Advertised from 27 May 2025

Role

We’re on a journey to create fairer communities by facilitating 10 million social entrepreneurs globally by 2030. Do you want to help make this a reality?

We are looking for a qualified and experienced Finance professional to join our team and oversee the Finance & Resources Department within the business.

We’re looking for someone with a passion for social enterprise, a strong track record in financial management, and experience leading a multi-disciplinary team in a similarly sized organisation. As well as the right qualifications, we value a mindset that ensures high-quality, rigorous financial oversight and creative thinking to support our future vision.

This is a pivotal time for the Academy. Last year brought significant challenges — from economic pressures and public funding cuts to internal financial management issues. With full Board support, we’ve taken decisive action: rebuilding our financial systems, restructuring to improve resilience, and implementing a recovery plan that’s already delivering results.

We’re pleased that our core funder, the Scottish Government, has renewed its support — a strong endorsement of our direction. We’re also launching exciting initiatives to grow our impact and diversify income, including new work through our schools programme and fresh approaches to leadership learning in the social economy.

As Head of Finance & Resources, you’ll provide strategic leadership across finance, HR, Health & Safety, IT and office services. You’ll ensure compliance, support governance and act as Company Secretary. The role is key to driving long-term sustainability through robust financial planning, performance analysis and effective reporting.

Just as important as experience and skills is the right mindset. We know the best candidate might not tick every box — but if you bring the right attitude and a commitment to our mission, we’d love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership of the Finance & Resources Team to deliver on the Academy’s strategic goals and to ensure appropriate development of the Team
• Develop and regularly review the Academy’s short and long-term financial planning, budgets and forecasts with a focus on long-term sustainability.
• Management of financial accounting processes ensuring appropriate controls & compliance with statutory requirements, production of Statutory Accounts & management of the annual audit.
• Production of the monthly Management Accounts pack, analysis and insight including Income & Expenditure, Balance Sheet, monthly and weekly cash flow analysis, reporting to Board, Sub-Committees and Senior Leadership.
• Develop and maintain commercial pricing frameworks, critically appraise new project budgets and provide support to the bid process to improve income generation.
• Engage as an effective business partner at senior management and team level to challenge, identify risks and opportunities, drive performance management and improve decision-making.
• Review and advise on funder agreements, sales and supplier contracts to optimise commercial benefit and minimise financial risk for The Academy.
• Develop and maintain organisational policies across all areas of the Finance & Resources Department.
• Ensure accuracy and compliance in relation to payroll and pensions requirements
• Oversee the management of Human Resources services including the development of toolkits & business partnering to enable colleagues to manage teams effectively.
• Oversee the management of Health & Safety, Office and IT Services.
• Oversee all Company Secretary & GDPR requirements for The Academy including compliance with statutory responsibilities including the provision of EA services and administration to the CEO and Trustees.

For a full set of criteria and information on how to apply please download the recruitment pack below or from our website.

Organisation profile:

At the Social Enterprise Academy, we believe social entrepreneurs play an essential role in changing the world. 

We strengthen their role in local communities through transformational learning programmes that will increase their community impact.

Our programmes are accredited, responsive to learner needs, and are delivered by experienced facilitators who are social change leaders themselves. 

Since 2004, we have delivered over 1,900 learning programmes to 28,000+ learners in over 30 countries. We have also engaged over 55,000 young people around the world, using social enterprise as a tool to help them reach their full potential and create positive change in their communities.

Application notes

• Send your CV and a cover letter in Word document format outlining:
  • Why you are interested in the post and joining the Academy team.
  • The experiences, skills and qualities you have that match you with the post’s job description and person specification. 
• along with a completed copy of our equality and diversity monitoring form (downloadable from our website) to seahr@socialenterprise.academy by 9am, Monday 16 June 2025.
• Please note that interviews will take place on 24 and 25 June 2025.
• More information available at: https://www.socialenterprise.academy/scot/join-the-team

If you have any questions or if you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments for the application or interview process e.g. application form in a different format or extra interview time please get in touch: Karen Veitch | 0131 243 2670| seahr@socialenterprise.academy

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