Finance Manager

Location: West Drayton, London (hybrid 1-2 days office-based)

Perm salary equivalent: £58,296 / £64076 (inclusive of London Weighting)

Benefits: 28 days holiday plus public holidays, Local Government Pension Scheme, Cycle to Work scheme, Employee Assistance Programme

Reporting to the Head of Finance & Operations, the Finance Manager will be responsible for the financial management, reporting and control of a substantial portfolio of grant‑funded programmes. You will lead programme finance activity across budgeting, forecasting, grant accounting, cost recovery and compliance, working closely with programme and partnerships teams.

This is a highly visible role with responsibility for providing accurate and insightful financial reporting to senior management and governance committees, as well as ensuring that donor requirements are met across a wide range of institutional funders. You will also manage and develop a small programme finance team, setting standards, overseeing workloads and ensuring the quality and timeliness of outputs.

The role offers a strong blend of strategic oversight and hands‑on leadership, supporting organisational planning while maintaining robust financial controls across complex, multi‑year and multi‑currency grants.

We are seeking an immediately available or short notice: qualified / CCAB‑qualified accountant with strong experience across the Public Sector and preferably experience within programme or grant finance with a strong track record in corporate financial reporting and year‑end closure within complex local authority environments.

The successful candidate will have led the end‑to‑end production of statutory accounts across multiple financial years, including group accounts and subsidiary audits, consistently meeting demanding statutory deadlines.

You will bring deep technical expertise in year‑end close, balance sheet management, and audit liaison, with the confidence to provide clear updates to senior stakeholders, including the S151 and Audit Committee. Experience contributing to ERP General Ledger implementations and data migration is essential, alongside a strong understanding of statutory returns such as VAT, NNDR, and grant claims.

This role requires a proven leader who can improve processes, support and develop teams, and deliver high‑quality statutory reporting in high‑pressure environments, with a strong focus on governance, accuracy, and accountability

• Lead programme budgeting and forecasting cycles, including multi‑year grant projections
• Ensure timely and accurate month‑end close, balance sheet reconciliations and grant reconciliations
• Oversee donor financial reporting, ensuring compliance with grant agreements and narrative alignment
• Strengthen grant tracking, cost recovery and co‑financing models
• Support audit processes, including organisational and grant‑specific audits
• Provide clear financial analysis and reporting to senior management and governance committees
• Review and improve programme finance systems, tools and processes
• Line manage and support a team of programme finance professionals

We are seeking an immediately available or short notice: qualified / CCAB‑qualified accountant with strong experience across the Public Sector and preferably experience within programme or grant finance

• Proven experience managing donor‑funded programmes and grants
• Strong knowledge of charity accounting, audit and financial controls
• Experience working with institutional funders (e.g. government, multilateral or foundation donors)
• The ability to manage complex budgets, cost recovery and cash flow forecasting
• Experience leading and developing finance staff
• Excellent Excel skills and strong attention to detail
• The confidence to partner with non‑finance colleagues and influence at senior level
• Comfortable balancing technical rigour with collaboration and motivated by working in a values‑driven organisation with a global outlook