Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a remarkable charity with a simple but life-changing mission: training dogs to alert deaf people to sounds they would otherwise miss. From a knock at the door to a smoke alarm, these dogs give their partners back something truly precious, a sense of safety and connection with the world around them.

With over 1,100 active hearing dog partnerships across the UK, and thousands more people supported through personalised services including a helpdesk and community support groups, the organisation makes a profound difference every single day.

The challenge: a senior interim role, needed fast

When Hearing Dogs for Deaf People needed an Interim Director of Finance, IT and Estates, they needed someone who could hit the ground running. This was not a role for a safe pair of hands quietly keeping the lights on. The incoming interim would join the Executive Leadership Team and carry serious responsibility from day one.

The scope was considerable. Leading the charity's financial, IT and estates operations, ensuring regulatory and statutory compliance, spearheading a five-year rolling investment plan, overseeing the statutory audit and budget process, co-chairing the Audit, Risk and Finance Committee, and fulfilling the role of Company Secretary. All of this while providing genuinely supportive leadership to the teams in their care.

The ideal candidate needed to be a Certified Public Accountant or Chartered Accountant, with demonstrable senior-level experience across financial and IT management, including budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling and long-term planning. Experience leading a charity audit was essential, as was the ability to operate as a credible, collaborative member of a senior leadership team.

Finding the right person for a role this complex, at pace, requires more than a good database. It requires genuine understanding of what the organisation needs, and the instinct to recognise the right fit when you see it.

A ten-day turnaround

Speed mattered here, but so did quality. Charisma ran a fast-paced campaign with a ten-day turnaround, putting forward four high-calibre candidates. Three were invited to interview with the CEO and Chair of the Finance Committee.

The process was thorough and deliberate. Charisma was not simply matching a job description to a CV. The search focused on finding someone with a growth mindset, genuine empathy, and the emotional intelligence to lead effectively in a values-driven charity environment. Leadership in the charity sector carries a particular weight, and the right candidate needed to understand that from the outset.

Following interviews, a proven leader with exactly those qualities was secured.

From interim to permanent

Perhaps the best indication of how well the placement worked is what happened next. Due to the success of the interim engagement, the organisation offered the candidate a permanent role.

That outcome says everything. It reflects the quality of the match, the capability of the individual, and the care taken throughout the process to find someone who was not just technically qualified but genuinely right for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

Why this matters to us

At Charisma, we work exclusively in the charity and not-for-profit sector. That focus is not incidental; it shapes everything about how we approach a brief. We understand the culture, the values, and the nuance involved in finding leaders who can operate with both commercial rigour and genuine heart.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People exists to reconnect people with the world around them. The person leading their finance, IT and estates function needed to be someone who understood the weight of that mission, not just the spreadsheets behind it.

We are proud to have played a part in that, and proud of what the successful candidate has gone on to achieve.

Work with Charisma

Whether you need an interim leader at short notice or are planning a permanent senior appointment, we would love to help. We work with charities and not-for-profits of all shapes and sizes, and we bring the same level of care and commitment to every search.

Get in touch with our team to discuss your next appointment