Director of Finance & Operations
- Location
- London, United Kingdom
- Work mode
- Hybrid
- Type
- Full-time
- Seniority
- Director
- Salary
- £60,000–64,000 / year
- Posted
- 7 Nov 2026
Verified open 10 Nov 2026 · Source: Company careers page
About the role
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Vacancy – Director of Finance & Operations
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Salary
£60,000 to £64,000, depending on experience
Location
Hybrid, with a minimum of two days a week in our London office
Hours
Full-time, 37.5 hours a week
Reporting to
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
About Us
Charity Digital exists to help charities increase their impact by becoming more digital. For over twenty-five years we have strengthened the bridge between the UK charity sector and the technology industry. We do this by:
• Creating educational resources (articles, videos, podcasts, guides) and delivering training through our Academy;
• Running events and training programmes in partnership with leading technology companies;
• Providing access to digital tools and technologies at nonprofit rates through our Marketplace;
• Delivering grant-funded programmes that upskill charity professionals and volunteers; and
• Providing email marketing and Payments services, including an FCA-regulated, BACS-accredited payments service through our trading subsidiary, CTT Charity Payments Ltd.
Charity Digital Trust is a registered charity (number 1133179).
Purpose of the role
The Director of Finance & Operations is the charity’s senior lead for finance, people, technology, governance and compliance. Working closely with the Chief Executive, the post-holder ensures that Charity Digital is financially sustainable, well governed, legally compliant and efficiently run, so that the rest of the team can focus on growth and impact.
This is a hands-on Director role in a small, dynamic organisation. It combines strategic financial leadership with direct responsibility for day-to-day operations, and the post-holder will be expected to roll up their sleeves when needed.
Who we are looking for
This is a great opportunity for a Head of Finance and Operations, or someone in a similar role at a UK charity, who is ready to step up to a senior leadership team role. You will have run the finance function of a charity, prepared accounts under the Charities SORP, and supported a Board and its committees. We welcome applications from people with equivalent experience who can show they have done this in practice.
Key responsibilities
1. Financial leadership and control
• Lead financial strategy, planning and modelling for the charity and its trading subsidiary, in partnership with the Chief Executive.
• Own the annual budget and forecasting cycle, working with the Chief Executive, Directors and budget holders.
• Own grant income forecasting and tracking, including when funding is due and how it affects cash flow.
• Produce timely, accurate monthly management accounts and clear financial reporting for the SLT, Finance Committee and Board.
• Manage cash flow, reserves, investments and banking relationships within Board-approved policies.
• Maintain strong financial controls, including authorisation limits, segregation of duties and purchase order processes.
• Oversee the person or provider responsible for bookkeeping, and the payroll and VAT processes, ensuring they are timely and compliant, reviewing their work and getting involved in the detail when required.
• Lead the year-end process, external audit, annual report and statutory accounts for the group.
• Develop cost and time allocation across product lines so the Board can see fully loaded margins.
• Support contract and pricing decisions from a financial and compliance perspective and make sure payables are paid on time.
• Own credit control end to end: maintain the debtors list, chase overdue accounts, send reminders and final warning letters in line with the credit control policy, flag overdue accounts to the SLT, and recommend escalation or provision for bad debts.
• Ensure grant claims and billing are made on time, and maintain oversight of grant timelines, reporting deadlines, completions and payments received, working with the colleague responsible for grant applications and delivery to make sure the required reports are submitted.
2. Payments subsidiary and regulatory compliance
• Support the board of CTT Charity Payments Ltd on regulatory compliance, leading day-to-day FCA reporting, anti-money laundering arrangements and safeguarding of client funds.
• Make sure client fund reconciliations, regulatory returns and any required audits are completed accurately and on time.
• Maintain BACS accreditation and the subsidiary’s operational policies, working with fellow directors on commercial and banking relationships.
• Support the governance of the subsidiary, including board administration, intercompany arrangements and Gift Aid of profits.
3. Governance and company secretarial
• Oversee the charity’s governance arrangements, making sure the Board and its committees operate in line with the governing document, charity law and good practice.
• Plan and manage the annual cycle of Board and committee business, including the forward plan, timetable for papers and decision deadlines.
• Provide secretariat support for Board and committee meetings: agendas, papers, and timely minutes and action logs.
• Act as company secretary for the charity and its subsidiary, including statutory registers.
• Make sure all Charity Commission and Companies House filings are accurate and on time.
• Maintain the risk register and lead day-to-day risk management, reporting to the Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee in consultation with the Chief Executive.
• Maintain a register of policies, making sure they are reviewed on schedule and updated in line with changing regulation and guidance.
• Manage conflicts of interest registers for Trustees and staff.
• Make sure non-disclosure agreements are issued and managed as appropriate.
