Director of Finance and Business Support

Director of Finance and Business Support

Location:

Westbourne with some possibility of home working on occasion

Contract:

Full time permanent

Following a period of rapid expansion in recent years, AWS is seeking to appoint a Director of Finance and Business Support to a newly created senior leadership position.

This is a key strategic role within the organisation, working closely with the CEO and Director of Operations to shape the financial future of AWS. The successful candidate will play a central role in ensuring the organisation’s long‑term financial sustainability while supporting continued growth and expansion.

• Work closely with the CEO and Director of Operations to develop and deliver a five-year business plan that secures the long‑term financial sustainability of AWS and supports further growth.
• Act as the primary financial adviser to the Board of Trustees
  , providing strategic guidance on all matters with financial implications.
• Lead the development and implementation of robust financial policies, processes, and controls appropriate to the current and future scale of AWS operations.
• Oversee the finance and business support functions, ensuring they effectively support operational needs across the organisation.
• Provide high‑quality financial reporting, analysis, and strategic insight to support decision‑making at senior leadership and board level.
• Build and lead a high‑performing finance and business support team
  , fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• A recognised UK accounting qualification (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Significant senior‑level finance leadership experience, ideally within a growing organisation.
• A proven track record of building, developing and managing finance and business support teams.
• Strong strategic planning and financial management skills.
• Experience advising boards, trustees or senior leadership teams
  .
• The ability to operate both strategically and operationally in a fast‑evolving organisation.

This is an exciting opportunity to join AWS at a pivotal moment in its development. The Director of Finance and Business Support will play a vital role in shaping the organisation’s long‑term sustainability and supporting its continued impact and growth.

Please submit your CV and a covering letter outlining your suitability for the role to (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).

Friday 27 th March

Director of Finance and Business Support

Chief Executive Officer

Primarily at Westbourne House, Bournemouth; but with some travel around the Wessex region, and some scope for WFH

The Director of Finance and Business Support will form a cornerstone of the leadership team, working closely with the CEO, Board of Trustees and management team to develop and deliver a strategy to ensure the financial sustainability of the Society.

The role will take the lead in managing a multi‑disciplinary function encompassing finance, IT, marketing and admin support services.

• Develop a rolling 5 year business plan (cash and P&L) that delivers an annual surplus and maintains cash reserves sufficient to ensure the society is able to achieve its wider objectives within the local communities where it operates.
• Develop annual budgets, monitor performance against budget and revise the 5 year business plan when appropriate.

• Develop financial performance objectives for the society, including operating surplus, ROA and other appropriate measures.
• Ensure that all plans and budgets comply with the financial performance objectives.
• Monitor actual results against the objectives and provide analysis of variances from the desired objectives.
• Provide regular updated forecasts based on YTD performance and latest outlooks.
• Prepare business case analysis for all planned acquisitions, mergers, capital expenditure and business initiatives.