Leadership & Organisational Contribution

• Lead, support and develop staff, fostering a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Work collaboratively with operational and income generation teams to ensure financial clarity and accountability across the organisation.
• Work closely with People and Operations team, and external partners, on payroll.
• Actively contribute to the SLT, participating in strategic planning, organisational development, and cross-functional decision-making.
• Provide financial insight and challenge to support the charity’s long-term sustainability and impact.
• Champion the development and modernisation of financial systems and processes, identifying opportunities for digital transformation, automation, and improved data use to enhance efficiency and decision-making.
• Promote a progressive, solutions-focused approach to finance and operations, supporting innovation and adaptability across the organisation.

General

• Uphold and adhere to the values of RfA at all times.
• Ensure there is always compliance with RfA’s safeguarding policies and procedures.
• All staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in our services.
• Undertake any other duties asked of you that are commensurate with your grade.

Flexible working

This role may require occasional out of hours working at weekends or evenings but will generally be during standard working hours: Monday – Friday, 9am – 5.30pm.

Person Specification

Essential Skills

• Professional qualification in accountancy (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or equivalent experience.
• High level experience in charity finance, including managing restricted and unrestricted funds.
• Strong knowledge of charity accounting regulations, SORP, and statutory reporting requirements.
• Proven ability to produce accurate management accounts, budgets, forecasts, and financial reports.
• Experience leading or managing a finance team, with a collaborative and supportive leadership style.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues and trustees.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to contribute to organisational planning and decision-making.
• Hands-on approach, comfortable working at both strategic and operational levels.
• Experience using QuickBooks or similar accounting software.
• Knowledge of funding models in the voluntary sector, including grants, contracts, and donations.

Desirable Skills

• Experience working in a small to medium-sized charity or not-for-profit organisation.
• Understanding of digital transformation in finance and experience improving systems or processes.
• Understanding of finance regarding Gift Aid, annual accounts preparation and VAT
• Familiarity with cross-functional collaboration, particularly with HR, operations, or fundraising/income generation teams.

Confidentiality and Safeguarding

You will have access to confidential information concerning families and other service users and will be required to maintain confidentiality at all times.

All staff have the following safeguarding responsibilities:

• Actively promote the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children, young people and vulnerable adults accessing our services.
• Follow organisational safeguarding policies, procedures and codes of conduct at all times.
• Maintain clear professional boundaries and model safe, respectful and appropriate behaviour.
• Recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding, welfare or behaviour-related concerns, reporting these promptly and in line with organisational procedures.
• Work in a way that reduces risk and supports positive behaviour, emotional regulation and individual communication needs.
• Contribute to a culture where safeguarding concerns are shared appropriately, listened to, and taken seriously.

Staff Benefits

90% of our staff say that Resources for Autism is “a great place to work”.

Not only will the work you do ensure we are making vital differences and inspiring others, but our other benefits also include:

• flexible working patterns with the option to work in a hybrid way (only available for some roles)
• 25 days of leave (pro rata for part time roles) each year plus 8 bank holidays and an additional 3 Celebration days that could be used between Christmas and new year, but may be used for other religious days or significant days such as your birthday
• access to ongoing training and progress in the areas that interest you
• access to our wellbeing initiatives and an Employee Assistance Programme
• enrolment on to our pension scheme
• a supportive, warm working environment made up of values driven people who are passionate about changing the world for autistic people

Application process:

In order that we adhere to Safer Recruitment processes, all applicants are required to complete an application form which must include your full employment history with clear details, any gaps in employment need to be outlined and explained. You are also required to provide details of your full education history.

In your personal statement we would like to see how you feel you meet the person specification and the requirements/responsibilities of the role.

If for any reason, such as due to accessibility, you feel completing an application form will present a challenge, you can email us via email below and we may explore other options with you.

To discuss the role informally or if you need to contact us you can contact the HR team via recruitment@resourcesforautism.org.uk

We particularly welcome applicants from global majority candidates, LGBTQIA+ candidates and disabled candidates, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at Resources for Autism. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for our community.

As you would expect, we are a neuro-affirming employer, with a strengths and rights based approach to neurodiversity which affirms neurodivergent identity – we don’t want to “fix” or “cure” autism, and we don’t see it as a “disability” however we do recognise it can be “disabling”. We are working to improve the ways in which we recruit and support neurodiverse employees and those with lived experience of neurodiversity.

RfA is a Disability Confidant employer and candidates who meet the minimum essential criteria, that have a disability will be guaranteed an interview.