Description Salary: £39,513 - £42,708 per annum (NJC M2 SCPs 30 to 33) Contract type: Permanent Working pattern: Full time or as agreed (flexible hours available) Closing date: 10 January 2026 Interview date: TBC How to apply: Please provide your completed Application Form and EQ Form to Conservators@ashdownforest.org Please download the full Job Advert and the Job Description for more information. Please download the Application Form and the EQ Form for completion. Would you like to be part of the team that is responsible for one of southern England's most important wildlife sites? Ashdown Forest has an exciting opportunity to appoint a Finance Manager to oversee financial management for the Conservators of Ashdown Forest. The Ashdown Forest has a strategic vision to protect, conserve, and enhance the nature and culture of Ashdown Forest, the largest biodiverse heathland and open space in Sussex, for the enjoyment, education, health, and recreation of all. As part of our strategic vision, we aim to provide outstanding land management, restore biodiversity on the Forest, deliver an exceptional visitor experience, and actively engage volunteers and stakeholders seven days a week. The team is dedicated to ensuring safe access and high-quality public engagement within the Forest. This is an important role, with responsibility for providing strong financial management, budgeting, reporting, forecasting, and control for the Conservators of Ashdown Forest. The Finance Manager's role is to provide professional guidance and support to the CEO, Board of Conservators, and budget holders while managing the Conservators' daily finances. The postholder will also have a key role in assisting the CEO to ensure the organisation's long-term financial security, including supporting with cost analysis and developing and modernising our financial systems. Responsibilities include conducting cost analyses, developing financial systems, facilitating additional funding opportunities, and ensuring the successful completion of projects, claims, and activities. The Finance Manager is supported by a part-time Finance Office Support Administrator. The Finance Team also manage the day-to-day finances of The Ashdown Forest Foundation, an independent charity that supports the Conservators of Ashdown Forest. About the Forest: The Ashdown Forest is one of the largest public access spaces in the South East. It has been owned since 1988 by a charitable trust overseen by East Sussex County Council and is managed by the Board of Conservators of Ashdown Forest. Day to day management of Ashdown Forest is overseen by a small team of staff based at the Ashdown Forest Centre. The Board of Conservators, created in 1885, has been regulated under a series of Acts of Parliament, the most recent being the Ashdown Forest Act 1974. The Ashdown Forest has a strategic vision to protect, conserve, and enhance the nature and culture of Ashdown Forest, the largest biodiverse heathland and open space in Sussex, for the enjoyment, education, health, and recreation of all. Work for us | The Conservators of Ashdown Forest The Conservators of Ashdown Forest, The Ashdown Forest Centre, Wych Cross, Forest Row, East Sussex, RH18 5JP www.ashdownforest.org