Head of Finance

The Head of Finance is responsible for the financial management, reporting, and compliance across four key areas of the business: International, Trading, Engagement (Fundraising, Marketing, and Communications), and Operations (Charitable Activities). This includes overseeing management accounts, budgeting, forecasting, reconciliations, donor reporting, and international financial operations.

The role directly manages UK-based finance staff and leads financial oversight for international teams, ensuring best practices and compliance. It plays a key role in income processing, international transfers, and donor reporting, while also providing strategic financial insights to senior leadership. Additionally, the Head of Finance produces financial reports for Directors, Board meetings, and Committees, ensuring financial integrity and operational efficiency across all areas.

Financial Management & Reporting

• Oversee the financial management of International, Trading, Engagement (Fundraising, Marketing, Communications), and Operations (Charitable Activities).
• Liaise with the Group Director, Associate Directors of Finance, and Group Management Team to determine and deliver required financial information.
• Identify key financial indicators for performance measurement and provide financial performance reports for trading, fundraising activities, and key departments.
• Ensure the timely and accurate preparation of financial reports for Directors, Board meetings, and Committees.
• Support financial reporting to external donors, ensuring compliance with donor requirements.
• Oversee income and expenditure reporting across fundraising, communications, public awareness, and international programmes.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Business Planning

• Support Directors and Managers in preparing budgets, offering training and financial guidance.
• Consolidate locally developed budgets into a comprehensive group budget, ensuring corporate deadlines are met.
• Lead on budget planning, reforecasting, cash flow projections, currency exchange calculations, and monthly and quarterly reporting for International UK and international country offices.

Leadership & Team Development

• Mentor and guide both UK-based and overseas finance teams, ensuring high performance and timely responses to Sense International (SI) and country programme needs.
• Provide training and ongoing financial policy support to Budget Holders, ensuring adherence to financial policies and procedures.

Compliance, Risk & Audit

• Ensure compliance with donor rules and regulations (FCDO and other public grants) and provide guidance to country programme staff on financial and compliance matters.
• Liaise with internal and external audit teams to ensure robust financial auditing processes for UK and overseas activities.

Operational & Systems Oversight

• Ensure international transfers and payments are made efficiently.
• Manage foreign currency positions, ensuring financial stability across international operations.
• Oversee fixed asset purchases and disposals for SI, Trading, Engagement, and Charitable Services.
• Assist in project management initiatives to improve Sense's finance systems and reporting processes.
• Ensure the integrity of financial ledgers and transactions, working closely with the Finance Team.

Strategic Collaboration & Advisory

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders across Sense UK, Sense International, and country programmes.
• Provide ad-hoc financial reports to support national and international initiatives.
• Offer day-to-day financial guidance to Budget Holders and ensure alignment with Sense's strategic goals and financial policies.
• Contribute to the production of annual corporate accounts, leading the financial reporting for Sense International with Finance Team support.

Person specification Knowledge and Experience

• Relevant financial qualification such as CCAB/CIMA, with evidence of own continuing professional development.
• Significant experience at a senior management level in developing and implementing financial management information and managing day to day ledger accounts in a multi cost-centre organisation with diverse income streams.
• Good knowledge of charity finance and accounting standards (SORP) desirable.
• Knowledge of the Charities Act, Company law and charity VAT regulations and gift aid desirable.
• Good accounting and business knowledge of charity trading and fundraising, and fund accounting desirable.
• Knowledge of Foreign Exchange accounting and transactions desirable.
• Knowledge of SUN systems accounting package desirable.
• Experience of developing and monitoring an annual budget within a multi-cost centre environment.
• Knowledge of delivering overseas compliance and Grant making Trusts and Bodies.

Skills

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to nurture and develop relationships with key stakeholders and external agencies, so that objectives are met consistently, and change is introduced successfully.
• Ability to influence and partner with leadership and colleagues across the finance department.
• Able to plan and organise your own workload or contribute to the planning of team workload with an appreciation of short- and long-term deadlines.
• Knowledge and understanding of Data Protection issues.

Morgan Hunt is a multi-award-winning recruitment business for interim, contract and temporary recruitment and acts as an Employment Agency in relation to permanent vacancies. Morgan Hunt is an equal opportunities employer. Job suitability is assessed on merit in accordance with the individual's skills, qualifications and abilities to perform the relevant duties required in a particular role.