Interim Head of Financial Operations

What makes Goldsmiths unique?

Goldsmiths is a world-renowned university that has a reputation for rigorous and innovative academic work; creativity has long been our hallmark. Academic excellence and imaginative course content combine to make a place where creative minds can thrive.

About the Department 

The Finance Department has responsibility for budget preparation and monitoring, financial accounting, treasury management and control over all income received and payments made by Goldsmiths.

About the Role

The Head of Financial Operations is a key post to ensure the provision of efficient, controlled and customer focused financial transaction and treasury management services. The post has line management responsibility for thirteen staff through four direct reports.

The Head of Financial Operations will line manage the Accounts Payable, Credit Control, Treasury and Finance and HR Systems Teams.

The role has a focus on customer service, ensuring that transactional services are aligned to user department needs, this will include working with senior staff in academic and professional departments. It will involve close collaboration with linked professional services outside the Finance department, in particular Student and Academic Services, IT, Estates and POD (HR).

The role also has a focus on internal financial control, including ensuring appropriate check, balances, and segregation of duties. The post holder will assist the Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Director of Finance with the regular reporting to the College’s Audit and Risk Committee and Finance and Resources Committee.

About the Candidate

You will be a qualified accountant with extensive experience relevant to the role. You will have excellent leadership skills, with the ability to manage change and deliver service improvements through process and systems improvement, focusing on efficiency and excellent services, to students, other customers and staff. To include the development of the ERP system used by the wider Finance and HR community.

Benefits

We have generous benefits – an agile working environment, 28 days’ annual leave plus 6 paid closure days (4 at Christmas and 2 at Easter) plus all Bank Holidays, great transport links, a defined benefit pension scheme, support for professional development and a broad range of wellbeing initiatives such as staff choir, running club, staff networks and creative writing classes.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

At Goldsmiths, University of London, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion shape how we lead, learn, and work. We are committed to building an inclusive and respectful environment, removing barriers and addressing inequalities so that everyone in our community can belong and thrive.