Overview:
Sightsavers is looking for an experienced Financial Controller to lead our global financial management, strengthen financial governance and controls, and help shape a modern, effective and service-focused finance function across our international operations.
Salary: c. £90,000 plus benefits
Location: UK remote/ hybrid - with monthly travel to our offices in Haywards Heath, West Sussex when required (perhaps more during induction phase)
Contract: Permanent
Hours: This is a full-time role with some flexibility around hours worked and mostly home working
Sightsavers is looking for an experienced Financial Controller to lead our global financial management, strengthen financial governance and controls, and help shape a modern, effective and service-focused finance function across our international operations.
This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for the Global Finance Team, including business finance, subsidiaries finance, treasury, and finance systems and projects. Working closely with the Chief Operating Officer and senior stakeholders, you will ensure that Sightsavers has robust financial management processes, effective systems, strong internal controls and clear, timely financial information to support decision-making.
We are looking for someone who combines strong technical finance expertise with excellent people leadership. You will be confident leading experienced teams, developing capability, improving ways of working and supporting change in a thoughtful, inclusive and values-led way. This role will suit someone who can build trust, challenge constructively, make sound decisions and help the finance function continue to evolve to meet organisational needs.
Responsibilities:
Key responsibilities will include:
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Leading and developing the Global Finance Team, creating a collaborative, accountable and high-performing culture.
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Overseeing financial control, treasury, payroll, tax, accounting, reconciliation and compliance processes.
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Managing the preparation of statutory accounts and the external audit process in line with charity reporting requirements.
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Strengthening finance systems, processes, reporting and controls to support an efficient and scalable global finance function.
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Providing trusted advice, insight and challenge to senior leaders, committees and colleagues across the organisation.
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Driving transformation, continuous improvement and better ways of working across finance operations.
This is an involved role and full responsibilities and further details can be found in the job description
Skills and Experience:
About you
You will be a professionally qualified accountant (ideally ICEAW or equivalent) with senior financial management experience, including experience of statutory accounts, audit, internal controls, finance systems and leading customer-facing finance teams. You will bring strong communication and influencing skills, the ability to explain complex financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues, and the confidence to challenge constructively at senior level.
Experience of working in a complex international environment would be highly valuable, as would experience in the charity, INGO or donor-funded sector. Most importantly, you will bring a strong commitment to inclusive leadership, continuous improvement and Sightsavers’ mission to protect sight and promote the rights of people with disabilities.
Please read the full job description for further requirements.
Benefits
Sightsavers offers some fantastic benefits. Our comprehensive benefits package includes generous annual leave allowance, pension, season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme, discounted gym memberships and wellness discounts. If you choose to work in or are visiting our collaborative, modern office space, you will find it an easy 20-minute train journey from Brighton or 45 minutes from London.
Next Steps:
To apply for this exciting opportunity, please complete an application via our recruitment portal by uploading an up to date CV and answering the job-specific questions. We are particularly interested in learning of your motivations for applying.
We anticipate that there will be a two -stage interview process starting in early September. This will include a role-specific presentation task and the final stage interview will be held in-person at our offices in Haywards Heath, West Sussex. Ideally we would like the successful candidate to be in post by Q4 of 2026 and attendance at the annual planning meeting in mid-November would be very helpful.
As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applications from all sections of the community. Sightsavers is a Disability Confident Leader and qualified people with a disability are particularly encouraged to apply.
Sightsavers is an employer that does not tolerate any form of harassment and has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. All potential candidates will be subjected to rigorous background checks and controls. Due to the seniority and nature of this role, the successful candidate will be expected to undertake the relevant background checks, which may include a DBS check, in line with organisational policy and the requirements of the role
In line with its commitment to safe programming and recruitment, Sightsavers participates in the inter-agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS) administered by the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response. Through collaboration with other MDS members, Sightsavers aims to ensure that there are no sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment issues relating to potential new hires and that we can respond systematically to checks from fellow MDS members. This ensures our work is accountable, delivered to a high standard and supports safeguarding across the development and humanitarian fields.
