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Responsible for: Leading on the charity’s management accounting and financial reporting
Hours: Part time, 3 days per week
Reports to: Business & Finance Manager
Role overview
City of Trees is looking for an experienced charity accountant to strengthen our internal finance function and provide high-quality financial insight to our senior management team and board of trustees.
City of Trees Trust is a fast-growing environmental charity working to plant trees, restore woodland, and create greener, healthier communities. Now in its third year, with a turnover exceeding £4 million, the organisation is entering an exciting new phase of expansion. Our work is funded through a diverse mix of grants, corporate donations, and contracted delivery projects.
This newly created role will lead on the charity’s management accounting and financial reporting; including preparing monthly management accounts, providing restricted fund analysis, budgeting and monitoring, support strategic decision-making, and ensure strong financial control.
About City of Trees
We are City of Trees, the Community Forest for Greater Manchester and registered charity. We plant trees, we look after trees, we promote a culture of trees. We plant trees for people; to create better, greener places; to boost health and wellbeing; to enhance green skills; and to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergency. We’re rooted here in Greater Manchester, the place we live and work. We are proud to call Greater Manchester home and are passionate about making our region even better, one tree at a time.
Benefits
- Flexi-time
- 25 days paid holiday plus 8 bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time employees)
- Training and development opportunities
- Employer match up to 8% contribution pension scheme after 3-months service
- Cycle to work scheme
- Comprehensive health & wellbeing package
Key duties and responsibilities:
Management Accounting & Reporting
- Produce timely, accurate monthly management accounts using QuickBooks.
- Prepare detailed restricted and unrestricted fund analysis.
- Provide variance analysis and commentary to the Management Team and Trustees.
- Prepare and present quarterly finance reports for the Board of Trustees and relevant sub-committees.
Budgeting, Forecasting & Cashflow
- Work with the Senior Management Team and Business & Finance Manager on the annual budgeting cycle across departments.
- Prepare updated forecasts throughout the year.
- Maintain monthly cashflow forecasts and advise on cash requirements.
- Support budget managers in understanding project budgets and financial performance.
Financial Controls & Compliance
- Support the Business & Finance Team with day-to-day financial processing.
- Work with the Business & Finance Team to review and develop financial policies, procedures, and internal controls (existing framework in place).
- Ensure accounting records comply with charity-specific requirements (SORP, fund accounting, restricted funds, VAT).
- Support the preparation of year-end accounts and audit information for the external accountant and auditor.
Operational Finance
- Lead on reconciliation of balance sheet accounts, including grant and project balances.
- Monitor grant expenditure against funding agreements and ensure accurate allocation to restricted funds.
- Liaise with operational teams on project financials and contract delivery.
- Support Business & Finance Team with monthly payroll process.
Year-End & External Reporting
- Prepare year-end working papers and accounts for submission to the external accountant and auditor.
- Assist with queries from auditors and funders.
- Support preparation of financial information for grant applications and reports.
General
- To support the senior management team and build strong relationships with managers and wider members of the team.
- Monitor and implement general statutory requirements e.g. risk assessments, Health & Safety, data protection and GDPR.
- Perform any other duties, as required, in line with expectation within organisational framework.
Person Specification
Essential
- Strong experience working in a charity finance environment, including restricted fund accounting
- Part or fully CIMA, ACA or ACCA qualified
- Using Quickbooks or other financial management software and standard MS Office applications
- Strong management accounting skills with the ability to explain financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues
- Experience preparing and presenting budgets, forecasts, and cashflow models
- Understanding of charity compliance, SORP, VAT and grant funding
- Ability to process and analyse information with detail and care
- Preparing audit support schedules and liaising with external accountants and auditors.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Professional, proactive and approachable.
- Ability to work independently, as well as part of a team
- Highly organised
- Commitment to work with integrity and discretion when dealing with confidential information
- Willing to manage a diverse and busy workload
- A positive, proactive, flexible attitude
Desirable
- Developing and implementing finance process improvements
Additional information
How to apply: Should you be interested in this role, please submit a full CV and covering letter detailing your relevant skills and experience.
The closing date for this advertisement is 3rd February 2026 with interviews expected to be held on at our Trafford Park office on 10th February 2026
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applicants from all sections of the community.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Organisation
Medium to large sized charity that offers staff the opportunity to work mostly from home with just one day per month required in the office.
The Job
We are seeking a Tax Accountant to lead on UK corporate tax and VAT compliance. This is a part-time role (21 hours per week) that is majority home-based, with occasional visits to the organisation's office in London.
