Head of Reporting & Compliance in Guelph

InnovationRCA is the Royal College of Art's centre for entrepreneurship and commercialisation, supporting ambitious founders, transformative technologies and innovative ventures to create real-world impact. We are seeking an experienced finance and compliance professional to join our senior leadership team as Head of Reporting and Compliance. This is a varied and influential role with responsibility for financial reporting, compliance, budgeting and portfolio oversight across InnovationRCA, its associated subsidiaries and the RCA Design & Innovation S/EIS Investment Fund. Working closely with the Director of InnovationRCA, colleagues across the College and external partners, you will help ensure the effective governance, financial stewardship and continued success of our innovation activities.

Key responsibilities include:

• Compliance: Act as the first point of contact for all subsidiary and RCA Design & Innovation S/EIS Fund compliance matters, recommending escalation to external experts and our FCA Authorised Representative provider where appropriate. Undertake Company Secretarial responsibilities for three subsidiaries, providing recommendations to the Director of InnovationRCA and the RCA Chief Financial Officer regarding statutory monitoring, annual filings and governance requirements.
• Accounts and Budget Management: Lead the day-to-day financial control of InnovationRCA, providing budget approvals in line with agreed plans and programme budgets. Act as the lead for finance matters, supporting the Director of InnovationRCA with budget preparation, financial forecasting, variance analysis and identifying areas of financial risk. Monitor InnovationRCA and RCA Design & Innovation S/EIS Fund company portfolios, analysing performance against key performance indicators. Provide expert guidance, support and compliance training to founders and new Incubator colleagues, including Directors' responsibilities and reporting obligations.
• Reporting: Lead the preparation of high-quality reports and documentation for internal senior management and external organisations, including Research England and the Financial Conduct Authority.

We are looking for a qualified accountant with substantial experience in financial management, reporting and compliance. You will possess excellent analytical skills, experience of financial modelling, strong commercial awareness and the ability to communicate complex financial and regulatory matters clearly to a wide range of audiences. Experience of working with investment funds, start‑ups or within the higher education sector would be advantageous. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in supporting InnovationRCA's growing portfolio of ventures and investment activities while contributing to one of the world's leading postgraduate universities for art and design.

Closing for applications at 11.59pm on 1st November 2026.

The Royal College of Art (RCA) aims to foster an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its staff and students and stakeholders are respected. We recognise the broad range of experiences that a diverse staff and student body brings and how this strengthens our research and enhances our teaching. In order for RCA to remain a world‑leading institution we are committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles throughout all of our processes, from application through to appointment.