Head of Finance and Operations in Bristol

Own The Space (OTS) is a campaign accelerator that develops and scales communication interventions with impact. Our leadership team has decades of experience incubating and scaling campaigns and organisations. We care passionately about the areas we engage in and pursue projects that have a high level of ambition coupled with a potential to deliver change quickly. An activist organisation at its heart, we are in our fourth year with an ambitious plan for the future.

About this role

We are looking for a builder‑operator who will take satisfaction in developing the systems and backbone to allow our impact to significantly increase. As a growing campaign organisation, some of our systems are still evolving. The right candidate will enjoy shaping and improving them and enabling the directors to focus on campaign strategy and impact. They will enjoy building organisations, are comfortable in a high‑energy campaigning environment and able to bring structure while not over‑bureaucratising. This role reports into one of the Own The Space Directors.

Responsibilities

• Finance and Financial Visibility: Ensure financial systems support the mission. Translate the organisation’s strategy and programme plans into multi‑year financial models that enable strategic decision making. Produce clear monthly management accounts and dashboards for OTS Directors (working with external finance partners where appropriate). Lead the annual budgeting and forecasting process, coach budget holders and embed strong financial planning practices across OTS. Provide forward‑looking financial insight linking financial position to programme milestones and fundraising assumptions. Oversee finance and performance of the for‑profit arm: budgeting, pricing/margin, cash, working capital, contract risk, and management reporting. Ensure the not‑for‑profit entity complies with funding agreements, provide necessary financial reports and that restricted funds are managed appropriately. Establish and maintain clear intercompany arrangements (e.g. service level agreements, recharge policies, IP licences, cost‑sharing etc.) so transactions remain transparent and auditable. Manage relationships with external finance providers and identify where additional finance capacity is required.
• Operations and People Systems: Build and run the organisational infrastructure that supports the work. Design and implement operational systems covering IT, data management, contract management, supplier management and internal processes. Establish simple and effective operational rhythms (planning cycles, reporting cadence etc.) that improve clarity and reduce administrative burden on directors. Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory bodies including Companies House, HMRC, GDPR/data protection, insurance requirements. Maintain oversight of organisational policies and documentation.
• People Systems: Manage core staffing operations including employment contracts, HR policies and compliance. Support the recruitment process by coordinating hiring logistics, contracts and onboarding. Maintain clear and fair HR processes including onboarding, performance review frameworks and staff documentation and ensure appropriate HR policies and systems. Support directors in ensuring that staff have the operational support and clarity they need to succeed.
• Organisational Capacity Building: Build financial literacy resilience across the organisation. Support project teams in planning and delivering their work within realistic budgets and operational frameworks. Build financial literacy across OTS so directors and project leads can confidently understand budgets and forecasts. Help embed systems and processes that strengthen organisational resilience as the organisation grows.

About you:

Experience: Significant experience leading finance and operational systems in a growing organisation (ideally £3m–£10m turnover), including building processes and infrastructure that enable teams to scale. Strong financial management: budgeting, cashflow, controls, management accounts, audit/statutory reporting, with the ability to translate financial information into clear insights for non‑financial leaders. Experience establishing HR processes and policies in a small or growing organisation. Confidence operating across two entities (not‑for‑profit + commercial), including governance boundaries and intercompany working. Excellent stakeholder management: proven ability to advise and influence senior leadership with clarity and pragmatism.

Desirable: Qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) or equivalent demonstrable experience. Charity finance experience (restricted funds, SORP, VAT/Gift Aid) and/or experience with trading subsidiaries. Experience working in fast moving, mission driven or entrepreneurial environments where systems are still evolving.

Core Attributes: Impact driven: You have a focus on impact, constantly assessing the most effective deployment of limited resources. You’re motivated by the difference your efforts make. Detail oriented: You want to join the dots whilst keeping the bigger picture in mind. Most people that you’ve worked with would describe you as exceptionally competent and reliable. Systems thinker: You can work independently to build systems, processes and information flows. Lifelong learner: You’re able to ask for feedback to get better and independently seek out learning to improve within your own areas of expertise.

Inclusion and Diversity: We know that diverse teams lead to better outcomes and each new hire is a chance for Own The Space to bring in new perspectives and approaches. We welcome applications from all backgrounds regardless of gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and cultural identity. We aim for Own The Space to be a welcoming, supportive and creative place to work.

Benefits: This is a one year role with a strong possibility of extension. Own The Space uses a fixed pay scale based on organisational level. To ensure equity, salaries are non‑negotiable. This role pays £78,660 pro‑rata. Benefits include 35 days annual leave, pro‑rata (inclusive of public holidays and grace days) and 6% pension scheme. This is a remote role but we have offices in London and Bristol for candidates within commuting distance. The role would involve regular travel to London or Bristol, approx every 2 months, would be expected with trips sometimes involving an overnight stay. A computer and phone are provided.

Closing date: 9am GMT on Monday 8th June.