Head of Statutory Financial Reporting

Opportunity ID

716

Location

IWM London

Salary

£72,500 to £75,00 per annum

Hours

36

Department

Finance

Position type

Permanent

Job Summary

What It's Like to Work Here

At IWM, we're driven by a shared purpose: helping people understand the causes, course and consequences of conflict and its impact on people's lives. As Head of Statutory Financial Reporting, you'll play a key leadership role within the Finance & Governance team, ensuring that IWM continues to be a trusted, accountable and financially resilient public body and charity. Working closely with senior leaders across the organisation, you'll lead financial accounting, statutory reporting, financial control and public accountability reporting. You'll partner with colleagues across Finance, Governance, Procurement and operational teams, while building strong relationships with external stakeholders. You'll help shape the future of financial reporting at IWM, driving improvements in processes, systems and controls while ensuring the organisation remains audit-ready and compliant with its statutory obligations.

Why This Role Matters

As a publicly funded museum and charity, IWM relies on robust financial stewardship, transparent reporting and strong governance to maintain the confidence of government, donors, partners and the public. As Head of Statutory Financial Reporting, you'll ensure that financial information is accurate, compliant and dependable, providing assurance that resources are being managed responsibly in support of IWM's mission. Through leadership of statutory reporting, financial control and public accountability processes, you'll help safeguard the funding, governance and financial resilience that enable IWM to care for its collections, deliver public programmes, support learning and research, and create meaningful visitor experiences across its sites. You'll also play a critical role in strengthening financial controls, reducing risk, improving reporting quality and driving continuous improvement across the Finance function. Your leadership will help ensure that IWM remains accountable, audit-ready and able to direct resources where they deliver the greatest public benefit.

What You'll Be Doing

- Lead the preparation and delivery of IWM's Annual Report and Accounts, ensuring compliance with Charities SORP, Government Financial Reporting Manual requirements and relevant accounting standards. - Own the year-end close process, audit timetable and statutory reporting cycle, ensuring deadlines, responsibilities and evidence requirements are clearly defined and delivered. - Act as the primary Finance contact for the National Audit Office, external auditors and internal stakeholders throughout the audit process. - Lead IWM's financial reporting relationship with DCMS, overseeing monthly, quarterly, annual and ad hoc financial returns. - Provide expert technical accounting advice on complex issues including charity accounting, public sector reporting, grants, leases, reserves, fixed assets, heritage assets and group structures. - Maintain and strengthen IWM's financial accounting control framework, ensuring balance sheet integrity and robust reconciliation processes. - Ensure accounting records support accurate management reporting, statutory reporting, audit requirements and government reporting obligations. - Oversee VAT, corporation tax, HMRC returns, statutory returns and related compliance activities. - Provide leadership and oversight of the Financial Accounting and Purchase Ledger functions, ensuring high-quality operational delivery and strong financial controls. - Develop the capability, resilience and technical expertise of the Financial Accounting and Purchase Ledger teams through coaching, performance support and professional development. - Lead treasury, cash management, banking controls and financial governance arrangements. - Identify, assess and manage financial reporting, compliance and control risks across the organisation.

What We're Looking For

We'd love to hear from you if you have:

- A recognised CCAB accounting qualification or equivalent, together with significant post-qualification experience in financial accounting, statutory reporting, audit or financial control. - Strong technical knowledge of UK accounting and reporting frameworks, including Charities SORP, Government FreM and FRS 102. - Experience leading the preparation of annual statutory accounts, consolidated financial statements, audit working papers and external audits. - Experience working within government, charity, public sector, arm's-length body or similarly regulated reporting environments. - A strong understanding of financial controls, balance sheet management, reconciliations, journals, audit evidence and year-end processes. - Experience overseeing VAT, tax, treasury, statutory returns, HMRC compliance and banking controls. - Proven leadership experience, including managing, developing and supporting technical finance teams. - The ability to manage multiple priorities and high-profile deadlines across reporting, audit and operational finance activities. - Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex accounting and reporting issues to both finance and non-finance audiences. - Strong systems and data skills, including advanced Excel capability and experience of financial systems such as Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations or similar platforms.

