Head of Statutory Financial Reporting at Imperial War Museums, London

Head of Statutory Financial Reporting

Location: IWM London (Hybrid- 3 days a week on-site)

Salary: £72,500 to £75,00 per annum

Position type: Permanent

What It's Like to Work Here

At IWM, we're driven by a shared purpose: helping people understand the causes, course and consequences of conflict and its impact on people's lives. As Head of Statutory Financial Reporting, you'll play a key leadership role within the Finance & Governance team, ensuring that IWM continues to be a trusted, accountable and financially resilient public body and charity. Working closely with senior leaders across the organisation, you'll lead financial accounting, statutory reporting, financial control and public accountability reporting. You'll partner with colleagues across Finance, Governance, Procurement and operational teams, while building strong relationships with external stakeholders. You'll help shape the future of financial reporting at IWM, driving improvements in processes, systems and controls while ensuring the organisation remains audit-ready and compliant with its statutory obligations.

Why This Role Matters

As a publicly funded museum and charity, IWM relies on robust financial stewardship, transparent reporting and strong governance to maintain the confidence of government, donors, partners and the public. As Head of Statutory Financial Reporting, you'll ensure that financial information is accurate, compliant and dependable, providing assurance that resources are being managed responsibly in support of IWM's mission. Through leadership of statutory reporting, financial control and public accountability processes, you'll help safeguard the funding, governance and financial resilience that enable IWM to care for its collections, deliver public programmes, support learning and research, and create meaningful visitor experiences across its sites. You'll also play a critical role in strengthening financial controls, reducing risk, improving reporting quality and driving continuous improvement across the Finance function. Your leadership will help ensure that IWM remains accountable, audit-ready and able to direct resources where they deliver the greatest public benefit.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead the preparation and delivery of IWM's Annual Report and Accounts, ensuring compliance with Charities SORP, Government Financial Reporting Manual requirements and relevant accounting standards.
• Own the year-end close process, audit timetable and statutory reporting cycle, ensuring deadlines, responsibilities and evidence requirements are clearly defined and delivered.
• Act as the primary Finance contact for the National Audit Office, external auditors and internal stakeholders throughout the audit process.
• Lead IWM's financial reporting relationship with DCMS, overseeing monthly, quarterly, annual and ad hoc financial returns.
• Provide expert technical accounting advice on complex issues including charity accounting, public sector reporting, grants, leases, reserves, fixed assets, heritage assets and group structures.
• Maintain and strengthen IWM's financial accounting control framework, ensuring balance sheet integrity and robust reconciliation processes.
• Ensure accounting records support accurate management reporting, statutory reporting, audit requirements and government reporting obligations.
• Oversee VAT, corporation tax, HMRC returns, statutory returns and related compliance activities.
• Provide leadership and oversight of the Financial Accounting and Purchase Ledger functions, ensuring high-quality operational delivery and strong financial controls.
• Develop the capability, resilience and technical expertise of the Financial Accounting and Purchase Ledger teams through coaching, performance support and professional development.
• Lead treasury, cash management, banking controls and financial governance arrangements.
• Identify, assess and manage financial reporting, compliance and control risks across the organisation.

What We're Looking For

We'd love to hear from you if you have:

• A recognised CCAB accounting qualification or equivalent, together with significant post-qualification experience in financial accounting, statutory reporting, audit or financial control.
• Strong technical knowledge of UK accounting and reporting frameworks, including Charities SORP, Government FreM and FRS 102.
• Experience leading the preparation of annual statutory accounts, consolidated financial statements, audit working papers and external audits.
• Experience working within government, charity, public sector, arm's-length body or similarly regulated reporting environments.
• A strong understanding of financial controls, balance sheet management, reconciliations, journals, audit evidence and year-end processes.
• Experience overseeing VAT, tax, treasury, statutory returns, HMRC compliance and banking controls.
• Proven leadership experience, including managing, developing and supporting technical finance teams.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and high-profile deadlines across reporting, audit and operational finance activities.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex accounting and reporting issues to both finance and non-finance audiences.
• Strong systems and data skills, including advanced Excel capability and experience of financial systems such as Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations or similar platforms.

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Imperial War Museums, please click apply to be redirected to our website to complete your application.