Director of Finance

The RSPB Finance Director role is a crucially important role for RSPB, reporting to the Executive Director for Finance, Governance and Strategy, and a part of the RSPB's senior leadership group.

What's the role about?

This is an opportunity for the successful candidate to:

• Drive the Finance department across all areas, including financial operations and budgeting and forecasting.
• Provide advice and support to the wider Finance, Governance and Strategy Directorate, Board, and other senior leaders on finance-related matters with a focus on strategy implementation.
• Engage with the Finance Committee and Audit and Risk Committee, leading on all financial matters.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Fully qualified accountant (UK-recognised qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA)
• Successful track record of inspiring, managing, and delivering large scale organisation-wide projects
• Demonstrable track record in the successful leadership and management of a Finance team in a multi-faceted and geographically dispersed organisation
• Successful track record in developing excellent working relationships between internal directorates and external stakeholders
• Experience of both internal and external financial reporting and the related regulatory environment in the charity sector
• Experience of control systems that manage risk effectively and provide assurance on the efficiency and effectiveness of financial processes and compliance with relevant regulatory frameworks
• Knowledge of the main direct and indirect tax frameworks related to the charity sector
• Experience in creating and communicating a compelling vision for directing and motivating the Finance team

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Investment management experience
• Defined benefit pension scheme arrangement experience

Please note this is a remote working role that can be conducted flexibly within the UK, however the successful candidate will be expected to travel to RSPB offices (including The Lodge in Sandy, Bedfordshire) on a monthly basis. 

This is a Permanent Full-Time role for 37.5 hours per week. We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from June 2025. For further information please contact [email protected] 

As part of this application you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete a short form, which includes an optional cover letter section. Please use this cover letter section to detail how you meet the criteria listed above, as this will form the basis of our shortlisting.

This role will require standard pre-employment checks.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.