The role

In finance, the job is a combination of making sure that the basics are sound and consistently reliable – producing management accounts, paying invoices, making timely statutory returns – while also setting stretch targets that will see us become steadily more effective in how we support the wider organisation, month on month and year on year. In due course, this will involve reviewing soft and hard systems, and you’ll work closely with our newly appointed Technical Director. Our IT systems have been significantly overhauled, which has enabled us to migrate databases, strengthen our networks and improve our communications infrastructure; but we continue to work to enhance our cyber security and build the resilience of our IT infrastructure.

We believe that our property function has extraordinary potential to transform Refuge’s future. As the only RSL in the sector, there are significant opportunities to access funding and invest in expanding the portfolio. Currently overseen by a small, expert team, property is on a trajectory of rapid growth and development, and we’ll look to you to provide the leadership and insight which will support this expansion in the coming years. In governance, the focus will be on facilitating and empowering a very strong board which always wants to do more, and sustaining their best-in-class performance.

Candidates will need to be qualified accountants, and will have extensive experience in the charity sector, ideally in social housing. This will include experience of managing supported housing income and restricted funds, and a practical understanding of social impact investment would be a distinct advantage. If you’ve also worked in other sectors – whether commercial or public, local government, social care etc. – we’d be very interested to meet you. The strongest candidates will have managed a good-sized property portfolio, and will understand the relationship between the provision of outstanding care and good stewardship of assets.

Highly skilled at leadership, you’ll have a far-sighted understanding of how newly-established teams grow in confidence and capacity, and eventually lead themselves. You must be able to demonstrate that you understand how to build the fundamentals of high performance, including (but not limited to) culture, policies, and ways of working. There’s very little standing on ceremony at Refuge, and you’ll need to be an enthusiastic doer as well as leader, thinker and planner. We all work hard, and are collectively clear about what needs to be different and better. You’ll show you understand that change takes sustained effort and adaptability – your track record will be one of achievement through challenge, managing both the unexpected and the unwelcome with equal poise and optimism.