Director of Finance and Operations

Firstsite is a contemporary visual art organisation based in an award winning Gallery in Colchester, Essex.  Since opening in 2011, Firstsite has welcomed over one million visitors and has established its reputation for being an art Gallery of regional and national importance, celebrating the diverse and radical people of East Anglia through its exceptional artistic and cultural activities.

This pivotal role, working closely with the Director and forming part of the senior leadership team, will support Firstsite’s business planning and direction setting.

The Director of Finance and Operations will lead on all governance, contractual, financial and commercial arrangements; responsible for the Finance, IT, Facilities and HR functions on an on-going basis.

In particular, the Director of Finance and Operations will take a leading role in maintaining and reviewing the four-year financial model to support the delivery of our strategic aims and the compilation of the annual budget and regular forecasts – this will include a priority on ensuring the rapid improvements of our income generation performance across commercial activity including hires, auditorium, retail, café, restaurant and our incubator space at 15 Queen Street.

To succeed in this role, you will have relevant degree and management experience in a charity context.  You will understand the importance of building good relationships with non-finance managers and how to communicate effectively at all levels.  You will also know when to roll up your sleeves and focus on detail.  You will be able to solve complex accounting and system issues, your ethos will be one of continual improvement and, when making changes, you will take others with you.

Intelligent Working   

Our flexible working arrangements can help you to achieve a balanced lifestyle and we offer flexible working arrangements which could include, annualised hours, early or late starts to fit around other commitments, shorter working days, etc.  We are happy to discuss your own requirements in more detail, should that be of interest.

Firstsite’s commitment to inclusion   

We pride ourselves on being a place where your individuality is valued; you can be yourself and still achieve your potential. We believe that your individuality helps us to deliver the best results to our objectives. Diversity of background, diversity of experience, diversity of perspective, are important to us.

At Firstsite, we recognise that returning to work after an extended career break can be daunting. We understand and appreciate that those with experience who have taken a career break still have a wealth of experience and knowledge to offer our organisation, which helps us to achieve our business goals. We will support you to refresh your skills, develop your confidence and provide a supportive network across the firm to help you best integrate into the working environment.

Applying with a disability   

Firstsite is proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunity employer and we seek to attract and retain the best people from the widest possible talent pool.  We are committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the Recruitment Process. Should you be successful after the initial application stage, please discuss with your recruitment contact any reasonable adjustments to our Recruitment Process that you may require.

For full job description visit:  https://www.firstsite.uk/jobs/