Assistant Financial Controller

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week Salary: £46,562 with progression to £51,551 Location: Head Office in Sunderland - base location will be discussed with successful candidate

Are you a technically strong accountant looking to move into a development-focused role with a clear scope to grow into a Financial Controller?

About the role We’re looking for an Assistant Financial Controller to play a pivotal role in safeguarding our financial integrity, strengthening controls, and leading essential transactional finance functions within a dynamic, contract‑led organisation.

Reporting to the Head of Finance (Financial Controller), you’ll combine hands‑on financial accounting with leadership responsibility, ensuring robust reporting, strong internal controls, and high‑performing purchase and sales ledger teams. This is an ideal opportunity for a technically strong accountant who enjoys both detail and influence.

You’ll play a key role in statutory and management reporting, year‑end and audit processes, contract and income accounting, and continuous improvement of financial systems and processes. MHM is a national organisation and some travel may be required as part of this role.

About you To be successful in this role, you will need to be a Qualified Accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA) or late‑stage part‑qualified accountant. You will require a strong background in financial accounting with year‑end and audit experience.

You should have experience of managing transactional finance teams and a good understanding of financial controls, working capital, and finance systems.

Charity or public sector experience would be an advantage, along with the experience of supporting a multi site organisation. It would also be beneficial to have an understanding of fund accounting and restricted income

You will need exceptional communication skills, and have the ability to communicate complex financial information to a range of colleagues. You will also need advanced Excel skills and operate with a high attention to detail.

This role is ideal for someone who is values-driven, with a genuine commitment to making a positive impact. You will demonstrate resilience, be proactive and take solution focused approach.

About us Mental Health Matters are a national charity who provide innovative and life changing mental health support for both individuals and communities. We offer a diverse range of services, and each and every person who works with us directly contributes to making positive changes, improving mental health and breaking down barriers.

Everything about MHM is people focused, both for our workforce and the people we support. Our people are the driving force of our organisation, and we are committed to having a talented workforce who will make a positive impact on our communities

What we offer you Competitive salaries, with an annual pay review process 25 days Annual leave, increasing with length of service, plus bank holidays Enhanced Occupational Sick pay Access to our workplace pension scheme Family friendly and flexible working arrangements to support a good work life balance Access to our Wellbeing Offer – including EAP, Virtual GP service and wellbeing resources Life Assurance and Free Will writing service Blue Light Card and Charity Workers discounts Access to Tickets for Good Employee recognition and celebration schemes A tailored induction programme, bespoke Personal Development and Career Pathways to support you in your role and your career aspirations How to Apply

We operate Safer Recruitment processes, so if you are interested in this role, you will need to apply via our online application form.

Please ensure you complete the information requested in the application form, and answer the application questions to show how you meet the criteria detailed in the person specification.

For further information about our recruitment and selection processes, please use our candidate guide

We are an equal opportunities employer. We really value diversity and are committed to ensuring our processes are inclusive. We may ask some personal information during the application process, however, everything we ask is to ensure we can offer fair and accessible opportunities for everyone. If you would like to have an informal conversation about this role, please contact: Recruitment@mhm.org.uk

The closing date is offered as a guide, however, we may close the role earlier than this depending on the number of applications we receive