Director of Finance and Operations Job Description

Civic Power Fund Director of Finance and Operations Job Description

November 2025

Overview

About Us

We are looking for a Director of Finance and Operations. This is a newly created role, designed to help the Civic Power Fund sustainably transition from start up to scale.

At the Civic Power Fund we start with a core belief: too many people cannot achieve their full potential because of who they are or where they are from. Community organising changes this by unleashing the power of people to improve their lives and achieve lasting change.

We are looking for Director of Finance and Operations who shares this belief and understands three things about our approach:

Civic power is the capacity of citizens to organise to win change. We are only interested in building power.
Organising is how we build power and it is not free. We fund organisers – sustainably, equitably and by taking our lead from them.
Our operations are there to support the mission. We are governed by movement builders, so the staff team can execute against the mission: building lasting civic power through community organising.

With an annual grantmaking budget of approximately £2 million, we are in an exciting phase of transformation, growing our partnerships, systems, and impact.

We are serious about doing funding differently and in line with our values. If you are an experienced finance and operations lead who is too, we would love to talk.

Overview

Title	Director of Finance and Operations
Reports To	Executive Director
Time	Full time
Salary	£80,341
Location	Our team is based across the UK and we work remotely. However, we have office space in London and also provide access to local co-working spaces for team members not based in London. We meet in person as a team once a quarter as a minimum and encourage other travel to key meetings and events. The role is based in the UK and open to individuals with an existing right to work in the UK.
Timeline	Please apply by 23.59 on Monday 5th January 2026. First round interviews will take place online w/c 19th January 2026.
How to Apply	Please share an up to date CV and a Cover Letter of no more than 600 words demonstrating your suitability for the role. Please email these to contact@civicpower.org.uk - including Director of Finance and Operations in the email subject line.

About Us

We are the UK’s first pooled fund dedicated to community organising. This means we raise resources from large foundations, trusts and philanthropic funders and redistribute them to community organising groups through relational and participatory grantmaking.

Our mission is to build lasting civic power by bringing people who share a problem together to win change. By investing in organising, we can unleash the power of people to improve their lives and their communities and create common cause in pursuit of the social, environmental, and economic justice vital to a flourishing democracy.

We also provide practical support to our grantee partners:

We provide bespoke ‘beyond the grant’ resources such as access to training, governance advice and legal support, and aligned funding.
We connect organisations within geographies and within communities of common struggle or cause to aid collaboration and maximise their power.
We commission research to support our grantee partners and we convene funders and organisers to ensure continual learning.
We deploy trust-based grantmaking principles to ensure maximum flexibility and sustainability in working with impactful yet often informal groups.

Everything we do is rooted in our values. Organising as a practice is rooted in building the power of marginalised voices and communities traditionally excluded from democracy, so we foster representation and liberation through all our work.

This is an exciting time to be joining the Fund.

We are a new and growing organisation, with a dedicated and energetic team. In our first three years of operation we have awarded almost £3 million to community organising groups and now have a thriving cohort of 45 incredible groups. We have built a series of exciting funder collaboratives across 30 individual donors and have released important research on the scarcity of funding for this vital work.

You will be part of a small core team helping the Civic Power Fund grow sustainably and deliver for our partners.

About the Role

The Director of Finance and Operations is a key leadership role that will support the Executive Director in ensuring that the Civic Power Fund is efficiently and effectively managed and further developed to sustainably pursue our mission.

This role will lead both the strategy and delivery of the finance, governance and people and culture functions at Civic Power Fund, helping us continue to build a bold and resilient organisation that can deliver for our partners.

Provide overall strategic leadership for the Civic Power Fund Finance, Operations, Governance and People and Culture
Lead the Civic Power Fund Finance Function, working closely with the Finance and Operations Officer and Civic Power Fund accountants.
Manage, train and help to develop the Finance and Operations Officer and Grantmaking Admin Officer.
Ensure that the Civic Power Fund’s operational systems are enabling us to deliver on our work and meet our accountabilities while staying true to our values and strategic goals.
Develop and deliver improvements to processes, practices and systems within these functional areas to meet the needs of the Civic Power Fund and its grantee partners.
Ensure compliance with statutory, legal, and regulatory requirements, especially in regard to finance, charity governance and people and culture.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the Civic Power Fund Finance Function

Prepare and maintain the annual operating budget and monthly management accounts, ensuring close and continual alignment with our strategic goals.
Prepare and maintain cashflow forecasts and advise on predicted cash balances and cash requirements.
Lead treasury management and propose and implement options to limit financial risk and optimise financial return in line with our core values.
Lead the financial year end process, working with the Finance and Operations Officer and Civic Power Fund accountants to prepare annual reports and accounts and oversee the annual audit process.
Oversee, implement and continually embed core financial controls and assess, manage and minimise financial risks.
Report to the Board of Trustees and key Civic Power Fund external stakeholders on financial performance and management of key financial risks.
Support day to day financial management by training, developing and providing day to day support to the Finance and Operations Manager in maintaining Xero, monthly bookkeeping, and bank account reconciliation.
Ensure up to date, compliant and consistently applied financial and accounting policies.

