Director of Finance and Resources

The British Academy

About the Organisation

British Academy is the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences, established by Royal Charter in 1902. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future. Today’s complex challenges can only be resolved by deepening our insight into people, culture, and societies. With a Fellowship of around 1,700 leading national and international academics, the Academy invests in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas; engages the public with fresh thinking and debates; and brings together scholars, government, business, and civil society to influence policy. The Academy currently has five directorates: Communications & Marketing; Development; Policy; Research; and Resources, plus a small Governance & Fellowship Team.

About the role

As Director of Finance & Resources, you will make sure we have the resources, systems and organisational capacity to deliver our ambitions. You will lead our finance function and have overall responsibility for HR, IT & AV, Estates & Facilities, and Venue Sales & Marketing, working with experienced Heads of Department across each area.

Finance will be central to the role. You will lead our financial strategy and planning, oversee our financial controls and reporting, and provide clear advice to the Chief Executive, Senior Management Team, Council and its committees. You will also help us think longer term about our financial sustainability, including our plans to diversify income through philanthropy and commercial activity.

But we are looking for more than a strong Finance Director. You will be part of a close-knit Senior Management Team which works collectively to lead the Academy. We want someone who is interested in the organisation as a whole, who enjoys working across boundaries and who can help colleagues make good decisions about where we put our people, money and attention.

You will also have responsibility for some important assets. These include our historic home at 10–11 Carlton House Terrace, our technology and infrastructure, and our trading subsidiary. Ultimately, your job will be to make sure these resources are working as hard as possible in support of the Academy’s purpose.

As a member of the Senior Management Team, provide inspirational leadership across the Academy, with an emphasis on bringing vision and strategic leadership to corporate services and driving a high-performance culture. This role works to support the Council, working closely with the Treasurer, on strategic and tactical financial matters.

The Director of Finance and Resources is accountable for strategic priorities, operational plans and management of the Academy’s financial, physical, and technical assets, and its people resources. They will provide vision and strategic direction for the following teams: Finance, Human Resources, IT & AV, Estates & Facilities and Venue Sales & Marketing

Responsibilities

Financial Strategy, Management, Planning and Reporting:

• Develop, maintain and oversee the Academy’s overall financial strategy.
• Provide leadership to the Finance function and team at the Academy.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of robust financial systems and effective financial controls.
• Oversee the management of the Academy’s finances, including the allocation and prioritisation of resources within the Academy through the annual budgeting setting and financial planning processes.
• Proactively manage cash, investments and the Academy’s funding needs.
• Provide financial plans beyond the annual budget to reflect the future impact of the Academy’s strategic and operational plans.
• Interpret complex financial information and provide financial reporting and advice to the Academy’s Senior Management Team, Council and Sub-Committees.
• Maintain and develop relationships with external auditors, insurance brokers, investment advisors and investment managers.
• Oversee the procurement of all major contracts within the Resources Directorate.

Corporate Services:

• Lead the Resources Directorate Management Team in defining appropriate strategies and priorities, aligned with the Academy’s strategic and operational objectives, and to oversee their implementation and delivery.
• Manage, support and challenge Heads in their respective delivery of programmes of work in their area.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, inclusion and continuous improvement, empowering teams to achieve high standards of excellence and the adoption of a customer-centric approach to service provision.
• Ensure effective corporate management of resources (people, organisation, structures and management systems), regularly reviewing and re-prioritising these to ensure effective utilisation.
• Oversee the operation of the Academy’s trading subsidiary (Clio Enterprises Ltd), seeking to balance the maximisation of trading profits with the Academy’s strategic objective of opening up the Academy.
• Lead on business continuity issues, and work closely with the Head of Governance and other key personnel on areas of risk including cyber and data.

