Head of Finance

LOCATION: 858 Finchley Road, London, NW11 6AB – a minimum of 40% on site presence is expected. SALARY: £50,000pa HOURS: Full-time 37.5 hpw Reports to: CEO  Direct Reports: 1 finance team member About Resources for Autism (RfA) Since 1997 when we started as a small playgroup set up by parents dismayed at the lack of provision for their autistic children, RfA has grown into a major deliverer of services and support in London and the West Midlands with a turnover of around £2.5m per year. Our mission is to support and enable autistic people to live happy and fulfilling lives. We want to change society's attitude to autism whilst also providing essential services and enriching opportunities to autistic people. We are a values-driven organisation which employs values-driven people who want to make a difference. Our values are: Inclusion, Creativity, Compassion, Courageousness and Expert. You will play a vital part in ensuring that we can resource and sustain this amazing work.      Our Services All of our services across children and adults and parent/carers, mirror the wider organisational mission of providing safe, fun and meaningful support that enables personal development. We provide this support by ensuring our staff are skilfully trained, meet the highest safeguarding expectations and are encouraged to develop and upskill throughout their career with Resources for Autism.  The Role As Head of Finance, you will lead the financial strategy and operations of Resources for Autism, ensuring robust financial management, compliance, and insight to support our mission. With a current turnover of approximately £2.5 million and a workforce of around 150 staff and workers, you will oversee a diverse portfolio of restricted and unrestricted income streams. You will be part of a small finance team and work as an active part of the senior leadership team (SLT) to provide clear, timely, and strategic financial advice. As a member of SLT, you will contribute to cross-organisational planning, decision-making, and leadership, helping to shape the charity's direction and impact. Your work will underpin the delivery of high-quality services to autistic individuals and their families across Greater London and the West Midlands. Main Responsibilities: Financial Management & Reporting

• Lead the production of accurate and timely financial and management accounts using QuickBooks.
• Oversee all RfA reconciliations including: quarterly, monthly or daily reconciliations, as per bank rec. or ad hoc as required and maintain a clear and logical chart of accounts.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly financial reports for SLT and Board of Trustees.
• Develop and monitor budgets in collaboration with service leads and senior management.
• Provide financial modelling and forecasting to support strategic planning.
• Provide support and guidance regarding costing of new/ evolving services.
• Supporting the production of donor/ funding reports in accordance with any grant/ funding/ contract agreements.
• Identify funding gaps, opportunities/ savings and value for money with all income and expenditure.
• Manage the relationships with banks, account managers and investments to ensure efficient ways of working, best return on investment and positive risk management. Compliance & Governance
• Ensure compliance with all relevant charity finance regulations and statutory requirements.
• Prepare the annual financial statements in line with the Charities SORP and Companies Act.
• Act as the main point of contact for external auditors and manage the audit process.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of charity finance legislation and best practice. Leadership & Organisational Contribution
• Lead, support and develop staff, fostering a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Work collaboratively with operational and income generation teams to ensure financial clarity and accountability across the organisation.
• Work closely with People and Operations team, and external partners, on payroll.
• Actively contribute to the SLT, participating in strategic planning, organisational development, and cross-functional decision-making.
• Provide financial insight and challenge to support the charity's long-term sustainability and impact.
• Champion the development and modernisation of financial systems and processes, identifying opportunities for digital transformation, automation, and improved data use to enhance efficiency and decision-making.
• Promote a progressive, solutions-focused approach to finance and operations, supporting innovation and adaptability across the organisation. General
• Uphold and adhere to the values of RfA at all times.
• Ensure there is always compliance with RfA's safeguarding policies and procedures.
• All staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in our services.
• Undertake any other duties asked of you that are commensurate with your grade. Flexible working This role may require occasional out of hours working at weekends or evenings but will generally be during standard working hours: Monday – Friday, 9am – 5.30pm.  Person Specification Essential Skills
• Professional qualification in accountancy (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or equivalent experience.
• High level experience in charity finance, including managing restricted and unrestricted funds.
• Strong knowledge of charity accounting regulations, SORP, and statutory reporting requirements.
• Proven ability to produce accurate management accounts, budgets, forecasts, and financial reports.
• Experience leading or managing a finance team, with a collaborative and supportive leadership style.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues and trustees.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to contribute to organisational planning and decision-making.
• Hands-on approach, comfortable working at both strategic and operational levels.
• Experience using QuickBooks or similar accounting software.
• Knowledge of funding models in the voluntary sector, including grants, contracts, and donations. Desirable Skills
• Experience working in a small to medium-sized charity or not-for-profit organisation.
• Understanding of digital transformation in finance and experience improving systems or processes.
• Understanding of finance regarding Gift Aid, annual accounts preparation and VAT
• Familiarity with cross-functional collaboration, particularly with HR, operations, or fundraising/income generation teams. Confidentiality and Safeguarding You will have access to confidential information concerning families and other service users and will be required to maintain confidentiality at all times. All staff have the following safeguarding responsibilities:
• Actively promote the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children, young people and vulnerable adults accessing our services.
• Follow organisational safeguarding policies, procedures and codes of conduct at all times.
• Maintain clear professional boundaries and model safe, respectful and appropriate behaviour.
• Recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding, welfare or behaviour-related concerns, reporting these promptly and in line with organisational procedures.
• Work in a way that reduces risk and supports positive behaviour, emotional regulation and individual communication needs.
• Contribute to a culture where safeguarding concerns are shared appropriately, listened to, and taken seriously. Staff Benefits  90% of our staff say that Resources for Autism is “a great place to work”.  Not only will the work you do ensure we are making vital differences and inspiring others, but our other benefits also include: 
• flexible working patterns with the option to work in a hybrid way (only available for some roles) 
• 25 days of leave (pro rata for part time roles) each year plus 8 bank holidays and an additional 3 Celebration days that could be used between Christmas and new year, but may be used for other religious days or significant days such as your birthday 
• access to ongoing training and progress in the areas that interest you 
• access to our wellbeing initiatives and an Employee Assistance Programme 
• enrolment on to our pension scheme 
• a supportive, warm working environment made up of values driven people who are passionate about changing the world for autistic people  Application process:   In order that we adhere to Safer Recruitment processes, all applicants are required to complete an application form which must include your full employment history with clear details, any gaps in employment need to be outlined and explained. You are also required to provide details of your full education history.  In your personal statement we would like to see how you feel you meet the person specification and the requirements/responsibilities of the role.     If for any reason, such as due to accessibility, you feel completing an application form will present a challenge, you can email us via email below and we may explore other options with you.    To discuss the role informally or if you need to contact us you can contact the HR team via recruitment@resourcesforautism.org.uk    We particularly welcome applicants from global majority candidates, LGBTQIA+ candidates and disabled candidates, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at Resources for Autism. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for our community.      As you would expect, we are a neuro-affirming employer, with a strengths and rights based approach to neurodiversity which affirms neurodivergent identity – we don't want to “fix” or “cure” autism, and we don't see it as a “disability” however we do recognise it can be “disabling”. We are working to improve the ways in which we recruit and support neurodiverse employees and those with lived experience of neurodiversity.     RfA is a Disability Confidant employer and candidates who meet the minimum essential criteria, that have a disability will be guaranteed an interview.