Head of Finance

We're looking for an ambitious, commercially minded Head of Finance to join YMCA South Midlands at an exciting stage of our growth.

This isn't a role where Finance sits on the sidelines reporting what happened last month. You'll help us make better decisions, challenge our thinking and ensure our ambitions are backed by strong financial insight, robust governance and a clear understanding of risk.

You'll work closely with our CEO in a high-support, high-challenge relationship and be a key financial partner to our Finance Committee and Board of Trustees. You'll have autonomy, access to key decisions and the opportunity to genuinely influence the future direction of the organisation.

We want someone who will own the numbers, understand what's driving them and have the confidence to ask the questions others might not. Just as importantly, you'll be able to communicate the financial position clearly and credibly, giving our CEO, leadership team and trustees confidence in the information they receive and the decisions they make.

The opportunity

We're an ambitious organisation with plans to continue growing our impact, income and reach.

Alongside leading our Finance function, you'll have the opportunity to get involved in some genuinely interesting work, from strengthening our commercial and trading performance to assessing new opportunities, property acquisitions and potential M&A activity.

You'll be responsible for ensuring the financial fundamentals are strong, but we're looking for much more than technical excellence.

We want someone who can look forward. Someone who can spot a risk before it becomes a problem, see an opportunity in the numbers, scrutinise a business case and help us make well-informed decisions about where we invest, where we grow and where we need to exercise caution.

A key part of the role will also be building a strong and trusted relationship with our Head of Income Generation, Finance Committee and wider Board. You'll ensure trustees have timely, accurate and meaningful financial information, understand the implications behind the numbers and have confidence in the organisation's financial management, controls and planning.

What you'll be doing

You'll lead our Finance function and take ownership of:

• Budgeting, forecasting and longer-term financial planning
• Management accounts, cash flow and financial reporting
• Commercial and trading performance
• Financial modelling and scenario planning
• Financial controls, compliance, audit and statutory reporting
• Supporting property purchases, investment decisions and potential M&A opportunities
• Developing and leading our Finance team

Just as importantly, you'll partner with leaders across the organisation, helping them understand and take ownership of their financial performance.

You won't simply highlight a problem. We'll want you to help us understand why it is happening, what our options are and what we should do next.

About you

We value expertise, curiosity, ideas and healthy debate. You'll be a Head of Finance who brings professional judgement to the table, challenges assumptions when necessary and is prepared to offer a different perspective.

You'll also understand that excellent financial leadership is about trust and communication as much as technical competence. You'll be comfortable working with trustees and senior stakeholders, able to explain complex financial matters without jargon and confident answering challenging questions.

If you like being given a narrow brief and simply delivering what's asked, this probably isn't the role for you. But if you enjoy autonomy, pace, solving problems, challenging thinking, building trusted relationships and making things happen, you will thrive here.

You'll be a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) with strong financial leadership experience and excellent commercial judgement.

You'll be someone who:

• Is curious about the story behind the numbers
• Builds trust and credibility with key stakeholders including Board Members
• Enjoys working in a growing, changing organisation
• Is confident challenging and influencing senior leaders
• Can turn complex financial information into clear recommendations
• Thinks commercially while maintaining strong financial discipline
• Brings solutions rather than simply identifying problems
• Enjoys taking ownership and being accountable
• Builds strong relationships without shying away from difficult conversations
• Can move comfortably between the strategic picture and the detail
• Wants to make a difference

Experience of property investment, M&A, due diligence, commercial operations or a high-growth environment would be particularly valuable.

Charity-sector experience is welcome, butit isn't essential. We're more interested in finding someone with the right financial expertise, commercial mindset and appetite to help us grow.

Why Join YMCA South Midlands?

Because this is an opportunity to use your financial expertise for something that matters.

You'll join an ambitious organisation where Finance has a genuine voice, where good ideas are welcomed and where you'll be trusted to make an impact.

As well as joining a supportive and collaborative team, you'll have the opportunity to:

• Make a genuine difference in a purpose-driven organisation
• Work in a varied finance role with plenty of responsibility
• Help improve systems and processes
• Develop your finance skills within a supportive environment
• Work flexibly around a part-time schedule

Everyone is Welcome Here

At YMCA South Midlands, we believe everyone should feel they belong.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and communities. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the people we serve and where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness.

As a Christian charity, our faith inspires our values and our commitment to serving others. We welcome people of all faiths and none, and appointments are made on merit.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want every candidate to have the opportunity to perform at their best throughout our recruitment process.

If you have a disability, long-term health condition or are neurodivergent and would benefit from any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know when you apply or contact us at any stage. We'll be happy to discuss how we can support you.

Ready to Apply?

If that sounds like the kind of Head of Finance role you've been looking for, we'd love to hear from you. Click Apply Now and submit your application.