Director of Finance and Operations Switchback

JOIN OU R TEAM!

£64,633 - £71,814 depending on experience | Permanent | Full time (35 hours per week) | London/hybrid | Great benefits

Deadline: Thursday, 6th August 2026

How to apply

To apply, please email the following to jobs@switchback.org.uk with the subject: Director of Finance & Operations

1. Your CV

2. A Personal Statement

3. A completed equalities form available here (this is optional but will help support our equalities monitoring and will be treated anonymously and separate from your application).

Deadline

Thursday, ${ \pmb 6 } ^ { \mathrm { t h } }$ August 2026

Interviews

Monday, $1 7 ^ { \mathrm { t h } }$ August 2026 (first round)

There will also be a second-round interview currently planned for the 25th August 2026 – details will be confirmed with shortlisted candidates.

We are holding an optional online Q&A from 6.30-7.30pm on Tuesday, 28th July 2026. If you’d like to join and hear more about us and the role, please register by emailing jobs@switchback.org.uk (and you will be sent the link to join).

Feedback

As a small team we regret, we are unable to provide feedback to candidates that are not selected for the interview stage.

WHY JOIN SWITCHBACK?

Switchback is an award-winning small charity supporting young Londoners to find their way out of the justice system and build stable, rewarding lives.

Switchback’s pioneering model is centred on a meaningful relationship between a Switchback Mentor and Switchback Trainee, beginning in prison and lasting as long as it takes after release.

This unique level of support is new territory for most Trainees: a frank, non-judgemental relationship with someone who’s there for them on a daily basis, helping to navigate the turbulent transition from prison to community.

Switchback’s intensive approach works. In stark contrast to the national average – which sees around half of those leaving prison every year back inside within 12 months – just 10% of Switchback Trainees reoffend. In fact, over 50% go into long-term employment, while 65% reach Switchback’s unique benchmark of Real, Lasting Change.

In the first half of 2026, 63 trainees joined our Real Lasting Change programme, and 345 men received pre-release support. We have grown our reach every year and aim to continue that steady growth throughout the period of our next strategic plan.

Building on 18 years of impact, Switchback also works with others to inspire change across the justice system and beyond. In recent years we’ve made great strides shifting policy and perceptions, including through our groundbreaking podcast Time & Again, and the successes of Switchback’s Reshape Release campaign, including the first rise in the prisoner discharge grant for 25 years. We are now also building evidence for systemic change through our Participatory Action Research programme, including working with a range of partners around the UK.

You’d be joining Switchback’s friendly team near to Spitalfields Market in the heart of East London. We offer flexible working, excellent benefits and training, and we have fun too.

Above all, we’re a values-led organisation; make sure they resonate with you

This is an exciting time for Switchback as we’re aiming to reach even more young Londoners while doing more to tackle social and racial injustice in the UK. Join us!

ABOUT THIS ROLE

Are you looking for an exciting new challenge with the chance to make a real social impact?

Switchback is an award-winning charity supporting young men to live life differently after prison. As we launch our next strategic plan to grow our impact even further, we are looking for a new Director of Finance and Operations who can bring both strategic thinking and hands-on operational expertise to help us turn our ambitions into reality.

The Director of Finance and Operations is a key role in the leadership team of a dynamic charity making a real difference in young people’s lives. Managing a small team, you’ll have responsibility for a range of essential business functions central to Switchback’s success as a charity: financial and business planning, HR processes, infrastructure (including IT), governance, risk management and compliance.

You’ll also support our business development and strategic partnership-building, helping us tap into exciting new areas of income and impact, including our plans to share our learning through training and consultancy.

Crucially, you’ll oversee and develop our systems and processes in a way that protects Switchback’s agile and human working culture. This is a fantastic opportunity to play a central role helping Switchback achieve our aims of reaching more young men while inspiring change across the justice system and beyond.

The right candidate will have great strategic judgement, proven financial and business acumen, practical knowledge of operations and good governance, and a strong understanding of creating and leading high-performing teams.

You will have a collaborative approach to working with colleagues and trustees, enjoying getting stuck into the day-to-day business of running a growing charity, as well as the ability to bring in new external partnerships and contractual relationships that serve our commitment to providing real opportunities for our Trainees.