How You'll Work

This is a permanent, full-time position based at IWM London, working within the Finance & Governance Directorate. You'll operate as a senior leader within the Finance function, reporting to the Director, Finance & Governance and working closely with colleagues across Finance, Governance, Procurement and operational teams. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on ownership of statutory reporting, technical accounting and financial control. We operate a hybrid working model, with a minimum of three days per week on-site. Occasional flexibility outside normal working hours may be required to support key reporting, audit and organisational deadlines.

What Success Looks Like (First 3 Months)

- Build strong working relationships with the Director of Finance & Governance, Financial Accounting team, Purchase Ledger team, Finance Business Partners, Finance Systems colleagues, auditors and key stakeholders across IWM. - Develop a clear understanding of the Annual Report and Accounts process, year-end timetable, audit requirements, DCMS reporting obligations and key financial controls. - Gain a comprehensive understanding of Financial Accounting and Purchase Ledger processes, priorities and operational challenges. - Map key reporting cycles, process owners, deadlines and dependencies for statutory reporting, audits, VAT, tax, treasury activities and government returns. - Identify priority financial reporting and control risks, agreeing actions to address any urgent issues. - Establish clear priorities, communication routines and escalation routes across the Financial Accounting and Purchase Ledger functions.

For a full list of duties and the person specification (which your application will be marked against), please view the Job Description.

Application closing date

November 29th 2026, 11:55 PM

Interview Details

Interviews for this post are planned for the week commencing 7th of December 2026.

Benefits

The benefits listed below are discretionary and IWM reserves the right, with due notice, to vary or withdraw them at any time. All such benefits apply during the course of your employment only.

- Annual Leave: You'll have 25 days of annual leave, with public holidays on top. After 3 years, this increases to 27 days and after 5 years, you’ll get 30 days - Company Group Pension Plan: Our commitment to your financial well-being includes competitive employer contributions to your pension starting at 7% to a maximum of 12%. - Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Benefits: Celebrate life’s milestones with confidence, knowing that our policies support growing families. - IWM4me: Tailor your benefits to your unique needs through IWM4me. Access health, protection, and lifestyle benefits at corporate rates, ensuring your holistic well-being. - Free Sanitary Products: We prioritise your comfort by providing free sanitary products across all our sites. - Retail Discounts: 25% off IWM Cafes, 20% discount in on-site shops, Benefits hub offering retail discounts to several high street shops (via our EAP provider) and MyActive discounts for health and wellbeing based retail discounts (via IWM4me) - Free Entry to IWM Air Shows: Witness the thrill of vintage aircraft at our air shows. - Free Entry to Partner Museums & Galleries: Immerse yourself in art, history, and culture through our reciprocal arrangements with other institutions. - In-House Training Programmes: Fuel your intellectual curiosity and professional growth through our comprehensive training initiatives. - Season Ticket Loan Scheme: Simplify your daily commute with our interest-free loan program. - Cycle 2 Work & Cycle Hire : Promote well-being and environmental consciousness by cycling to work. - Eye Tests: Money back up to £80 for an eye test and a new pair of glasses. - Employee Assistance Programme: Access confidential support for personal or work-related challenges. - Benenden Healthcare & Dental Insurance: Prioritise your health with access to quality healthcare services (subject to terms and conditions). - Civil Service Sports Club Membership: Opportunity to join and enjoy additional discounts and perks as part of a vibrant community. - Staff Events and Networks: Join fellow colleagues in social gatherings and events, fostering camaraderie and shared experiences.

…and more!

Ready to embark on this exciting journey with us? Apply now and become part of IWM!

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. This role is subject to:

A basic check, which shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions.

Equal Opportunities and Flexible Working

IWM is committed to a policy of Equal Opportunities.

We miss out when people feel IWM isn't for them, and are committed to removing and reducing barriers to make IWM open to everyone.

Our Access and Inclusion strategy has been developed to promote openness, equal opportunities to access, inclusivity and encourage diversity in everything that we do, from employment practices, the services we provide to our visitors to the facilities we make available to public.

At IWM we seek to address the need for greater diversity within our workforce as well as the wider museum and heritage sector. In all our practices we embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity and we welcome applications from suitable candidates of all backgrounds.

We value and respect difference and are committed to building an inclusive culture by creating an environment where you can balance a successful career with your commitments and interests outside of work. We believe that you will do your best at work if you have a work / life balance. Some roles lend themselves to flexible options more than others, so if this is important to you please raise this with your recruitment contact, as we are open to discussing agile working opportunities during the hiring process.