4. People and HR
• Lead HR operations, supported by our external HR adviser: contracts, starters, movers and leavers.
• Make sure HR records are kept current and complete on the HR system.
• Make sure staff receive the documentation they are due, such as P60s and P11Ds.
• Keep the Staff Handbook and HR policies current and compliant.
• Oversee payroll, pensions and auto-enrolment compliance.
• Coordinate training and development plans and keep training records up to date.
• Act as Designated Safeguarding Lead, with appropriate training.
5. Technology, data and information security
• Manage our outsourced IT provider or providers, including service reviews, procurement and value for money.
• Act as Data Protection Officer: maintain policies, records of processing and data protection impact assessments, and handle subject access requests and data incidents.
• Maintain Cyber Essentials certification and make sure all staff complete data protection and cyber training.
• Contribute to decisions on core systems (CRM, website, finance and publishing platforms) so they work together and are well controlled.
6. Operations and customer service
• Own the customer service function, supported by the administrative team, so that customers receive an excellent service, including managing escalations and complaints.
• Lead and develop the administrative team, including objective setting, one-to-ones and appraisals.
• Oversee office and premises management, health and safety, insurance and the asset register.
• Maintain business continuity and crisis management arrangements, including emergency contacts.
• Manage key supplier contracts and maintain a contract register, reviewing it regularly to secure best value for the charity.
7. Senior leadership
• Play a full part in the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to strategy, planning and organisational decisions.
• Support the Chief Executive on legal, compliance and governance matters.
• Provide cover across the SLT as needed to ensure continuity.
• Take on other responsibilities consistent with the role as the charity’s needs develop.
Person specification
| Criteria | Essential | Desirable |
| Qualifications | ||
| Professional qualification | Substantial senior-level financial management experience, demonstrated in role | Professional accountancy qualification (ACA, ACCA or CIMA); charity finance training (for example, Charity Finance Group programmes) |
| Experience | ||
| Charity finance | Leading the finance function of a UK charity, including budgets, management accounts, treasury and banking, year-end and audit | Group accounts with a trading subsidiary |
| SORP and filing | Preparing charity accounts under the Charities SORP, and meeting Charity Commission and Companies House filing requirements | |
| Governance | Managing a Board and committee cycle of business and overseeing governance arrangements, including secretariat support for meetings | FCA-regulated activity, payments or client money; company secretarial work |
| Operations | Managing HR, IT and suppliers in a small or growing organisation | Data Protection Officer or safeguarding lead role; Cyber Essentials |
| Leadership | Leading and developing a team; working closely with a senior leadership team | Experience as a member of a senior leadership team; leading change in a charity or social enterprise |
| Skills and Knowledge | ||
| Technical | Strong financial analysis and modelling; confident with cloud accounting (Xero preferred) and Excel | Experience of CRM, AI and finance system integration |
| Communication | Excellent written and verbal skills; able to explain finance clearly to Trustees, colleagues and non-specialists | |
| Judgement | Sound judgement on risk, compliance and confidentiality | |
| Personal attributes | ||
| Approach | Values-led and collaborative; hands-on and comfortable working at pace in a small team; committed to continuous improvement | Interest in digital transformation in the charity sector |
Recruitment timetable
| Stage | Timing |
| Advert opens | Friday 6 November 2026 |
| Closing date | Friday 27 November 2026, 11.59pm |
| First-round (long-list) interviews | Week commencing 30 November 2026 |
| Final (shortlist) interviews | Week commencing 14 December 2026 |
| Offer | Before the Christmas break |
| Start date | Subject to notice period; early 2027 |
How to apply
Please send your CV and a supporting statement of no more than two pages, explaining how you meet the person specification, to jobs1@charitydigital.org.uk by the closing date.
You are welcome to use AI tools to help prepare your application. Your CV and statement must, however, accurately reflect your own experience and achievements, and we may explore anything you include in more detail at interview.
Charity Digital is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone, and particularly from groups under-represented in senior charity roles. Please let us know if you need any adjustments during the recruitment process.
What we offer
• Salary: £60,000 to £64,000, depending on experience.
• Annual leave: 25 days a year plus bank holidays, and an additional wellness day.
• Pension: Royal London workplace pension, with Charity Digital contributing 5% of basic salary (employee contribution from 3%) and the option to contribute through salary sacrifice. Enrolment follows three months’ service.
• Life assurance: MetLife group life assurance at four times basic salary, from your first day of employment.
• Cash health plan: a BHSF health cash plan provided by Charity Digital after three months’ service, which can be upgraded to a higher level of cover and extended to include your partner and children.
• Employee assistance programme: free, confidential support and advice for you when you need it.
• Hybrid working: a minimum of two days a week in our London office, with the rest of the week worked from home.
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