You will be driven to achieve great value for money and use smart processes to enable others to do their best work for a vital social cause.

As well as technical expertise, this role acts as a key sounding board for the CEO and Leadership Team, so you’ll also bring excellent listening skills and the confidence to act as a thinking partner across both strategic and operational issues. As a member of the Leadership Team, you’ll also model our values in the way you work, collaborate and communicate.

If you are interested in using your proven financial and operations management skills to contribute to our exciting next chapter, we’d love to hear from you. In return we can offer the opportunity to work in an organisation with a strong history of personal and strategic impact, where each day you will witness the incredible steps that our Trainees make to change their lives.

KEY DETAILS

Salary £64,633 - £71,814 per annum, depending on experience

Hours Full time (35 hours per week)

Contract Permanent

Location London (Spitalfields E1) / Hybrid - three days a week in the office and the flexibility to work from home two days a week.

Reporting to CEO

Start date As soon as available

• 35-hour working week with flexible working possible.

25 days’ holiday rising to 30 days with service, plus bank holidays, plus 3 extra days holiday in the last week of December.

• Holiday buy-back scheme after 2 years’ service (10 extra days).

Strong commitment to staff development and training.

• Generous pension scheme (5% employer contribution).

• Cycle to Work scheme

Team away days and social events.

A free-to-access Employee Assistance Programme supporting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Role Purpose:

Lead Switchback’s finance, operations, HR and governance functions, providing strategic support to the CEO, Leadership Team and Board of Trustees to ensure Switchback is financially stable and sustainable, organisationally resilient, and meets all appropriate compliance standards.

Hands-on responsibility for all Switchback’s financial management and reporting, as well as providing cover for our HR and office facilities functions when needed.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Finance

1. Lead Switchback’s financial strategy and long-term planning to support the development of the organisation, as well as holding overall responsibility for finance processes and controls.

2. Lead financial forecasting of annual and longer-term budgets, cash-flow forecasting and treasury management.

3. Provide clear, insightful reporting and advice to the CEO, Leadership Team and Board. This includes management accounts, cashflow reports, budget reports, and quarterly budget reforecasting.

4. Manage the annual audit process and preparation of the annual accounts.

5. Overall responsibility for day-to-day accounting for the organisation, managing the Senior Finance Officer and any external service providers

6. Management of the company bank accounts and investment platform, currently Flagstone, ensuring investments are in line with our Investment Policy

7. Develop financial costings and projections for funding bids, working in partnership with the fundraising team and others, aiming at full cost recovery models

8. Develop costed financial and business models for new initiatives aimed at generating income

Ensure Switchback adheres to all finance regulations including changes to SORP

Governance and Risk Management and Legal Compliance

1. Ensure the organisation has good governance structures, systems and processes in place, including timely reporting to the Board and sub-committees.

2. Manage Board meeting cycles ensuring they are aligned to financial and business planning requirements.

3. Lead organisational risk management: holding the risk register and ensure monitoring by Leadership Team and Board.

4. Act as Company Secretary, ensuring the charity complies with legal, regulatory, statutory and financial reporting requirements and is suitably insured

5. Lead responsibility for development of organisational policies and standards (e.g. Safeguarding,

dissemination and communication, and compliance.

6. Lead responsibility for overseeing business continuity and organisational resilience, working with the Leadership Team and Bard to ensure appropriate plans are in place.

7. Act as the named officer for Health & Safety and Data Protection

Business development

1. Contribute to the overall strategic development of the organisation as part of the Leadership Team, leading on cross-cutting organisational development projects as delegated.

2. Lead responsibility for all contracts and service level agreements including negotiation, reviewing of terms, drafting of terms and ensuring robust costing of new business activities.

Infrastructure and HR

1. Lead on the development of ICT strategy and resources, working in partnership with colleagues on systems development and management (e.g. Tailored databases, IT architecture, online platforms). 2. Hold relationship with external IT Support provider.

2. Lead responsibility for our office space and facilities, working with the Community Officer to ensure they are fit for purpose for staff, Trainees and visitors.

