Lead and strengthen organisation after a period of significant change

Be a key part of the executive team

About Our Client

Being able to walk, wheel or cycle can change your life: from improving your health, reconnecting with friends and family or being able to get about without the expense or stress of a car journey.

Sustrans is the charity that has been working since 1977 to make this possible for more people. We need a new Executive Director of Finance and Resources to help realise our ambitions for 2030 and beyond.

Our new strategy for 2025-30 is exciting. We're going to make the 12,000-mile National Cycle Network that we created almost 30 years ago even better, transform the school run, put active travel at the heart of new developments and link up walking, wheeling and cycling better with public transport. And we're renewing our brand so we can engage more people to help us make their community better.

You'll join us as the charity emerges from a major reorganisation, so we need a leader who can inspire support, bring teams together and get things done.

Job Description

The purpose of this role is three-fold:

First, to ensure that Sustrans has the people, money, processes, controls and systems to deliver its 2025-30 strategy, as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Second, to support the CEO in holding the organisation to account for delivery, and to drive continual improvement of this delivery across all functions.

Third, through effective financial planning and control, to ensure that Sustrans remains financially sustainable.

To do this effectively, this role is responsible for the following functions: Finance; IT; People; Planning, Governance & Assurance.

Key responsibilities:

Finance

• Responsible for the overall financial strategy and financial planning for the charity, including the development of effective financial policies, and for the annual budget and business plan.
• Leading all financial operations of the organisation including business partnering, financial analysis, accounting and treasury, contract and grants management, and procurement. Provide regular financial updates, recommendations and strategic insights to the Executive, Board of Trustees and associated sub-committees.
• Lead the promotion and delivery by the whole organisation of good financial management so that the funds and assets for which the Charity is responsible are safeguarded and used appropriately, economically, efficiently and effectively.
• Accountable for producing annual statutory accounts for each financial year.

IT & Systems

• Strategic oversight of IT operations and successful evolution and implementation of our Systems & Technology strategy and roadmap.

People

• Responsible for developing Sustrans' culture and people capability by ensuring the right structures and processes are in place to nurture and develop the Charity's people. This includes determining relevant strategies and HR and policies, and then ensuring their implementation through an approach of continual improvement.

Governance, Planning & Assurance

• As the designated Executive lead for Health and Safety - review, update and ensure the effective delivery of Sustrans Health and Safety Policy.
• Responsible for the Charity's risk framework, enabling the Board to set the organisation's risk appetite and then for the processes and tools that enable risk to be rigorously identified and managed.
• Data governance, ensuring compliance and risk minimisation on all matters of data protection and governance.
• Developing and implementing the processes required to ensure consistent and timely reporting of all performance across the Charity and up to the Board of Trustees, to ensure line of sight into delivery of the strategy and provide the foundations for improvement.
• Second line assurance of project and programme delivery across Sustrans.
• NOTE: Governance and third line Corporate level assurance sits within this Portfolio but reports to the CEO.

The Successful Applicant

• Qualified member of an accountancy body or holder of an equivalent qualification.
• Extensive experience of strategic planning and effective implementation.
• Experience of successfully leading and managing complex organisational change and improvement with quantifiable results.
• Experience of leading teams successfully through change.
• Proven track record of leading and developing high performing teams to deliver organisational excellence, impact, and efficiency.
• Experience of implementing organisation-wide business planning, budgeting, and reporting framework.
• Deep knowledge of financial planning and strategy.
• Financial Acumen: Ability to think strategically about financials and put this into practice through budgeting and business planning.
• Up-to-date knowledge of relevant financial legislation, accounting conventions, and best practices.
• Proven track record of managing complex projects and programme delivery.
• Experience (ideally in multiple sectors) at executive level across multiple portfolios.
• Experience of working collaboratively across organisational functions, and geographies.

What's on Offer

This role offers a salary of £120K plus benefits.

As with all our leadership positions, this is a hybrid role. We welcome applications from across the UK, as we have offices across the country.

You won't need to be tied to an office but will provide regular visible leadership to teams with some travel to meetings and events across the UK.

Work life balance is important at Sustrans and appreciated by all who work here. We offer flexible working including a 9 day fortnight.

This role is closing Friday 25th April 2025 and will remain open on our website until this date.