Supporting the Wider Academy:

• Develop strong relationships across a complex network of internal and external stakeholders and be responsible for delivering robust messages, including to influence change where necessary.
• Support the Chief Executive and, as a member of the Senior Management Team, provide effective corporate leadership of the Academy.
• Deliver greater joined-up thinking across the Academy, particularly in relation to the Academy’s finance and corporate services portfolio, and in support of the Academy’s strategic priorities.
• Ensure the motivation and wellbeing of the Academy’s staff body, delivering high levels of performance and inclusive leadership behaviours
• Support the Academy’s strategic objective of diversifying its income, including increasing income from philanthropic sources.
• Support Council and relevant Sub-Committee meetings, and act as Secretary to the Resources Committee.
• Act as senior Health and Safety representative, ensuring the workplace and building meet all regulatory requirements.
• Lead on the delivery and implementation of any large-scale projects specifically assigned.
• Maintain strong relationships with Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) representatives, leading on all financial reporting and funding requirements.
• Lead on the negotiations with the Academy’s Trade Union, along with the Head of HR. 

Internal:

• Academy Staff, Senior Management Team, Treasurer, President, Resources Committee members, Audit Committee members, Trustees of Council.

External:

• External & Internal Auditors, professional advisers, DSIT representatives, Clio Board Members, other National Academies.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Experience:

• An inspiring and innovative finance professional who has operated at a senior level within a complex organisation.
• Demonstrable experience of leading, directing and managing a Finance team and at least one of the other functions managed by this post.
• Proven experience in overseeing and managing large (>£20m) and complex budgets.
• Extensive experience of leading, motivating and managing teams with the ability to promote a culture of high performance, continuous improvement and innovation.
• Demonstrable experience of managing change at senior level.
• Proven experience of engaging with and providing advice at Board level.
• Proven experience in providing leadership and direction to strategic and complex projects.
• Experience of preparing financial statements in line with the Charities SORP.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Outstanding relationship-building and influencing skills.
• Outstanding communications and interpersonal skills with the ability to present financial and operational information in a clear, concise and accessible way to diverse audiences.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to empower and motivate team members.
• Ability to organise and prioritise a demanding workload personally and to set clear priorities for the Resources
• Directorate teams and, with Senior Management colleagues, the wider Academy

Personal Style & Behaviours:

• Tact and diplomacy and a high level of emotional intelligence.
• A high level of self-awareness and someone who welcomes constructive feedback.
• A ‘can-do’ attitude and ability to inspire and be a role model for others within the organisation.
• Highly collaborative and a strong team player who seeks and embraces opportunities to work with other functions within the organisation.

Other Requirements:

• Understanding of, and commitment to equal opportunities and diversity.

Desirable:

• Demonstrable experience of contingency planning, risk management and business continuity.
• Experience of working with a mixture of income streams: government, philanthropic, commercial. Overall commercial mindset.
• Understanding of the different demands and constraints on charitable and non-charitable entities and issues arising in an organisation that contains both
• Experience of investments and endowments. 

Required Qualifications

• CCAB qualified Accountant

Compensation & Benefits

• Pension scheme SAUL: Start new employees join the defined contribution scheme for the first three years, with contributions of 16% (the Academy) and 6% (employee).
• Employees then transfer to the SAUL Lifetime career average defined benefit scheme; employee contributions remain at 6%, and employer contributions increase to 19%. As part of SAUL membership, employees receive an 8 x salary death in service benefit (SAUL Start) 4x salary death in service benefit (SAUL Lifetime).
• Annual Leave: 34 days annually (including 3 days Christmas / New Year closure), plus 8 bank holidays. The Academy also offers an annual leave buying and selling scheme.
• Flexible Working: Employees are able to work flexibly under our How We Work framework, with the right to request flexible working patterns.
• Support for Families: As part of its commitment to support families, the Academy offers occupational leave and pay for parents, carers, and bereaved employees.

Working locations

• Hybrid model, working in the London office and remotely

How to apply

• To apply, please send your CV, along with a supporting statement (no longer than two pages) to [email protected]
• We encourage all candidates to discuss the role further before submitting an application. If you’d like to discuss the role in more detail, please contact: Bryony Thomas [email protected] | 07921 334 625
• Please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. We’ll try to offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You’re asked to note the above timetable and be flexible through the recruitment and selection process.

Interviews

• Shortlisting Thursday 8th October 2026
• Fireside chats with CEO week of 12th October 2026
• Panel Interviews 20th / 23rd October 2026

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