3. Hold our relationships with key suppliers including landlord, office management company, IT Support service, and phone and internet providers.

4. Line manage the HR Manager and provide oversight on HR-related development, including policies, people management processes, performance management, compensation and benefits, learning and development.

5. Lead responsibility for promotion and development of diversity and inclusion practices across recruitment and HR

6. Lead, manage and develop a small team of staff ensuring engagement, growth and performance management

7. As a member of the Leadership Team, model our values and actively contribute to our culture that balances high expectations (ambitious) with the understanding that life throws curve balls (authentic).

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Are you full of potential but not sure you fit all the criteria? Apply anyway and we could help you get there! As a growing, dynamic charity we’re used to training and supporting brilliant people to learn and develop in their role. If you think you could fly in this position, get in touch.

Essential

• Experience of financial management, leadership and stewardship, including business planning.

• Experience of commercial delivery, contracting and/or funding bids

• Knowledge of good governance including relevant legislation and regulatory frameworks (e.g. financial, charity law, SORP, GDPR, health and safety, safeguarding)

• Experience of risk management and compliance

• Experience of development and implementation of new systems and processes; a good understanding of IT systems and software; an ability to identify and drive areas for improve

• Excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills, in particular the ability to engage with people from a range of backgrounds, with a collaborative and supportive working style

• Ability to communicate complex financial, legal and regulatory matters in accessible language to non-specialists

• Experience of leading a finance team in a similar-sized charity or a relevant finance qualification

Personal attributes

• Strong analytical skills, sound judgement and attention to detail

• Strategic thinker, with the ability to see the bigger picture, as well as the detail.

• Passionate about Switchback’s ambition and purpose

• Collaborative approach to leadership, able to act as a thinking partner for the CEO and Leadership Team

• Understand and respect the need for the best interests of our Trainees to always come first

• Driven to achieve great value for money whilst maximising social impact

• Committed to balancing the need for robust policies and processes with the need to be responsive to changing external circumstances affecting our work.

DIVERSITY AND ACCESSIBILITY

Diversity

Switchback is committed to diversity in all that it does and aims to build a team representative of modern London, celebrating the differences that people bring with them as a vital resource. We welcome applications from the widest possible talent pool. We particularly welcome applications from candidates with lived experience of the justice system (personal or by association). We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. Selection for appointment will be based solely on merit. Our diversity and inclusion policy is available here.

Accessibility

Please let us know if you have any special requirements which we might need to consider in relation to the selection process (e.g. attending interviews.) Any requests will not affect your application.

“People only do what they know, and that depends where you grow up. To me, I knew how to sell drugs. In my community it’s just normal to do crime. Switchback taught me and pushed me so much. I’ve learned to forget about crime. I’ve been shown a different route."

Jordan, Market Manager and former Switchback Trainee

OUR VALUES

Switchback’s values cut through everything we do, from our work with Trainees to our fundraising and partnerships.

1. Human

Keeping Trainees at the heart of everything we do.

We build trust, confidence, independence and stability in all areas of a Trainee’s life. In all decisions we use the lens: “does this help us improve the prospects of young men leaving prison?”

2. Authentic

Rolling with the ups and downs of real life.

We prize integrity and honesty. We don’t sell a dream: we are realistic about what it means to genuinely start over, and the huge courage needed to change. We recognise that change is not linear and we provide a space to learn from mistakes.

3. Committed

Taking the long way around.

Our commitment to Trainees is consistent and continuous, lasting for as long as it takes. We reject quick fixes, shortcuts and tick boxes. We do what we say we are going to do and coach our Trainees to do the same.

4. Ambitious

Having high expectations.

We assume strengths, resources and abilities in Trainees. We don’t do things for people: we challenge and encourage our Trainees to take control. We are distinctive in our high expectations of Trainees, our own conduct, the quality of our partnerships and the impact of our work.

5. Pioneering

Pushing into our stretch zone.

We challenge Trainees to move outside their comfort zone, and we encourage adventure to learn and grow. As a charity we strive to do the same, constantly seeking to reflect and improve. We pioneer an alternative approach and share our evidence with others to inspire wider change.