Finance Manager in London

Reports to: Head of Finance & Governance

Location: Saint Paul’s Hammersmith, W6 9PJ

Contract: 1 FTE

Salary: £32,000 - £36,000 Depending on experience

About Saint Paul’s

Saint Paul’s is a vibrant Anglican church at the heart of London, dedicated to encountering God and awakening our city. We strive to be a white-hot centre of faith where people experience God’s presence and are empowered to live out their calling in every aspect of life. Our vision is to see God’s Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, equipping our community to make a lasting impact in London. We are committed to nurturing faith, fostering community and being a resource for the wider city through the use of our spaces, systems and ministries.

Role Purpose

The Finance Manager is responsible for the effective day-to-day stewardship of the church’s financial resources ensuring compliance with UK charity law, financial regulations and best practice under the Charities SORP. The Finance Manager will oversee day-to-day financial operations, provide accurate and timely financial reporting, support strategic decision-making and ensure robust financial controls are maintained across all church activities. This role combines operational finance management and detailed bookkeeping, with strategic financial insight in support of the church’s mission and ministry. This is a hands-on, detail-driven role suited to someone who enjoys making systems work well, solving problems and creating order through effective processes and collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial Management & Reporting

• Oversee and process all day-to-day financial operations including income, expenditure, payroll and cash flow management.
• Assist the Head of Finance and Governance with monthly management accounts for the Standing Committee & PCC.
• Support in preparing annual budgets in collaboration with budget holders.
• Monitor performance against budgets and provide financial forecasting.
• Assist with the preparation of statutory annual accounts in accordance with the Charity SORP.
• Liaise with independent examiners or auditors during annual auditing processes.
• Supporting gift days including working the Sundays where gift day takes place (twice per year for two Sundays in a row).
• General liaison with external suppliers ensuring best value for money (e.g. Electricity, Gas, Service Contracts).

• Ensure compliance with the Charity Commission regulations, HMRC requirements (including Gift Aid processing) and Parish Reporting.
• Maintain strong financial controls and internal procedures.
• Ensure restricted funds are tracked and reported appropriately.
• Maintain and review financial policies and procedures.

• Oversee all income and expenditure journals in Xero and stewardship systems, including processing Gift Aid claims, regular giving administration and online giving platforms.
• Manage all invoicing for hiring income & expenditure.
• Ensure accurate recording and reporting of restricted and unrestricted funds.
• Support with financial information for grants and providing grant reporting to budget holders and external grant bodies.
• Liaising with congregation about their giving and providing information where needed.
• Processing all team expenses and reconciling credit cards.
• Sending out monthly monitoring reports to budget holders.

• Oversee payroll processing, pensions (including auto-enrolment compliance) and HMRC submissions.
• Manage Nest and Standard Life pension programmes.
• Ensure accurate salary allocation across departments and restricted funds/grants where required.
• Liaise with HR regarding employment budget planning.

• Manage and optimise financial software systems and API’s to ensure efficiencies.
• Develop and document financial procedures to ensure business continuity and resilience.
• Support digitalisation and efficiency improvements within finance operations and improve current process to be fully digital.

• Build strong working relationships across departments to ensure effective financial collaboration.
• Support communication of new systems, finance policies and changes to the staff team.
• Contribute positively to the Operations Team culture of clarity, care and accountability.

Person Specification

Essential Skills and Experience

• At least 3-5 years’ experience managing the finance and bookkeeping function within a charity or not-for-profit environment.
• Excellent knowledge and expertise of Xero Accounting Software.
• Experience in supporting the preparation of accounts and annual statutory accounts.
• Experience with payroll and HMRC compliance.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills.
• High level of integrity and discretion.
• Excellent organisational and time-management skills.
• High attention to detail and able to work autonomously.
• Confident user of Microsoft Office Suite and comfortable with digital systems E.G. Xero, SharePoint, Notion & Pension Platforms.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills and able to work across multiple teams.
• Practical problem-solver with initiative and ownership of tasks.

Desirable

• Strong knowledge of Charity SORP.
• Strong Accounting Principles knowledge.
• Experience working within a church context.
• Knowledge of Gift Aid administration.
• Familiarity with church management systems.
• Experience supporting Trustees or Boards.
• Experience managing or implementing processes across multiple teams.

Personal Qualities

• Highly self-motivated, organised and reliable.
• Self-directed, able to prioritise and act without constant supervision.
• Logical and practical thinker with a solutions-focused mindset.
• Calm, adaptable and resilient under pressure.
• Warm, approachable and collaborative in working style.
• Committed to the vision and values of Saint Paul’s Hammersmith.

Working Requirements

• Proof of right to work in the UK
• Work schedule: 5 days per week, Monday to Friday (Fridays WFH)
• Attendance at Tuesday morning staff meetings
• This post carries a genuine occupational requirement for the holder to be a practising Christian under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010.

Key Church Services and Events

• Key annual church events: Annual Parochial Church Meeting, Church Weekend and select evening events.
• Easter and Christmas services.
• Staff events including an annual retreat (typically 1 week in January).

Package

• Salary: £32,000 – £36,000 depending on experience.
• Holiday: 25 days plus bank holidays plus your Birthday off as an additional day.
• Benefits: Employer pension contribution, annual offsite staff retreat, ongoing training and development opportunities.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a completed Application Form and a CV outlining competencies and experience that align with the full Job Description. Closing date for applications: 10 May