Director of Finance

Reporting to: Chief of Finance and Operations 

Direct reports: Management Accountant and Financial Planning and Projects Manager 

Would you like to be at the heart of developing innovative and transformative ideas? Are you interested in being part of an organisation that identifies how space technology can address UK and global societal challenges? Do you want a finance leadership position which will make a real difference? If so, you may be who we’re looking for! 

We are looking for an experienced Director of Finance  to oversee all financial aspects of business and drive the company’s financial strategy and planning. You will be responsible for assessing the financial performance of the company as well as possible risks and investments. 

This role is responsible for ensuring that we have the right services supporting the Catapult and that the quality of those services are high, supporting leaders who are experts in their area to maximise their impact. You will also support the strategic direction of the company by critically assessing, managing and developing the company's financial and impact performance.  

As the Director of Finance, you will be responsible for: 

• Driving financial planning and analysis - You will develop and implement suitable financial strategies to support our Missions and objectives and continually improve our processes through evaluating tends and taking advantage of opportunities. 

• Reporting on Financial and compliance matters – You will oversee the preparation and distribution of accurate and timely financial reports and presentations both internally and externally. You will ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulations and coordinate reviews and audits by external stakeholders 

• Managing risk – You will have a constant awareness of the company’s financial position and implement controls and mitigates to reduce these, using audits as a tool to assess effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.  

• Leading team and company – you will provide strong leaderships and mentoring to the finance team, creating a high performing team through culture, setting expectations, continuous learning and providing (and receiving) feedback. You will also operate at Senior Leadership level for the organisation, exemplifying organisational values and behaviours, always acting in support of the organisation needs and goals. 

 We expect that you would have the following skills and experience:  

• Significant experience as director of finance or similar role 

• BSc/BA in accounting, finance or relevant field; MSc/MA is a plus 

• Qualified accountant, CIMA, ACCA or CPA 

• In-depth knowledge of finance and accounting principles, laws and best practices, knowledge of public funding and grants desirable 

• Solid knowledge of financial analysis and forecasting 

• Proficient in the use of MS Office and financial management software (e.g. SAP) 

• An analytical mind with a strategic ability to develop strategies to help drive organisational success 

• Excellent organisational and leadership skills 

• Strong  communication and interpersonal abilities 

 You know you have been successful when there is a widespread understanding of company finances throughout the organisations leadership and all staff are imbued with a sense of accountability for the financial performance of the organisation. 

How we work: 

We strive to create a high trust environment that enables team members to bring their whole selves to work – this helps to create the foundations of an innovation culture. Our shared values are critical to this: 

• We care - for our people, our partners, and our planet 

• We connect - and engage with people and ideas 

• We learn - and grow, as people and as an industry 

Underpinning this is our belief in great teams, our combined efforts will always deliver outcomes beyond that of any individual providing we are honest through debate, experiment and reflect, and create shared resolutions in support of our purpose. Live these values, work to our principles, take ownership to deliver, and we are certain you will thrive with us. 

This job description set outs the skills and experience we believe are needed to be able to do this job but, research also tells us women are much more likely than men to take this list of requirements as absolute and self-select out of the process. If you think you can deliver this role then we want to hear from you, regardless of the boxes you didn’t tick. 

 Important notice for applicants: We use tools to detect plagiarism and the use of AI or chatbots for applicant answers. If plagiarism, AI use (such as ChatGPT) or similar software are found to have been used in your application you will not be considered for this or future roles within the Satellite Applications Catapult. If you need any additional support during the application process, please do reach out and connect. We also invite you to share feedback via Applied.