You will:
- Prepare and submit quarterly VAT returns (including partial exemption calculations) and annual Corporation Tax returns.
- Monitor HMRC guidance and ensure compliance across the organisation.
- Provide expert technical advice on complex charity tax matters to senior leaders.
- Liaise with external VAT advisors and internal teams on compliance for income streams such as fundraising, royalties, and trading activities.
- Deliver VAT and tax awareness training to finance staff and wider teams.
- Review and improve tax processes and systems for greater efficiency.
The Person
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or equivalent) or Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA).
- Strong experience preparing and submitting VAT and Corporation Tax returns.
- Excellent knowledge of HMRC guidance and its application to business processes.
- Advanced Excel skills and ability to communicate effectively at all levels.
- Dynamic, detail-oriented, and process-driven with strong problem-solving skills.
Desirable:
- Experience providing tax advice in the charity sector.
- Familiarity with accounting and tax packages.
- Knowledge of reverse-charge VAT and multiple accounting systems.
What's in it for you?
- Salary: up to £55,000 FTE (pro rata for 21 hours per week).
- Generous non-contributory pension scheme (10% employer contribution).
- 25 days annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays and additional Christmas leave.
- Majority home-based working, with occasional office visits.
- Opportunity to combine professional expertise with a role that aligns with your values and makes a real impact.
What to do now
If you're a qualified tax professional looking for a role where your skills make a real difference, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today or contact me for a confidential discussion.
Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Our partner is seeking an experienced fund accounting consultant to deliver a short, fixed-scope diagnostic review following a recent finance system migration. The focus of this contract is to identify and triage discrepancies in fund balances ahead of an upcoming statutory audit.
This is a standalone Phase 1 engagement, with a clear written diagnostic as the primary output. Any follow-on support would be subject to findings and separately agreed.
Responsibilities
- Carry out a focused diagnostic review of fund balances following a finance system migration.
- Analyse discrepancies between legacy system balances, current system balances, and supporting fund schedules.
- Review available historical fund documentation and reporting to assess consistency and data integrity.
- Assess the treatment of opening balances and brought-forward positions at fund level.
- Identify whether issues are primarily data-driven, configuration-related, or reporting logic-related.
- Evaluate audit and governance risks and the proportionality of potential remediation options.
- Recommend a defensible historical cut-off for fund balances.
- Produce a concise written diagnostic note outlining findings, risks, assumptions, and recommended next steps.
Requirements
- Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent).
- Strong experience in charity or NGO fund accounting, including restricted and designated funds.
- Practical experience of finance system migrations and post-migration troubleshooting.
- Working knowledge of NetSuite, particularly fund or donor dimensions and reporting.
- Strong analytical skills and confidence working with complex or imperfect data.
- Clear written communicator, able to summarise complex issues succinctly.
- Comfortable working independently on a short, fixed-scope contract
Working Arrangements
- Short-term contract of approximately 5 days.
- Expected start January 2026.
- Fully remote, UK-based.
- Fixed scope Phase 1 engagement with a defined written deliverable.
- Right to work in the UK required.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Qualified Year End Accountant to join a large charity on a temporary basis, supporting the Finance team with the production of statutory accounts and the Annual Report. This role will involve working closely with senior finance colleagues and auditors to ensure a smooth and accurate year-end process.
Key Responsibilities:
- Produce statutory accounts across two finance systems and liaise with external auditors
- Post year-end adjustments for expenses and income
- Provide supporting schedules, documentation, and explanations
- Collaborate with financial accounts team and statutory accounts from draft to final signed accounts
- Review draft accounts, including cash flow statements, control account reconciliations, and supporting working papers
- Prepare accounting adjustments as requested by auditors
- Assist the Finance Team with financial data cleansing in line with data retention policies
- Undertake other duties as reasonably required to support the finance function
Ideal Candidate Profile:
- Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or CIPFA)
- 3–5 years post-qualification experience in senior financial roles, preferably in the charity or housing sector
- Proven experience preparing statutory accounts and managing audit processes for large organisations
- Strong knowledge of FRS102 and Charity SORP
- Excellent ability to communicate complex financial information to non-financial audiences
- High proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and other standard office tools
- Professional, collaborative, and methodical approach, with a commitment to continuous development
Location: Central London
Salary: £60,000 - £65,000 per annum
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Contract: 6 months initial contract
This vacancy is being actively shortlisted, so early applications are encouraged. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds.


