Assistive technology strategy and development officer jobs

Job Title: Project Manager – Investment

Department: Investment

Grade: Manager - Core

Employment Type: Full-time

Salary: £48,000 - £53,000

Contract: Permanent

Location: Hybrid - London, EC1Y and homeworking 

About Better Society Capital (BSC):

Better Society Capital (BSC) is the UK's leading social impact-led investor. Our mission is to grow the amount of money invested in tackling social issues and inequalities in the UK; we do this by investing ourselves and enabling others to invest for impact too.  Since 2011, we have helped the social impact investment market grow twelve-fold to over £10 billion. This capital has financed social purpose organisations tackling everything from homelessness to mental health and fuel poverty. BSC manages £634m of its own investments as well as acting as portfolio manager for the Schroder BSC Social Impact Investment Trust (SBSI) managing its £83m portfolio. BSC is about to implement its next five-year strategy in 2026, which will offer new opportunities.

The opportunity:

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual with proven project management experience who is keen to develop their experience in the social investment sector as part of a mission-driven Investment Group.

The role is key in supporting the delivery of our investment activity, including the project management of our annual investment performance cycle, investment governance and enabling the effective delivering of our investments from start to finish with our property, venture and lending teams.

This is a varied role that requires a logical and thoughtful approach to ensure the management of multiple work streams with rigour, purpose and pace in a professional manner. We celebrate innovation and this role would suit someone who is client-centric and excited by making systems work well, proactively suggesting recommendations for adaption and improvement. 

We are deeply committed to learning and development, offering a unique environment to accelerate your growth through on-the-job experience, tailored in-house and external training, and observing our investment committee. This role may be suitable for someone who wants to move into and learn about social impact investing in a supportive organisation.

What you will do:

Effective project management of core investment requirements throughout the end-to-end investment lifecycle, optimising the use of technology, including:

• Developing our project management systems and tools for the annual calendar of investment activities and the lifecycle of all investments that can be used by all team members. This will be developed and delivered in collaboration with stakeholders across BSC to manage the expected increased volume of portfolio tasks and checks.

• Working with the Director – Portfolio to project manage the effective updating of the pipeline with our property, lending and venture teams.

• Optimising technology, ensure key portfolio requirements are met across all investments such as checklists and follow-up actions.

• Optimising technology, ensure effective project management of amendments to portfolio investments.

• Project manage key change processes across priority areas of impact investing practice and process development.

Effective delivery of investment governance:

• Project manage the effective delivery of the Investment and Performance Committee and executive review meetings of investments including the meeting agenda, member attendance and action log.

• Supervise the Investment Project Officer to deliver Committee packs to a high quality.

• Working with Director – Portfolio, ensure we maintain an up-to-date status of key investments including the pipeline and underperformance watchlists.

• Project manage the annual investment performance cycle working with key stakeholders across BSC, including financial performance meetings in December and impact and systems change meetings in June.

• Project manage the Portfolio Progress Meetings with our fund managers with admin support from the Investment Project Officer, including finalising minutes, lessons learned and actions in a timely manner.

Provide support across the investment group as required for ad hoc projects that support the effective working of the team, working closely with senior stakeholders and other colleagues within and outside the investment group.

What you will bring:

Qualifications & Experience

Essential:

• Demonstrable commitment to improving people’s lives in the UK.

• Demonstrable experience of end-to-end project management across multiple complex projects and programmes of delivery at pace and using technology as a key enabler.

• Experience of supporting change management processes and projects

• Demonstrable experience of strong stakeholder management and interpersonal skills

• Experience using technology and AI to enable effective project delivery.

Desirable:

• Experience of working within the financial services, charity or social enterprise sector

• Experience of broader software platforms for example Salesforce CRM and project management tools.  

Skills, Abilities and Attributes

• Excellent project management, time management and organisation skills

• A collaborative team player with strong communication skills and ability to establish excellent working relationships internally and externally

• Confident and competent use of Microsoft Office

• Enthusiastic and proactive

• High levels of accuracy and attention to detail

• Strong research and analytical skills

• Good at finding innovative solutions to problems

• Good judgement, discretion and utmost integrity

• Keen and curious to learn new things and develop new skills especially the use of technology and AI

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

• Prioritises effectively and takes ownership of tasks

• Thrives in a varied role

• Flexible

Embody Better Society Capital core values:

Ø  Purposeful –We are passionate and energetic in our work to bring about our long-term vision of a thriving social investment market that enables positive social impact.

