Head of Finance & Central Operations

Day 1: You've got a handover of the finance and central operations function, direct access to the Board, and a team of three already in place to lead.

Day 30: You're across the monthly management accounts, payroll controls and key supplier contracts, with early ideas on where automation can cut manual work.

Day 90: You're delivering timely, trusted numbers to the Board, your team has clear direction, and your first process improvement project is underway.

Improve your working life and build a career with genuine progression built in.

We're hiring a Head of Finance and Central Operations to join the Rubicon team, paying £45,000. This is a senior, hands-on leadership role for someone who wants genuine ownership of a finance and operations function, from the numbers through to the systems that support them.

Why this Head of Finance and Central Operations role exists: Rubicon needs accurate, trusted financial information reaching the Board and senior leadership team, alongside a central operations function that runs smoothly and keeps improving. It's a role for someone who can lead a small team, stay close to the detail when it matters, and bring a genuinely practical approach to automation and process improvement.

Rubicon is 100% employee-owned (think John Lewis & Waitrose, but smaller and more personal). As Head of Finance and Central Operations, you'll have direct sight of what that ownership means financially, supporting the Trustee Board and helping ensure the business's success is shared fairly with the people who create it.

What's in it for you

• Direct access to and regular contact with the Managing Director, Board of Directors and Trustee Board
• Genuine ownership of a significant improvement project, introducing automation and AI across finance and central operations
• A small, established team already in place to lead and develop
• The autonomy to shape how the finance and central operations function runs

Benefits include

• Free parking
• Early finish Fridays, followed by Friday drinks (first round on Rubicon)
• Quarterly performance-related bonuses
• Holiday sell-back scheme
• Regular awards and prizes, including 'Employee of the Month'
• 33 days holiday (including bank holidays) plus 1 extra day for your birthday
• Birthday gift from the company
• Become part of Rubicon's 100% employee-owned trust (after 6 months)
• Private medical insurance (after your first year)
• Flu jabs, free eye test, and discounts on glasses

What you'll be doing day-to-day as the Head of Finance and Central Operations

• Leading and developing the Finance Assistant, Payroll Assistant and Central Operations Manager, delegating with clear standards and cover
• Preparing accurate monthly management accounts, cash flow forecasts and reports for the Managing Director, Board and Trustee Board
• Maintaining strong financial controls across invoicing, payroll, banking and the general ledger, protecting the business from error and fraud
• Overseeing weekly payroll, self-employed worker payments and statutory reporting, including PAYE, VAT and pension requirements
• Leading a project to introduce automation and AI tools across finance and central operations, reducing manual work while keeping proper controls
• Managing relationships with key suppliers and systems providers, including the company's CRM, IT and telephone platforms

As the Head of Finance and Central Operations you'll bring

• A recognised accountancy qualification (or part-qualification), or substantial senior finance experience
• Strong experience producing management accounts, budgets, forecasts and divisional profit and loss reports
• Experience managing or supervising a finance, payroll or central operations team
• A practical understanding of payroll, PAYE, VAT and pension requirements, ideally including weekly payroll
• Experience improving processes through technology, automation or AI
• Experience in recruitment, staffing or another professional services business is desirable

The culture fit
You'll join a business that expects you to lead with real autonomy while staying closely involved in the detail. This role suits someone confident enough to challenge figures, costs and existing processes, and who wants their improvements to be felt across the whole business, not just the finance function. As one of Rubicon's senior leaders, you'll have a genuine voice in how the business is run.

If you're ready to take genuine ownership of a Head of Finance and Central Operations role at a business that will trust you with the numbers that matter, apply today with an up-to-date CV or call Tina at Rubicon for more information.

While Rubicon uses AI to help speed up processes across the business, every application is reviewed by a human to ensure the right decision is made.