Chief Financial Officer in North East

The Opportunity

Strengthen financial confidence. Shape sustainable growth. Extend the Foundation’s impact.

Percy Hedley Foundation is an established charitable organisation providing education, social care and specialist support to people with disabilities and their families.

With annual income of £40 million, a strong underlying financial position and growing demand for its services, the Foundation is entering an important phase of development. A new strategy through to September 2030 will provide the framework for further investment in education, residential services, supported living and specialist provision.

This growth must be supported by confident financial leadership, stronger management information and disciplined commercial decision-making. The appointment of a Chief Financial Officer is therefore a significant addition to the Executive Team and central to the Foundation’s future success.

The Role

Reporting to the Chief Executive and Board of Trustees, the Chief Financial Officer will safeguard the Foundation’s financial health while creating the financial capacity needed to invest, innovate and grow.

This is broader than a traditional finance leadership position. The successful candidate will lead finance, treasury, pensions, commercial activity and fundraising at Executive level, bringing these areas together around a clear long-term plan.

Key objectives will include:

• Strengthening management reporting, forecasting, cash-flow planning and Board assurance.
• Developing the financial plan underpinning the Foundation’s strategy through to 2030.
• Improving the quality and accessibility of management information, including the effective use of Sage Intacct, Microsoft Fabric and Power BI.
• Leading treasury, investment and funding strategy, including consideration of funding options beyond conventional bank borrowing.
• Improving pricing, contract management, procurement and full-cost recovery.
• Supporting negotiations with local-authority commissioners and evaluating the financial case for new services.
• Representing the Foundation as sponsoring employer in relation to its defined benefit pension arrangements, including the forthcoming actuarial valuation and covenant process.
• Aligning fundraising activity with agreed service, capital and strategic priorities.
• Supporting the Head of Finance and developing the capability, structure and influence of the wider finance team.

The CFO will work closely with trustees, operational leaders, commissioners, advisers, investment managers, donors and funding partners.

The Person

This opportunity will suit a commercially capable and technically credible finance leader who combines sound judgement with the ability to make change happen.

You will be a fully qualified accountant with substantial financial leadership experience gained at, or close to, Board level. You may already be a Finance Director or CFO, or a senior deputy ready to take on a broader Executive remit in an organisation of meaningful scale and complexity.

You will bring:

• Strong experience of financial planning, management reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cash-flow management and statutory reporting.
• Evidence of improving financial controls, systems and decision-making information.
• Sufficient technical currency to oversee FRS 102, Charities SORP, audit and relevant tax and VAT matters.
• Commercial strength across pricing, contracts, procurement, business cases and the evaluation of new services.
• The credibility to advise trustees and Executive colleagues while constructively challenging established thinking.
• Experience of leading experienced functional heads and bringing teams with you through change.
• Confidence representing an organisation with commissioners, banks, investment managers, advisers, funders and other external stakeholders.
• An accessible, collaborative leadership style and a clear connection to the Foundation’s purpose.

Experience in a people-intensive organisation will be particularly relevant. Exposure to education, social care, public services, charity governance, local-authority commissioning, defined benefit pensions or fundraising would be valuable, but candidates do not need to bring every element.