Head of Finance Innovation Unit

Join the Innovation Unit as Head of Finance and help us continue to grow and scale powerful innovations, strengthen our voice and embed us in the systems we want to help change.

• Location: Hybrid/London (few days in London per month and/or when required)
• Closing date: 9 a.m. Monday 22nd July 2024

Who we are The Innovation Unit is a dynamic, not for profit social enterprise endeavouring to grow and scale the boldest and best innovations, that deliver long-term impact for people, address persistent inequalities and transform the systems around them.

We design and deliver innovation programmes that develop new ideas. We work with local places, systems and partners to help adoption and adaptation to different contexts and different needs, and we pass on tools and techniques to inspire people to keep innovating, learning and iterating.

Collaboration is at the heart of our work. We value everyone's lived experience, facilitate co-production, and we help to reimagine and transform systems.

Our approach is intersectional and we share a core set of beliefs about enabling change that is owned and driven by the people it affects.

Bring your whole self to the Innovation Unit About this role We now seek a new Head of Finance - a role that offers you the opportunity to sit together with people who are committed to using the power of social innovation to address the most persistent problems we face.

You will be responsible for our entire finance function, reporting directly with the Managing Director, and leading our Finance Business Partner. While overseeing the finance function's day-to-day running, you will equally provide strategic insights and support to senior leadership and our board.

Importantly, you will provide commercial guidance and insight from a financial perspective, as well as acting as our Company Secretary.

Who we are looking for We seek a fully qualified accountant (ACCA/CIMA/ACA), with a strong SME financial management background and an understanding of the workings of a consultancy.

You will have a strong track record of successful leadership of a finance function and an understanding of multi-year project accounting and management of deferred income.

As a natural problem solver, you will be able to simplify complex financial concepts and be confident in self-management, working independently and across all levels.

We need someone who is a highly credible communicator, able to balance empathy with positive challenge.

Understanding grant funding is advantageous, and experience with Xero accounting software and Kimble is highly desirable.

We value all forms of diversity and thrive on new perspectives and constructive challenge, and we welcome individuals who are ambitious, optimistic and inspired to contribute to our future development.

Please note: The post holder will need to start with us at the beginning of September 2024, thus, we seek those who are immediately available, or with a notice period of up to one-month maximum.

• 27 days holiday pro rata plus bank holidays. In addition, we close the office for three days between Christmas and New Year.
• Pension salary exchange scheme
• Life cover
• Employee Assistance Support

Location We have colleagues in London, Edinburgh, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and places in between, with access to offices in central London and Manchester.

Our team splits their time between home, client sites and the office, with opportunities to come to the office for project work, away days and socials.

Schedules vary depending on the requirements of your role.

To access the job information pack for this role, please follow the instructions on the 'How to Apply' tab.

If you would like to have an informal conversation about this opportunity, you can email our advising consultant at Peridot Partners to arrange a call:

If you would like to know more about this role please contact James Hunt

Thank you for your interest in the Innovation Unit - a dynamic, not for profit social enterprise endeavouring to grow and scale the boldest and best innovations, that deliver long-term impact for people, address persistent inequalities and transform the systems around them.

We have established our systems and processes over the last five years and now looking to a future of harnessing these and improving our efficiency and effectiveness to support our growth strategy.

We are looking for a proactive Head of Finance to be part of this future. This role would suit you if you enjoy working in a varied and busy work environment where you can bring a wide range of skills

to bear and develop. As an integral part of the team, you will report to me, and be supported by our Finance Business Partner.

You will be responsible for the finance function and be the "go to" person leading on all things finance related. Our leadership team will rely on you to produce and present the financial picture of the organisation and make recommendations.

You will need to be comfortable with engaging with the big picture and be able to delve into the details and draw out key insights. An SME background with a good grasp of a consultancy organisation is needed for this role.

You will bring your experience of system implementation and improvement to bear and will be a key player in ensuring robust financial controls and processes are in place and adhered to. You will be action-focused and solution-oriented.

We are a highly relational organisation and this role will require you to engage with the team across the organisation, work collaboratively across the teams while being a super team player.

You will be excellent at understanding people and their motivations and adjusting your style and approach to engage them effectively. You will be adept at appreciating the unique culture of the organisation and balancing it with the discipline and rigour of running a successful business. We are a fast-paced, bold and ambitious organisation and are driven by our values and mission.

Joining us is not just a role in an organisation, it is a choice to join a group of determined and passionate individuals who are focused on tackling persistent inequalities and transforming the systems that surround them. You will be a self-motivated learner, keen to embrace change and own your development.

If you want to bring your experience and expertise to an organisation that's working to have a positive impact on the world, then we would want to hear from you.

Fred Moon

About Innovation Unit Innovation Unit is a not for profit social enterprise with a mission to grow and scale the boldest and best innovations that deliver long-term impact for people, address persistent inequalities, and transform the systems that surround them.

We have 17 years of experience doing this work with ambitious partners in local and central government, schools and hospitals, voluntary and community sector organisations, trusts and foundations.

We hold a bold vision: we want to see a world in which all people belong and contribute to thriving societies.

To achieve this vision, we must challenge and change the systems that people who experience disadvantage rely on most.

Our team come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds and life experiences - researchers, service designers and programme managers work alongside colleagues with grass-roots, community experience, as well as occupational therapists, social workers, and central and local government professionals, to design new solutions and take them to scale.

People who work at Innovation Unit share a core set of beliefs about enabling change that is owned and driven by the people it affects. We all work with the tools and methods from our tried and tested formula for innovation and impact.

Our 2024 areas of impact are:

• Mental health innovation
• Tackling health inequalities
• Justice and reducing violence
• Children and families
• Place-based transformation

Our future plans In 2024, we are embarking on the next phase of our evolution to maximise our positive impact on the world. Like everyone else, the past four years have been tumultuous and challenging for our team and for our work. We are relieved and grateful to have survived and learnt a vast amount as an organisation and in our personal lives too. Now, we are looking to grow our team and strengthen it further by securing new perspectives, experiences and skills to challenge and bolster our work.

At the end of 2023, we reflected on what all this adds up to for our future as an organisation. In a world of stark inequalities, big social challenges, and lots of 'bright spots' illuminating new possibilities, where are the places, how and with whom should we be seeking to work to help grow a world in which 'all people belong and contribute to thriving societies'?

The final year of our current 5-year strategy is about being 'cautious and getting ready to sprint' - we understand that as the world continues to change around us, we must be strong in our values, bold in our offer, cautious in our investments and flexible in our responses to opportunities and challenges as they arise.

At the heart of this strategy is, of course, our mission, 'to grow and scale the boldest and best innovations that deliver long-term impact for people, address persistent inequalities and transform the systems around them'.

Our big insight is that over the next few years . click apply for full job details