Associate Director of Finance (D19/25.NO)

University of the Highlands and Islands; Oban; On-site; GBP 64,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in Scotland is seeking an Associate Director of Finance. This pivotal role involves strategic financial leadership, oversight of governance and compliance, and managing a financial team. The successful candidate will act as a liaison to the Board and ensure the financial health of the organization. Offering a salary of £64,914.00 to £68,857.00, this position also includes various employee benefits and an inclusive culture, making it a great place to work.

Benefits

Flexible & hybrid working options

Training & development courses

Sabbatical scheme

Cycle 2 Work scheme

Shopping discounts

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a similar senior finance role.
• Ability to manage a finance team effectively.
• Strong understanding of financial regulations and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic financial planning and reporting.
• Act as financial advisor to the Board.
• Oversee all accounting operations and statutory reporting.
• Collaborate to pursue grant applications.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Governance and board reporting

Financial control and compliance

Risk management

Team development

Effective communication

Education

Relevant professional qualification in finance

Job description

Associate Director of Finance (D19/25.NO)

Location: SAMS, Oban

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full Time – 37 hours per week

Salary: £64,914.00 - £68,857.00 per annum (starting salary will depend on experience)

Closing Date: 16 th January 2026

The Role

As Associate Finance Director, you will be a key member of the senior leadership team responsible for the financial health of the SAMS group and aligning financial planning with our long-term strategic goals. A core component of this role is acting as a financial liaison to the Board, ensuring transparency and rigorous oversight through formal governance structures. This role requires a unique blend of core financial discipline and a pragmatic approach to navigating the specific financial challenges inherent in the charitable sector.

Managing a finance team of around 10, you will oversee excellent service delivery, manage quality and provide guidance in the form of coaching and mentoring to the Finance Team, comprising both finance support and contract management activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: As a core member of the senior management team (Executive Group), you will have lead responsibility for operational management and reporting of finance matters. You will develop and execute the multi-year financial strategy to support the SAMS group growth plan.
• Governance & Board Reporting: Act as the lead financial advisor to the Audit, Risk, and Remuneration Committees. You will prepare and present comprehensive board packs, ensuring all Trustees have a clear understanding of the company's financial position, risk appetite, and regulatory compliance.
• Financial Control & Compliance: Oversee all accounting operations and statutory reporting. You will ensure the business adheres to all legal and tax requirements while managing the internal audit process.
• Research Funding Support: Collaborate closely with our researchers to identify, evaluate, and pursue grant applications and funding opportunities.
• Risk Management: Identify, mitigate, and report on financial risks. You will lead the development of robust internal controls to safeguard company assets.
• Team Development: Mentor and develop the finance & contract teams, fostering a culture of collaboration with the rest of the SAMS Group.

Our Ideal Candidate

• We are looking for more than just a numbers expert: we are seeking a strategic business partner with a proactive and influential personality.
• You thrive in dynamic environments where strict governance meets resource constraints.
• You navigate the balance of maintaining core financial discipline and encouraging creative collaboration across diverse teams with empathy and skill.
• You are acutely aware of the unique financial challenges of the research sector—managing restricted funding, maximising impact with limited resources, and maintaining exceptional transparency to our funders and trustees.
• You possess the resilience to deliver high performance within these constraints.
• Crucially, you are a hands‑on leader who leads by example, ensuring that effective financial management is not a back‑office function, but a central driver of our mission success.

Employee Benefits

Our relatively small, caring community is an ideal environment for making friends, forming collaborations, and supporting each other to do the work that we really care about. Oban and surrounding areas provide a fantastic base to live and work, and we offer a wide range of employee benefits, support and inclusive culture, making SAMS a great place to work.

Our employees are the heart of our business. Recruiting and retaining the right people is the key to our success. Rewarding our employees is therefore an important component of our employment package and we have a wide range of benefits on offer to staff to support your work and lifestyle.

We are proud to provide a wide variety of benefits year‑round, offering options to best support our staff, such as: flexible & hybrid working options, purchase of additional annual leave, shopping discounts, Cycle 2 Work scheme, purchases of technology through salary sacrifice, Payroll Giving, Pensions Plus, access to portals to support health and wellbeing, a sabbatical scheme, free car parking with access to electronic charging points as well as access to a number of training & development courses.

Additionally, SAMS encourages and recognises excellence among staff through various recognition and reward arrangements. We are striving to constantly develop and expand the benefits and offers for our colleagues.

Interested?

We would love to hear from you. If you have queries on the job and would like to talk these through before applying, please email [e-mail].

Applications must include CV and Cover Letter and should be sent electronically to [e-mail] quoting Job Ref. ‘D19/25.NO’ in the subject heading.

The closing date for applications is 16 th January 2026 - Interviews to be held mid‑end January 2026.

Please note, we are unfortunately unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position. Candidates must therefore already have the rights to work in the UK when applying.

We are a Disability Confident Employer. Where a candidate requires reasonable adjustments as part of the application process, we encourage you to let us know. Where applicants with a disability meet the essential criteria for the job, you will be given the opportunity to demonstrate your skills, talent and abilities at interview.

SAMS’ commitment to gender equality has been recognised, as our institute was presented with an Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network) Bronze Award and is currently working towards Investors in Diversity accreditation.

SAMS Group is committed to being an equal and open organisation. Diversity and inclusion are important to us, and we strive to remove any barriers that may prevent people from applying to join us. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, and from all who share our values and can help us to broaden our knowledge and range of ideas.