brought together more than 1,400 organisations in nearly 100 countries, all united by one goal: to stop child, early, and forced marriages and unions everywhere. We envision a world without child marriage, where girls in all their diversity decide if, when, and whom to marry, one where their rights and futures are fully realised.

In 2025, 1 in 5 girls were married under 18. By 2030, we will contribute to reducing that to 1 in 7. We will do this by mobilising and influencing international actors to unlock commitments and resources to end child marriage and by driving impactful collective action in ten focus countries.

The Director of Finance is responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational oversight of Girls Not Brides’ financial management, compliance, and risk functions. The role ensures strong financial stewardship, effective financial systems and processes, audit readiness, and full compliance with UK charity law and donor requirements. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director supports the organisation’s sustainability, transparency, and accountability, working within an international partnership context.

You are a senior fully qualified finance professional providing strategic leadership and stewardship across all financial functions, ensuring long‑term organisational sustainability and excellence in financial management. As a key advisor to the CEO, Board and Senior Leadership Team, the role drives forward-looking financial planning, robust governance, and effective risk management. You will oversee high‑performing finance operations across a complex, international, grant-funded environment, ensuring regulatory compliance, strong internal controls, and high-quality financial insight. Working collaboratively across the organisation, the Director of Finance enables strategic decision‑making, secures sustainable income streams, strengthens donor compliance, and supports impactful organisational growth. Integrity, accountability, and a commitment to continuous improvement are essential, as is alignment with the mission and values of Girls Not Brides.

Job location: London (UK). The successful candidate must already have the right to work in the UK.

Accountable To: CEO

Salary range: £80,000 p/a rising on an annual incremental basis. Girls Not Brides also offers a generous 10% pension.

Contract: Permanent. The successful candidate must have the right to work in the United Kingdom. Fluency in English is essential for this role.

• Lead the development and delivery of a robust and forward-looking finance strategy, ensuring long-term organisational sustainability, strong financial stewardship and full regulatory compliance.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Board, CEO and Senior Leadership Team to provide financial insight for strategic and investment decisions, business cases, growth opportunities and operational planning.
• Work with the External Engagement Director to identify new funding opportunities developing robust and sustainable income streams.
• Lead, manage, and develop a customer-focused finance team, fostering a culture of accountability, integrity, and continuous learning.
• Lead and continuously improve financial management systems to support a complex, grant-funded, international organisation.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, foreign-exchange and treasury management.
• Ensure the production of accurate, timely and high-quality financial information and analysis for the CEO, Senior Leadership Team, and Board of Trustees.

• Ensure compliance with UK charity law, Charity Commission requirements, and relevant financial and tax regulations.
• Oversee preparation of statutory accounts in line with UK accounting standards (SORP / FRS 102).
• Act as the primary point of contact for auditors and regulators.
• Support the Board of Trustees and the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee with clear, accessible financial reporting and advice.

• Lead the annual statutory audit and any donor-specific audits, ensuring timely completion and resolution of findings.
• Oversee the development and implementation of policies and procedures to provide sufficient internal controls and protect organisational assets.
• Strengthen finance policies, processes, systems and controls to support organisational effectiveness and accountability, and to reflect best practice and regulatory changes.

• Oversee financial management of institutional and philanthropic grants, ensuring compliance with donor agreements and reporting requirements.
• Ensure effective systems for managing restricted and unrestricted funds.
• Work closely with programmes and fundraising teams on grant budgeting, monitoring, and financial reporting.
• Support donor due diligence and financial assessments.
• Take ownership of organisational risk register and reporting to the Board.
• Lead financial risk identification, assessment, and mitigation.
• Monitor and advise on regulatory, financial, and donor-related risks affecting Girls Not Brides’ UK and international operations.
• Implement financial due diligence for donors, suppliers, partners and country operations as required to meet legal obligations and donor policies.

• Support copywriting, proofreading and translation of communications outputs across our core languages as required.
• Commit to the mission and vision of Girls Not Brides, putting these at the forefront of all planning, work and actions.
• Uphold the core values of Girls Not Brides in all areas of work and interactions with colleagues, members, partners, and other stakeholders.
• Comply with Girls Not Brides’ policies and processes, including for safeguarding, diversity and inclusion, the code of conduct and data protection.
• Ensure that internal databases and monitoring information are kept fully up-to-date.
• Commit to ongoing personal development and learning.
• Fulfil any other reasonable requests for the advancement of Girls Not Brides.

• 10+ years of senior-level experience in finance within a UK registered charity, NGO or grant-funded organisation.
• Professional accounting qualification (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent).
• Strong knowledge of UK charity finance, including Charity Commission reporting and statutory accounts (SORP / FRS 102).
• Senior level change and project management experience.
• Proven experience managing institutional and foundation grants and restricted funds.
• Experience leading audits and working with Boards or Trustees.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and analytical skills.
• Strong alignment with Girls Not Brides’ mission and values.

Girls Not Brides is committed to ensuring all staff and partners operate in safe environments. The postholder must uphold safeguarding standards at all times and report any concerns promptly through the appropriate channels.

We value diversity and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. Girls Not Brides is committed to creating an inclusive work environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and able to thrive.

The closing date for this role is 23:59 GMT on 20 February 2026. Interviews will be scheduled for week commencing 2 March 2026. To apply, please click on the Apply now button on the job page and submit your CV and a brief cover letter clearly demonstrating how you meet the criteria. We regret that due to the large number of applications anticipated, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and we may need to end the closing date sooner where we receive a high number of applications.

Please note: this is a single global Head of Finance position. While the role is advertised in the UK, Kenya, Mexico, and India, and may be based in any of these locations, only one appointment will be made.