Associate Director of Finance

Scottish Association For Marine Science

Hours
37 hours per week

About the Organisation

Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) is Scotland’s largest and oldest independent marine science organisation, delivering marine science for a productive and sustainably managed marine environment through innovative research, education, and engagement with society.

Based near Oban on the Scottish west coast, our marine research and teaching portfolio is diverse in topic and discipline, global in outlook, project locations and relevance, and delivered by a SAMS team with a can-do attitude working in partnership with academic, business, government, regulatory, voluntary, and civic society colleagues.

SAMS is a charitable organisation (009206) with a membership that elects the Board members following a recruitment process. It is also a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in Scotland (SC 009292) and operates two wholly owned subsidiary companies: SAMS Enterprise - a specialist marine consultancy - and SAMS Ltd. It is an academic partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands.

About the role

As Associate Finance Director, you will be a key member of the senior leadership team responsible for the financial health of the SAMS group and aligning financial planning with our long-term strategic goals. A core component of this role is acting as a financial liaison to the Board, ensuring transparency and rigorous oversight through formal governance structures. This role requires a unique blend of core financial discipline and a pragmatic approach to navigating the specific financial challenges inherent in the charitable sector.

Managing a finance team of around 10, you will oversee excellent service delivery, manage quality, and provide guidance in the form of coaching and mentoring to the Finance Team, comprising both finance support and contract management activities.

Responsibilities

Main Responsibilities:

• As a member of the Executive Group, lead on long-term strategic financial planning and take responsibility for the annual financial budgeting process across the SAMS Group. Review financial performance over time, identifying areas for improvement and guiding the Executive Group, using best practices, to make changes to ensure the financial stability of SAMS Group.
• Lead and direct the finance and contract management teams to ensure SAMS remains compliant from a legal and taxation perspective, and that all activities are undertaken effectively, efficiently and timely. Providing coaching and mentoring support, where required, to raise the overall performance of the team.
• Responsible for collation and reporting on financial progress against budget and cash flow targets, ensuring that monthly management accounts are accurate and timely to enable Executive group decision making.  Present accounts to the Finance Committee and the Board and provide mid-year forecasts, offering advice on cash flow and budgetary control
• Overall responsibility for the development and management of the NetSuite MIS system.
• Oversee the preparation and presentation of the SAMS Group statutory accounts, including effective liaison with the external auditors to ensure they have all the information required and that their queries are resolved to ensure timely and accurate statutory financial statements.
• Overall responsibility for treasury management, including maintaining an effective relationship with the bank.
• Responsible for the collation and dissemination of all forms of financial information to our key stakeholders, which include SAMS and SAMS Enterprise Boards and Council, our funders, as well as the  University of Highlands and Islands (UHI),
• Be proactive in the application of SAMS Health and Safety Procedures

Planning and Organising:

• The post holder will use their knowledge and experience to inform the overall strategy at SAMS to plan for the financial sustainability of the SAMS group, whilst also ensuring that finance team resources are deployed appropriately to deliver: 
  • Support for members of the Executive Group and the non-executive members in the discharge of their financial responsibilities through the provision of high quality robust financial information.
  • Proactive engagement in the determination of corporate policies and strategy and its implementation.
  • A high standard of service, ensuring day to day financial activities undertaken in FSS are completed within set deadlines.

Problem-Solving:

• The post holder is expected to possess significant problem-solving skills and experience to deal with issues which arise because of external or work requirements or internal and team issues.  The person will play a key role in developing strategic solutions and resolving significant issues facing SAMS.

Decision-Making:

• Takes a consistent approach to people and work, uses sound judgement
• Regular requirement to act as officer in charge. 
• Required to take decisions on behalf of SAMS at external meetings

Key Contacts/Relationships:

• To be successful in the role, the post holder will be expected to foster teamwork and collaboration, both within the finance team and with other staff, members of the Executive Group and Governing Council, providing high-level advice.
• Externally, they will manage effective relationships with key contacts of relevant stakeholders and partner organisations, including the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), other Higher Education Institutions and key funding bodies such as UKRI. 

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Experience in leading, developing and managing teams.
• Strong analytical skills and a high level of attention to detail
• Experience in change management and MIS systems implementation.
• Able to manage a complex workload with multiple deadlines and stakeholders, backed up by the organisational skills to deliver results. 
• Comfortable operating at a strategic level but with the confidence, experience and knowledge to provide input at an operational level, as and when required.
• Able to make decisions independently.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills. 
• Excellent communication (both written and oral), with the ability to establish and maintain trust.
• Confident operating at Board level, expressing own opinions and maintaining discretion.
• Able to apply experience across some sectors across the varied elements of the Group (charity/higher education/commercial).

Required Qualifications

• Professional accountancy qualification – CA, CIMA, ACCA

Compensation & Benefits

• Purchase of additional 
• Annual leave,
• Shopping discounts
• Cycle 2 Work scheme
• Purchases of technology through salary sacrifice
• Payroll Giving Pensions Plus
• Access to portals to support health and well-being
• A sabbatical scheme
• Free car parking with access to electronic charging points, as well as access to some training & development courses.

Conditions of employment

• You must have the right to work in the UK
• Please note, we are unfortunately unable to provide visa sponsorship for this positi

Working locations

• Oban, United Kingdom

How to apply

• Applications must include a CV and a cover letter, which should be sent electronically to [email protected], with References D19/25 and in the subject "Associate Director of Finance" by 16th January 2026
• If you have queries on the job and would like to talk these through before applying, please email them to, in the first instance to [email protected]

Interviews

• Interviews to be held mid-January 2026.

Policies

SAMS’ commitment to gender equality has been recognised, as our institute was presented with an Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network) Bronze Award and is currently working towards Investors in Diversity accreditation.

SAMS Group is committed to being an equal and open organisation. Diversity and inclusion are important to us, and we strive to remove any barriers that may prevent people from applying to join us. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and from all who share our values and can help us broaden our knowledge and range of ideas.

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