Finance Operations Lead

Finance Operations Lead

Permanent. Full time. Hybrid working - 2 days per week in the office

Location:
Warrington, UK

Salary: £56,174 per annum

Christian Aid exists to create a world where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. We are a global movement of people, churches and local organisations who passionately champion dignity, equality and justice worldwide. We are the changemakers, the peacemakers, the mighty of heart.

We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and recognise the value this brings in forming strong, creative and high performing teams. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, and from those with experience from outside of the voluntary sector. And no, you don’t have to be Christian to work here – we encourage people of all faiths and none to apply.

We just ask that everyone lives out our values of dignity, equality, justice and love. We value a good work-life balance, so we’re open to part-time and flexible working. We also offer hybrid working for our office-based colleagues.

Reporting in to the Head of Finance, the Finance Operations Lead is dedicated to ensuring the efficient and compliant management of Christian Aid’s financial operations, with a focus on transaction processing, statutory reporting, treasury management, procurement, and adherence to donor and regulatory requirements.

The role is critical in fostering a culture of strong financial controls, streamlined processes, and effective oversight of outsourced service level agreements. The role enables robust financial systems and the management of restricted funds, supporting the organisation’s strategic objectives.

Some of the main responsibilities of the Finance Operations Lead include:

• Champion the management of financial operations overseeing accounts payable, income processing, and outsourced service providers to ensure timely and accurate financial transactions.
• Foster a culture of compliance & controls in relation to internal policies, agreed SLAs, donor requirements, and external regulations.
• Lead the statutory reporting & audit coordination processes, empowering others to achieve progress with successful outcomes with minimal findings.
• Lead the VAT compliance and tax efficient reporting processes.
• Drive strategic oversight for restricted funds management, empowering others to ensure compliance with donor agreements and effective fund utilisation.
• Own the Treasury & Cash Flow management ensuring accurate forecasting, liquidity controls, and effective treasury operations across multi-currency environments.
• Lead the procurement processes, working collaboratively to inspire, facilitate, and create opportunities which ensure cost-effectiveness while always adhering to organisational policies.
• Continually drive the development and implementation of policies to enhance efficiency in financial operations.
• Work in collaboration to ensure the effective management of the financial information from multi-country clusters to ensure accurate consolidated reporting.
• Provide assistance and support to ensure high value impact in relation to the transition from outsourced to in-house finance operations.

• CCAB-qualified (e.g. ACCA, CIMA) if relevant experience is demonstrated.
• Extensive experience in finance operations within a complex international NGO or multi-entity organisation.
• Advanced knowledge of financial controls and treasury management.
• Advanced knowledge of statutory reporting, VAT compliance, and donor regulations.
• Advanced leadership and people management skills.
• Highly developed understanding of process improvement and change management.
• Highly developed analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Highly developed understanding of stakeholder engagement.
• Highly developed communication skills.

At Christian Aid we strive to be an inclusive and diverse employer and recognise the value that this brings in helping to build strong, creative and high performing teams.

We are actively encouraging racialised minorities, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a…