Head of Finance

The Architectural Association (AA) School of Architecture seeks an exceptional individual as its next Head of Finance. The Head of Finance will play a critical role in maintaining the School’s financial health and in enabling its future strategy and success.

The AA is an independent architectural school and an international cultural institution that serves as a forum for ideas. The Architectural Association (AA) was established as a student-centred collective in 1847. It aimed to challenge the established ways in which architecture was taught, argued and theorised at the time, and urged its members to reconsider the commonplace social and cultural responsibilities of the profession at large – aspirations that remain at the heart of the school today. Renowned for its boundary-defying approach to architectural education, today, the School is comprised of over 800 students, 250 faculty, 120 administrative staff, over 9000 members. It has a turnover of roughly £25 million per annum. The AA is a forward-looking, international and collegiate community.

The priorities for the next Head of Finance are varied. Working closely with the School Director, the Head of Finance will adopt a strategic and long-term approach to financial planning. This approach will enable the AA to remain agile and to strengthen its endowment. They must build relationships across the AA’s community and spend time understanding the unique culture of the Association. They will work across the School to make financial information understandable and support budget holders. The Head of Finance will be a member of the School’s Senior Management Team and will report to the School Director. They have leadership responsibility for all the School’s financial services.

Ideal candidates will bring both excellent financial acumen and strong interpersonal skills. They will be flexible in their approach, and adept at navigating complex and collegiate environments. Strong candidates will have excellent communication skills and be capable of conveying complex financial information to different stakeholders. They will be an experienced team leader, committed to developing and empowering members of their team. This person must be a CCAB qualified accountant.

To apply, please send a full CV and a covering letter outlining how you meet the job description and person specification to aafinance@minervasearch.com by 12:00 noon on 14^th September 2026.

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