Chief Finance and Risk Officer

Wonderseekers, the charity behind Winchester Science Centre, is seeking a senior leader to drive the charity's financial strategy and operational effectiveness. As a key member of the Executive Team, the role will provide strategic oversight of financial operations, risk management, and key support services, ensuring the charity's long-term sustainability. The successful candidate will work closely with senior leadership and trustees to align financial and operational goals with the charity's mission of engaging children with science to improve their lives and contribute to a sustainable future. This leadership position will also focus on the efficient delivery of essential support functions, ensuring compliance with governance, legal obligations, and safety standards, and fostering a culture of excellence across all areas.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to step into a pivotal leadership role at a charity with a powerful purpose and a solid financial foundation. Following a period of remarkable transformation, we are poised for even greater impact—investing in sustainability, expanding our reach, and enhancing our impact-driven science engagement experiences. If you're passionate about leveraging financial leadership to create a better future for children and the planet, we'd love to hear from you.

Job details

Hours: 37.5 per week.

Work pattern: Usually Monday to Friday working during office hours with occasional weekends and out of hours work, however we do operate very flexibly.

Salary: Between £60,000-£70,000 per annum depending on experience (full-time)

Contract: Permanent

Line manager: CEO

Responsible for: Head of Finance, Head of Estates and Sustainability, Head of Digital Infrastructure

Holiday: 28 days per annum plus bank holidays (full-time). Option to buy/sell some leave and gain additional days for continuous service after four years. The post-holder will not usually be expected to work bank holidays however when duties require, time off in lieu will be available.

Location: Between both sites - Winchester Science Centre, Winchester, SO21 1HZ and Wonderseekers HQ, Eastleigh, SO50 9DE. Some remote working is possible however an onsite presence is required for most of the role.

Benefits: Cash health scheme, life assurance, buy/sell annual leave, long service holiday bonus, café and shop discount, electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme, free tickets to WSC and partner attractions, family friendly leave, wellbeing policy, mental health first aiders, charity workers discount scheme, cycle to work scheme, financial loans, flexible IT, casual dress, staff events, enhanced pension contribution and pension salary sacrifice scheme, inflationary pay rise subject to charity performance and more.

Deadline: Monday 12th May 2025 9am

1st round interviews: 20th and 21st May 2025 at Winchester Science Centre

2nd round interviews: w/c 9th June

Please contact us if you'd like to arrange an informal chat or have any questions about the role before applying.

About our Charity

Wonderseekers (the Charity behind Winchester Science Centre) strives to engage all children with science so they can live happier, healthier and more sustainable lives and contribute to improving life on earth. The Charity runs Winchester Science Centre - a vibrant, hands-on experience for young children. Promising an exciting day out for families, with curriculum-linked trips for schools and an evening events programme, the Science Centre welcomes over 170,000 visitors every year. Through our magnificent planetarium and live science experiences, science is brought to life in imaginative, fun and accessible ways that means everyone is included.

Key Objectives

• Finance Leadership: Be the architect of and execute a strategic vision for the charity's financial growth and long-term sustainability, ensuring resilience in financial operations.
• Risk Management: Lead and drive the strategic management of risk within the Charity, fostering a culture of continuous improvement in risk practices.
• Health, Safety, and Safeguarding: Promote and ensure a culture of excellence in Health and Safety and Safeguarding practices, maintaining the highest standards across the charity
• Infrastructure Development: Champion the development and implementation of robust systems and infrastructure to enable the charity to fulfil its mission efficiently and effectively.
• Leadership: Lead the Charity Support Services team, ensuring seamless and proactive support for the organisation's operations and strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Executive leadership and strategic contribution

• Report directly to the CEO, providing regular updates on financial performance, risk management, and operational efficiency. Additionally, the CFRO will present detailed financial reports, risk assessments, and progress on strategic goals to the Board of Trustees, ensuring transparency and alignment with the charity's long-term objectives.
• As a key member of the Executive Team, actively contribute to the development and refinement of the charity's overall strategy, aligning financial and risk management goals with broader charity objectives.
• Play a leading role in setting and delivering the goals and targets defined in the charity's business plan, ensuring financial health and operational efficiency.

