Senior Director, Finance

Job Title: Senior Director, Finance
Location: United Kingdom (fully remote – UK residency required)
Reports to: Chief of Staff
Type: Full-time, permanent
Salary: Competitive, commensurate with experience
Start Date: As soon as possible

About us

Tilt Collective strengthens food resilience through practical partnerships with farmers, researchers and local organizations. Our mission is to make it easier for people to grow, access, and share healthy food. We support efforts that improve access to nutritious, affordable, sustainable food and build on local agricultural knowledge. Our programs are grounded in respect for community traditions and are focused on long-term, measurable outcomes. We work with both independent and institutional partners to promote food security and sustainable practices. We are a philanthropic organization that receives and makes grants in support of our mission.

Position summary

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Senior Director, Finance to lead our financial strategy and operations. Reporting to our Chief of Staff, the Senior Director, Finance will play a central role in ensuring financial sustainability, transparency, and compliance across our organisation. This includes ensuring sound financial planning, supporting fundraising and donor reporting, and maintaining high standards of governance and accountability.

Tilt Collective is currently fiscally sponsored by a United States-registered host organization, and is in the process of establishing a United Kingdom legal entity (non-profit company limited by guarantee, incorporation and banking estimated to be in place by the Summer), after which global operations and funding will gradually be transferred from the fiscal sponsor to the new entity. The Senior Director, Finance will play a key role over the first six to nine months in establishing appropriate finance, banking and accounting systems and oversight for the new entity with turnover of approximately USD 20-30 million per annum. Subsequently the role will focus on oversight of day-to-day finances of the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Develop and implement the organisation’s financial strategy in alignment with overall goals and objectives, working closely with Chief of Staff and CEO.
• Provide strategic advice to the CEO, Board and Leadership Team on financial planning, risks, and opportunities.
• Lead the development of long-term financial projections, scenarios, and sustainability strategies.

• Manage key external stakeholder relationships, including those with auditors, tax advisors, and bankers – initially in the UK, with potential to expand globally as operations scale.

Financial Management & Reporting

• Oversee the organisation’s financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, and financial reporting.

• Manage payments, foreign exchange transactions, and basic treasury functions.
• Lead the selection, development, and implementation of finance systems and inform development of our grant administration and management information systems.

• Produce timely and accurate financial reports for management, funders, and the Board.
• Coordinate the annual audit process and ensure compliance with UK charity regulations and international accounting standards.
• Develop internal controls and policies to safeguard organisational assets and ensure regulatory compliance.

Grants management

• Manage financial aspects of incoming philanthropic grants and ensure proper financial reporting and compliance with donor requirements.
• Oversee the disbursement and financial oversight of outgoing grants to partners and collaborators around the world.

• Develop and oversee risk management and documentation processes.

• Collaborate with Programme and Country Directors to ensure alignment between financial and programmatic planning and execution.
• Working with the Grants Team and Leadership Team on budget allocation for grantmaking rounds.
• Track our grant spending against plans, and communicate to programme directors their budgets for new grant rounds.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and develop the finance team, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Support capacity-building in financial literacy and budgeting across the organisation.
• Work with external service providers and advisors as necessary to deliver against the organisation’s objectives.

Governance & Risk Management

• Support the Board and its Finance, Audit & Risk Committee with relevant financial insights and documentation.

• Represent the finance function in frequent interactions with the Leadership Team, especially around planning, risk, and management information.
• Report to the Board on relevant financial and risk matters.

• Ensure compliance with all legal and regulatory financial requirements in the UK and other jurisdictions in which we operate.
• Lead on organisational risk management, including financial risk assessment and mitigation planning, including strategies to manage XR risk.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential:

• Qualified accountant (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with proven and extensive experience in senior finance roles.
• Experience in the nonprofit or charity sector, ideally with international operations.
• Demonstrated experience with philanthropic grant management (both receiving and sub-granting).
• Demonstrated experience in establishing financial systems and strategies in a start-up setting.
• Strong understanding of tax planning and compliance, including working with external tax advisors.

• Experience leading the selection, development, and implementation of finance systems.

• Excellent financial analysis and reporting skills.
• Proven leadership and team management abilities.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.

Desirable:

• Strong knowledge of UK charity accounting standards (SORP) and regulatory requirements (noting that the legal entity will not initially be registered as a UK Charity).
• Experience working in organisations focused on sustainability, public health, or food systems.
• Familiarity with major philanthropic funders and international grant reporting standards.
• Experience with financial operations in multi-currency and multi-country contexts.

What we offer

• A values-driven and impact-oriented work environment.
• Opportunities to contribute to global change in food and sustainability.
• Remote working arrangements.
• Generous annual leave, healthcare and pension package.
• Support for professional development and learning.

Depending on start date, the role may initially be hired through a professional employment organization, Atlas HXM, but would likely transition soon afterwards to be employed by the new legal entity.