Head of Finance

The Football Foundation are partnering exclusively with Robertson Bell in their search for a permanent Head of Finance. The Football Foundation are the Premier League, The FA and the Governments charity that helps communities improve their local football facilities through football grants.

The Head of Finance will lead the finance team, ensuring robust financial management and sustainability to support our charitable objectives. With responsibility for a team of five you will lead and provide statutory, financial and management accounting, including all financial planning and analysis, for the Football Foundation (Foundation) and the Premier League Stadium Fund.

The role:

• Develop and implement financial strategies that support the organisation’s visions e.g. treasury management, developing long term cashflow strategies to maximise returns to the organisation.
• Lead and work with the SMT, Management Group, PMO Lead, and Data & Insight team to create and maintain financial and cost models to support the development and finalisation of strategic plans, budgets, and forecasts, focusing on the relationship between services, resources, and productivity.
• Work with the CFO in preparing and presenting the consolidated budget and plan to the SMT and ARG Committee.
• Develop high level models to support strategic and operational decision making, e.g. assessment of financial sustainability of grant applications and monthly reporting to funders in line with contractual obligations.
• Continue the development and transitioning of the finance team from a mainly transactional team to a team providing forwarding looking information. Enhance collaborative decision making through improved business partnering and transparent reporting.
• Ensure all legal entities comply with relevant legislation and prepare statutory accounts, corporation tax, VAT, Charity Commission, and other statutory financial returns as appropriate. 
• Lead and manage the finance team, motivating and developing them so that that they are clearly focused, competent, and work effectively and efficiently.

The organisation:

Since we kicked things off in 2000, we’ve been privileged to make a truly transformative difference to grassroots sport across the country. As a result of our funding partners investment, every day we see the incredible impact of the game on physical fitness, mental wellbeing, bringing communities together and the local economy. With the investment from our funding partners the Premier League, The FA and the Government, we are making a big impact. We're helping to transform communities and the lives of individuals through delivering outstanding grassroots sport facilities.

Essential criteria:

• Professional accountancy qualification (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with significant post-qualified financial and operational management experience.
• Proven experience at a senior level in a finance role with responsibility across the entire finance function, including hands on experience in delivering business partnering.
• Knowledge of the legislative, tax and regulatory framework of companies, ideally in the not-for-profit sector.
• Leading an end-to-end external audit process.
• Developing/improving and implementing financial procedures and controls. 
• Strong presentation and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate   and interpret complex issues at Board level, and to communicate and manage well at all levels of the organisation including experience of working with non-executives.
• Can demonstrate a ‘can-do’ attitude to delivering organisational change and improvement.
• Strong leadership skills, including the ability to motivate and develop team members.

The position will be based at The Football Foundation’s head office at Wembley Stadium and requires on average 2 visits per week to the office, dependent on business need. The closing date for applications is 29^th October with first stage interviews taking place on the 7^th November.

Applications will be under constant review before the closing date, so please submit your application to our exclusive search agent, Robertson Bell. Apply now to be considered!