Financial strategy and governance

• Develop, implement, and continually refine the charity's financial strategy, policies, and practices in alignment with best practices and the organisation's overall strategic goals.
• Provide financial leadership and oversight, ensuring the charity's financial health by managing the planning, budgeting, reporting, and monitoring processes.
• Manage and oversee the preparation of accurate, timely financial statements, budgets, and forecasts that support decision-making by the Executive Team and Board.

Risk management and mitigation

• Lead the development and implementation of an enterprise-wide risk management framework that identifies, assesses, and mitigates risks across all operations.
• Oversee regular risk assessments and report on risk management performance, ensuring that all areas of the organisation are proactively managing risks.
• Foster a culture of risk awareness across the charity, ensuring that risk management is embedded in all key decision-making processes.

Operational efficiency and support services

• Lead and drive the efficient delivery of essential charity support functions, including IT, facilities management, health and safety, and safeguarding, ensuring that they are effectively resourced and aligned with the charity's strategic needs.
• Ensure these functions operate in a seamless and 'invisible' manner, enhancing the operational efficiency of the charity while supporting its mission delivery.

Compliance and regulatory oversight

• Ensure full compliance with charity governance, statutory reporting, and all relevant legal obligations, including charity law, tax regulations,, financial reporting standards and data protection. The postholder will also act as our Data Protection Officer.
• Ensure that the charity adheres to all relevant health and safety regulations, creating and maintaining a safe working environment for staff, volunteers, and visitors.

Leadership and team development

• Lead, manage, and inspire the Charity Support Services team, ensuring a high level of collaboration and providing the resources needed for effective performance.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, supporting the professional development of staff and encouraging innovative problem-solving.

Stakeholder management and reporting

• Engage with the Board of Trustees and external stakeholders on matters relating to financial performance and risk management.
• Provide regular reports to the Board, senior leadership, and key stakeholders on financial status, risk assessments, and performance against strategic goals.

Person Specification:

Education:

• Essential: A recognised accountancy qualification (preferably ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Desirable: Management/leadership qualification or significant professional experience at a senior level in the charity sector.

Experience and knowledge:

Essential:

o A minimum of three years' experience in a senior management or leadership role.

o Proven track record of managing finance for a medium to large charity.

o Experience as a member of a Senior Management Team, contributing to strategic decision-making and organisational leadership.

o Expertise in financial management, including producing management accounts and monitoring cash flow for organisations with an annual turnover exceeding £2 million.

o Experience in business planning and long-term financial forecasting to support strategic goals.

o Strong experience in team management, including motivating staff and overseeing performance to drive high levels of engagement.

o Demonstrable experience of managing budgets, safeguarding processes, and risk management.

o Experience in the production and implementation of policies for example those related to finance, risk, health and safety, safeguarding and data protection within a charitable context.

Desirable:

o Familiarity with managing complex cash flow monitoring processes in a dynamic, mission-driven organisation.

Skills and Abilities:

Essential:

o Advanced IT skills, particularly in Excel, for financial analysis and reporting.

o Strong numeracy and attention to detail, ensuring accurate and high-quality outputs.

o Excellent time management and the ability to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines effectively.

o Outstanding verbal and written communication skills in English, with the ability to present complex financial and risk-related information clearly to both financial and non-financial stakeholders.

o Proven ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, with a hands-on and proactive approach.

o Personal integrity, intellectual agility, and the capacity to influence stakeholders at all levels within the organisation.

o Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trusting relationships across diverse teams and external partners.

o A professional, flexible, and resilient approach, maintaining composure in high-pressure environments.

Desirable:

o Ability to work effectively in a customer-facing organisation, ensuring financial and risk practices align with service delivery.

o Energetic, self-starting, and results-driven with a focus on continuous improvement and organisational impact.

o A positive and collaborative attitude towards contributing to a team culture that supports the charity's mission.

The post-holder will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check.

Interview Process:

We look forward to getting to know you through our friendly and welcoming interview process. The interview is likely to include a pre-interview task and questions from our panel. Interview questions will be circulated in advance.

We can't wait to hear from you Please contact us if you'd like to arrange an informal chat, or have any questions about the role before applying.

Ready to Apply?

When you are ready to apply, please submit your application through our recruitment portal.

You will be asked to submit your contact details and answer a few questions so we can get to know you. Please keep your responses concise, this is your opportunity to really stand out. After answering these questions, please upload your cover letter and CV.

Need information in a different format or would like to apply in an alternative way? Just get in touch via our website.

No recruitment agencies, thank you.