Support the Successful Governance of the Civic Power Fund

Ensure the Civic Power Fund is in compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements, including data privacy and workplace safety regulations. Review existing governance arrangements, identify improvements, and work with the Executive Director and Finance and Operations Officer to implement them.
Work with the Board of Trustees and senior team to identify and respond to major operational, financial and strategic risks.
Work with the Executive Director and Board of Trustees to set and manage risk controls and reporting; ensuring this is in line with our risk statement and whilst upholding our values.
Work with the Executive Director to directly engage and support Trustees in the discharge of their duties.
Have oversight of Board Meetings - working with the Finance and Operations Officer to make sure they happen and are completed to a high standard.
Report to the Board on core areas of responsibility: finance, operations and HR.

Improve the Operational Management of the Civic Power Fund

Review existing operational policies and procedures, identify improvements and updates, and implement them to ensure the smooth running of the Civic Power Fund.
Oversee and optimise the Civic Power Fund’s resources, including staffing, equipment, and technology, to ensure that they are being used effectively and efficiently.
Lead the development and implementation of operational infrastructure, including people and culture, IT, and digital systems.
Ensure close and strategic integration of the Civic Power Fund Grants Administration and Grantmaking System with our wider financial and operational systems.
Ensure policies, systems and procedures are inclusive, and enable Civic Power Fund to operate in line with its values.

Support People and Culture Management of the Civic Power Fund

Review existing people and culture policies and procedures, identify improvements and updates, and work with the Finance and Operations Officer to implement them and ensure the smooth running of the Civic Power Fund.
Have oversight of all people and culture functions and internal processes including, policies, pay, performance management, conflict and resolution, contracting.
Have oversight of contracting terms and processes with clients and employees.
Support the Executive Director, Finance and Operations Officer and senior team in streamlining and strengthening our people management process and our approach to team building and team culture.
Manage the Finance and Operations Officer and Grants Administration Officer.
Work closely with the Executive Director to ensure Civic Power Fund’s staff team are supported and challenged to deliver to the best of their ability.
Contribute to Civic Power Fund strategy development and implementation - e.g. joining team meetings, providing feedback on plans and priorities, challenging other staff and board members to ensure we consistently uphold the Civic Power Fund values.

About you

Essential Experience

Proven track record of leading the finance and operations functions of a complex nonprofit organisation.
Demonstrated knowledge and experience of financial management systems and risk management, including experience managing multiple funds and fluency in Xero and Charity SORP.
Demonstrated knowledge and experience of successfully improving and implementing people and culture policies and procedures.
Demonstrated knowledge and experience of charity governance, with up to date knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements and evidence of managing and implementing these in a social justice setting.
Excellent organisation skills, with extensive experience in project and program management, and a proven ability to plan, organise, and lead the implementation of plans and processes.
Experience of creating systems and organisational processes that are effective, efficient, and embed and socialise them with the team and key external partners.
A familiarity with current trends in grantmaking and awareness of anti-racist and justice-oriented grantmaking approaches.

Desirable Experience

Experience of working in a similar, Director level role with a charity, grantmaker, social movement actor and or NGO.
Experience of working in an independent funder and managing the flow of resources from donor to end partner.
Experience of strengthening small, growing organisations.
Experience with grantmaking and the philanthropic sector.

Essential Behaviours

Show a passion for and commitment to the Civic Power Fund mission, vision and values.
Be able to work inclusively and build engagement and trust with people of all backgrounds.
Show a willingness to take initiative in the pursuit of the Civic Power Fund’s goals. Take responsibility for delivering your work to a high standard, and be able to ask for support when you need it.
Be able to work independently and in a remote environment, whilst valuing opportunities to work as part of a close team.
Be a good team player, able to liaise effectively with different team members and draw on people’s expertise and specialisms to make decisions and ensure progress.
Treat Civic Power Fund staff and partners with dignity, respect and care - building strong and impactful relationships where possible.
Be comfortable challenging the status quo and seeking creative solutions for the communities we serve.

Essential Skills

Strong written and oral communication skills and able to produce concise, clear and compliant reports.
Ability to multitask, plan ahead, manage complex projects and to meet deadlines.
Strong line-management skills, able to support and empower staff to do their best work.
Able to quickly get up to speed with Civic Power Fund operating systems including GSuite and Airtable.

The full Civic Power Fund People and Culture Offer is here.

Civic Power Fund’s vision is a world where every person has the power to shape the quality of their life, community and future - and we start with those who are more often excluded because of who they are or where they are from. We are committed to being representative of our society and bringing together those with a variety of skills and experiences to shape what we do and how we work.

In line with this, we are particularly keen to hear from people with strong local roots in their community; people of colour; people from working class backgrounds; people from LGBTQI and immigrant communities; and people with disabilities. If you have specific needs we will work with you to help you achieve your best.

How to apply

Please share an up to date CV and a Cover Letter of no more than 600 words demonstrating your suitability for the role.

Please email these to contact@civicpower.org.uk including Director of Finance and Operations in the email subject line by 23.59 on 5th January 2026.

Please let us know if you have any access needs or requirements. We will work with you to help you achieve your best.