Garvald Edinburgh
Head of Finance and Resources
Salary: £50,000-£55,000
Location: Phoenix Centre, Edinburgh, EH11 1SF (Hybrid)
Contract: Full Time and Permanent (40 hours per week)
Garvald Edinburgh is a long-established Scottish charity supporting adults with intellectualdisabilities through creative day opportunities, workshops, community participation, and public-facing social enterprise activities. Rooted in the principles of social therapy inspired by Rudolf Steiner, Garvald places creativity, respect, rhythm, individuality, and community at the centre of personal development.
The organisation exists to offer adults with intellectual disabilities meaningful opportunities to develop skills, confidence, and a sense of belonging, achieved through purposeful creative work, strong community integration, and innovative social enterprise.
Operating across multiple sites in Edinburgh, Garvald employs approximately 180 staff and has an annual turnover of over £4.5+ million. The organisation is entering a period of important development, guided by a multi-year strategic plan that includes organisational review, enhancing financial stability, facilities planning, digital transformation, and the continued growth of social enterprise activity. This is a pivotal moment in Garvalds history, offering the opportunity to shape the organisation’s future while strengthening its values-driven culture.
The organisation is now seeking a Head of Finance and Resources to join its Senior Management Team. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, this is a key leadership role responsible for ensuring that Garvald remains financially resilient, operationally effective, and well-positioned to support its continued growth and development.
The postholder will lead the organisation’s finance function, overseeing budgeting, forecasting, management accounts, financial controls, and year-end processes, while providing clear, timely, and insightful financial information to support decision-making at both senior management and Board level. Alongside financial leadership, the role has responsibility for key organisational resources, including system procurement, supplier and contract management, governance administration, and premises compliance support.
The Head of Finance and Resources will play a central role in supporting strong governance, attending Board meetings as a standing non-voting attendee, coordinating Board and committee processes, and ensuring clear and effective reporting on finance, risk, and organisational performance. The role will also support trading and business activity, working closely with colleagues to strengthen financial discipline, improve reporting, and ensure robust controls across retail and social enterprise operations.
The successful candidate will be a qualified accountant with significant experience in a finance leadership role, bringing strong technical expertise alongside a practical, solutions-focused approach. You will be confident in managing financial systems and procedures, developing robust systems and controls, and supporting income negotiation and operational decision-making through high-quality analysis and insight. You will also be comfortable working across a broad operational remit, contributing to organisational effectiveness, governance, and continuous improvement.
You will be an effective communicator, able to present complex financial information clearly to non-financial colleagues and trustees, and to build strong working relationships across the organisation and with external partners. Experience of supporting organisational growth, improving systems and processes, and strengthening financial sustainability will be highly valued.
Above all, the Head of Finance and Resources will be someone who combines professional rigour with integrity, sound judgement, and a values-led approach. You will be motivated by the opportunity to contribute to a purpose-driven organisation and to play a key role in enabling Garvald Edinburgh to continue delivering meaningful and creative opportunities for adults with learning disabilities.
How to Apply:
Please email us at recruitment@brucetaitassociates.com to request an information pack and job description. You are advised to get in touch well in advance of the closing date to give us time to consider your application and pre-interview the strongest applicants.
Closing Date: Midnight, Wednesday 15th April
Interview Date: W/C Monday 20th April
This search is being conducted exclusively for Garvald Edinburgh by BTA (Bruce Tait Associates). Our leadership team have all worked extensively in and with the voluntary sector and academia and we use this experience to match organisations and individuals to create great appointments.