Finance Manager

Job description

Are you an experienced accountant and finance manager looking for a new challenge?

Do you lead and encourage in a helpful and supportive manner and are motivated to deliver improvements whilst contributing to the team's success?

Shape the future of finance within The Student's Union at the University of Bath.
About the role
You will be responsible for managing the day-to-day financial operations of the SU. Working as part of a busy team at the heart of the SU, you will be the first point of contact for budget holders ensuring good practice, building a culture of financial literacy to support good budgetary control.

With our finance processes now transferred onto our new digital Iplicit finance system, you will lead on the ongoing success of these implemented changes.

You will be responsible for ensuring the organisation has up to date and reliable management information, as well as finance policies and processes being fit for purpose and followed throughout the charity

You will support staff and students in having the financial advice and support they need to deliver our charitable purpose.

This role sits within the Finance Team in the Students' Union, reporting to the Head of Operations. We offer a vibrant and fun working environment and flexibility to enable your work-life balance. We are open to offering this role on a part-time basis (0.8FTE) with a negotiable working pattern to suit you and us.

More than just a "job", this is an opportunity for committed and ambitious people to help shape our organisation and the lives of the students we represent. Join us and be part of our story!
About you
We are looking for an experienced accountant with fantastic interpersonal skills. You'll have a can-do attitude and ability to thrive in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment. Excellent analytical and Excel skills and attention to detail are welcomed. Within this role you'll be student-led and empathetic with the cause, mission and values of The SU.

Our ideal candidate will be:

• Part qualified (ACCA/CIMA/CIPFA) or Level 4 AAT with experience
• An experienced Finance Manager who can work on their own initiative to deliver objectives to agreed targets and a high standard
• Experienced in leading teams and growing talent

About SU
The SU is an independent charity based at the University of Bath.

We help students shape their experience at Bath University so they get the most out of their time here.

At our heart, we believe that being student-led achieves the best student experience, for the benefit of students, the University and for society at large.

Students' Unions are a place to work like no other; inclusive, progressive and community-driven, we exist to bring the best out of each other and the people we represent.

No two days are the same, and no SU is the same; with a network of over 600 UK-based Unions, there is a fantastic opportunity to develop yourself and build your career.
Further information
For any informal enquiries about the role please contact Ryan Bird, Chief Executive at [email protected] or Fiona Slaven, Strategic Finance Lead at [email protected]
Application information
Please ensure that your application is submitted via the University website and includes a copy of your CV, along with a supporting statement of no more than 800 words detailing your suitability for the role.
Selection process
If you are longlisted, you will be contacted by a member of the HR team to complete a short pre-screening evaluation.

If you are shortlisted following the pre-screening stage, you will be contacted by the Finance Lead to complete an online finance skills assessment on Wednesday 23 September 2026.

Candidates who successfully progress through the assessment will then be invited to attend the interview stages:

• First interview - Qualifying round: Monday 28 September 2026 (in person)
• Second interview - Final round: Monday 5 October 2026 (in person)

Candidates who are successful at the qualifying interview will be invited to attend the final interview.

What we can offer you:

We consider ourselves to be a university where difference is celebrated, respected and encouraged. We have an excellent international reputation with staff from over 60 different nations and have made a positive commitment towards gender equality and intersectionality receiving a Silver Athena SWAN award . We truly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds will lead to a better environment for our employees and students, so we encourage applications from all genders, backgrounds, and communities, particularly from under-represented groups, and value the positive impact that will have on the university. We are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for our students, staff, and community by reinforcing our Safer Recruitment commitment.

We are very proud to be an autism friendly university and are an accredited Disability Confident Leader ; committed to building disability confidence and supporting disabled staff .

• Free counselling services through Health Assured
• Cycle to work scheme
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• Staff discount at Team Bath gym
• Staff discounts on postgraduate tuition fees
• Staff discount on language courses
• Generous employer contributory pension schemes
• Generous annual leave allowance with an additional 5 discretionary days so that you can enjoy a positive work life balance
• A wide range of personal and professional development opportunities including Apprenticeships, LinkedIn Learning and more
• Free entry to the Holburne Museum in Bath
• Local discounts and more
• A family-friendly workplace
• An excellent reward package that recognises the talents of our diverse workforce
• Relocation allowance
• Visa reimbursement and Interest-Free Loan to help with the cost of some immigration expenses

We are committed to continually expanding our benefits to better support you and enhance your experience with us. Find out more about our benefits .

Find out from our staff what makes the University of Bath a great place to work. Follow us @UniofBath and @UniofBathJobs on X for more information.

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Further details:

• Job Description & Person Specification
• Background Information

Terms and Conditions of Employment

Right to Work in the UK: We do not assess immigration or right to work status until offer stage. Being invited to interview does not guarantee you are eligible for visa sponsorship and all offers are conditional on meeting right to work requirements. Further information is available on our application support webpage.

Anonymous shortlisting: We are constantly seeking to reduce the unconscious bias that enters any assessment process, with the goal of creating an inclusive and equal assessment process. To support this, personal details such as your name, may be removed from application forms at the initial shortlisting stage.