Director of Finance and Operations

Director of Finance & Operations, Charity Digital Trust

Salary: £60,000 to £64,000, depending on experience

Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours a week

Location: Hybrid, with a minimum of two days a week in our London office

Contract: Permanent; three-month probationary period, which may be extended to six months

Reports to: Chief Executive

Closing date: Friday 27 November 2026, 11.59pm

About Charity Digital

Charity Digital exists to help charities increase their impact by becoming more digital. For over twenty-five years we have strengthened the bridge between the UK charity sector and the technology industry. We do this by:

• creating educational resources (articles, videos, podcasts, guides) and delivering training through our Academy;
• running events and training programmes in partnership with leading technology companies;
• providing access to digital tools and technologies at nonprofit rates through our Marketplace;
• delivering grant-funded programmes that upskill charity professionals and volunteers; and
• providing email marketing and Payments services, including an FCA-regulated, BACS-accredited payments service through our trading subsidiary, CTT Charity Payments Ltd.

Charity Digital Trust is a registered charity (number 1133179).

Purpose of the role

The Director of Finance & Operations is the charity's senior lead for finance, people, technology, governance and compliance. Working closely with the Chief Executive, you will ensure that Charity Digital is financially sustainable, well governed, legally compliant and efficiently run, so that the rest of the team can focus on growth and impact.

This is a hands-on Director role in a small, dynamic organisation. It combines strategic financial leadership with direct responsibility for day-to-day operations, and you will be expected to roll up your sleeves when needed. You will be a member of the Senior Leadership Team and attend Board of Trustees meetings, the Finance Committee and the Audit & Risk Committee, with line management of our Administrative Support team.

Who we are looking for

This is a great opportunity for a Head of Finance and Operations, or someone in a similar role at a UK charity, who is ready to step up to a senior leadership team role. You will have run the finance function of a charity, prepared accounts under the Charities SORP, and supported a Board and its committees. We welcome applications from people with equivalent experience who can show they have done this in practice.

Key responsibilities

Financial leadership and control

• Lead financial strategy, planning and modelling for the charity and its trading subsidiary, and own the annual budget and forecasting cycle.
• Own grant income forecasting and tracking, and make sure grant claims, billing and reports are made on time.
• Produce timely, accurate monthly management accounts and clear reporting for the SLT, Finance Committee and Board.
• Manage cash flow, reserves, investments and banking relationships within Board-approved policies.
• Maintain strong financial controls and oversee bookkeeping, payroll and VAT.
• Lead the year-end process, external audit, annual report and statutory accounts for the group.
• Develop cost and time allocation across product lines so the Board can see fully loaded margins.
• Own credit control end to end and support contract and pricing decisions.

Payments subsidiary and regulatory compliance

• Support the board of CTT Charity Payments Ltd on regulatory compliance, leading day-to-day FCA reporting, anti-money laundering arrangements and safeguarding of client funds.
• Make sure client fund reconciliations, regulatory returns and required audits are completed accurately and on time.
• Maintain BACS accreditation and support the governance of the subsidiary, including intercompany arrangements and Gift Aid of profits.

Governance and company secretarial

• Oversee governance arrangements and manage the annual cycle of Board and committee business, including secretariat support.
• Act as company secretary for the charity and its subsidiary, and make sure Charity Commission and Companies House filings are accurate and on time.
• Maintain the risk register, policy register and conflicts of interest registers.

People and HR

• Lead HR operations, supported by our external HR adviser, and keep the Staff Handbook and HR policies current and compliant.
• Oversee payroll, pensions and auto-enrolment compliance, and coordinate training and development.
• Act as Designated Safeguarding Lead, with appropriate training.

Technology, data and information security

• Manage our outsourced IT provider or providers.
• Act as Data Protection Officer and maintain Cyber Essentials certification.
• Contribute to decisions on core systems (CRM, website, finance and publishing platforms).

Operations and customer service

• Own the customer service function and lead and develop the administrative team.
• Oversee premises, health and safety, insurance, business continuity and key supplier contracts.

Senior leadership

• Play a full part in the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to strategy, planning and organisational decisions.
• Support the Chief Executive on legal, compliance and governance matters, and provide cover across the SLT as needed.

What you will bring

Essential

• Substantial senior-level financial management experience, demonstrated in role.
• Leading the finance function of a UK charity, including budgets, management accounts, treasury and banking, year-end and audit.
• Preparing charity accounts under the Charities SORP, and meeting Charity Commission and Companies House filing requirements.
• Managing a Board and committee cycle of business and overseeing governance arrangements.
• Managing HR, IT and suppliers in a small or growing organisation.
• Leading and developing a team, and working closely with a senior leadership team.
• Strong financial analysis and modelling; confident with cloud accounting (Xero preferred) and Excel.
• Excellent written and verbal skills; able to explain finance clearly to Trustees, colleagues and non-specialists.
• Sound judgement on risk, compliance and confidentiality.
• Values-led and collaborative; hands-on and comfortable working at pace in a small team.

Desirable

• Professional accountancy qualification (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) and charity finance training.
• Group accounts with a trading subsidiary.
• FCA-regulated activity, payments or client money; company secretarial work.
• Data Protection Officer or safeguarding lead role; Cyber Essentials.
• Experience of CRM, AI and finance system integration.
• Leading change in a charity or social enterprise, and an interest in digital transformation in the charity sector.

What we offer

• Salary of £60,000 to £64,000, depending on experience.
• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, and an additional wellness day.
• Royal London workplace pension, with Charity Digital contributing 5% of basic salary (employee contribution from 3%) and the option to contribute through salary sacrifice. Enrolment follows three months' service.
• MetLife group life assurance at four times basic salary, from your first day of employment.
• BHSF health cash plan after three months' service, which can be upgraded and extended to include your partner and children.
• Employee assistance programme.
• Hybrid working, with a minimum of two days a week in our London office.

Recruitment timetable

• Closing date: Friday 27 November 2026, 11.59pm
• First-round interviews: week commencing 30 November 2026
• Final interviews: week commencing 14 December 2026
• Offer: before the Christmas break
• Start date: early 2027, subject to notice period

How to apply

Please send your CV and a supporting statement of no more than two pages, explaining how you meet the person specification, to jobs1@charitydigital.org.uk by the closing date.

You are welcome to use AI tools to help prepare your application. Your CV and statement must, however, accurately reflect your own experience and achievements, and we may explore anything you include in more detail at interview.

Charity Digital is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone, and particularly from groups under-represented in senior charity roles. Please let us know if you need any adjustments during the recruitment process.