Ø  Pioneering Spirit - We give our team the autonomy and flexibility to be entrepreneurial and creative. We have the courage to push boundaries and a restless drive for change

Ø  Openness - We listen, learn, experiment and collaborate.  And we are adaptive and flexible in responding to what we learn.

Ø  Rigorous - We take a rigorous approach in all we do.  We expect the highest standards and continually strive for excellence

Ø  Respectful - We are genuine in both our approach and aspiration.  We value each member of our team and our partners for what they bring.

Don’t meet every requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from racialised communities are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

 Other terms

Location: We are a UK-based business with an office in the Old Street area of London, accessible via a number of public transport links. Colleagues typically spend 40% - 60% of their working hours in the office, and the remainder from home. However, the exact requirements for this role can be discussed at interview. We hope that this working pattern encourages Better Society Capital employees to achieve a healthy balance between work and personal life, as we adapt to the needs of our diverse workforce.

Right to work: Candidates need to have the existing right to work in the UK

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Better Society Capital is committed to being a diverse organisation that is truly representative of the communities we serve. We therefore welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, particularly those under-represented in the social impact investment sector (e.g. people from LGBTQIA+, racialised, disabled, or under-served communities).

We are an equal opportunities employer with an inclusive environment where all employees can contribute to their fullest potential. We want every colleague to be able to deliver their work with dignity, equality, comfort and independence. Our office is fully accessible with step-free access and an open-plan set up. We are open to accommodation requests regarding assistive technologies, accessibility tools, flexible working or any other reasonable adjustments that will make working or visiting here more accessible for you. If you have a disability or other access needs and require any support to assist you through the recruitment process, please get in touch.

How to apply:

Closing Date:  11.59pm, Sunday 07 December 2025

Please apply via Applied which is designed to minimise unconscious bias in recruitment. You will be asked some work-based questions which are reviewed anonymously by the hiring panel. Please note, while you will upload your CV, it will not be viewed by panel members at this stage, so we ask that you give full consideration to each answer.

NB we screen for answers generated by Chat GPT. To get a 5 star score, we ask that your Applied answers are authentic and reflect your own knowledge, skills and motivations.

Interviews

Round 1 interviews will be held w/c 15 December 2025

Round 2 interviews will be held w/c 05 January 2026

 As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an initial telephone interview for all candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the job. We are defining a disability in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, as a person who has a physical or mental impairment, and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. You will be asked in your Applied application whether this applies to you.

If you have a disability or other access needs and require any support to assist you through the recruitment process, please get in touch.

You can find out more about our recruitment approach here

Role Summary

Julie’s Bicycle (JB) is seeking an experienced and hands-on professional who can contribute to the organisation's financial strategy and future resilience. This is a senior leadership role within the Operations and Finance function, where you will be working closely with the Managing Director, Head of Programmes, CEO, and Treasurer, providing the essential financial intelligence needed to guide key organisational decisions.

Job title: Finance Manager
Contract: Preferably 0.8 FTE (Full-time also considered for the right candidate), 1 year contract with the possibility to become permanent
Location: Hybrid working: office base is at Somerset House, London: we are flexible on approach, within a hybrid model of in-person & virtual. This can be discussed at interview (*) 
Salary: £50k to £55k p.a. (pro rata), depending on experience
Reporting to: Managing Director
Start date: ASAP - depending on candidate’s notice period 
Normal hours: Office hours are 9.30 - 5.30pm, Monday – Friday. As this is ideally a 0.8 FTE role, there is flexibility on how the time is spread across the week. Please state how you would intend to allocate your time when you apply. (requests for flexible working hours will be considered) 

Other: 

• Annual leave is 25 days per year (pro rata) plus standard bank holidays
• Cultural entitlement of £250 per annum (pro rata) to spend on arts/cultural events & activities
• All employees are able to claim 1 hour a week for personal wellbeing
• Pension scheme enrolment and 6% employer contributions (reviewed annually)

(*) Access to office space in London is always available to staff who can't or don't want to work from home. 

If you would like this application pack in a different format (e.g. large print or audio file), please email us (information in the link provided). 

About Julie’s Bicycle (JB)

JB is a leading non-profit putting climate action at the heart of culture. We believe that creativity is a powerful catalyst for change—and that the arts and cultural sector has a vital role to play in building a just, regenerative future.

For over 15 years, we’ve worked with artists, cultural institutions, funders, and policymakers to mobilise creative climate leadership through advocacy, research, policy influence, training, and community building. We champion climate justice, centre equity, and believe that environmental solutions must be driven by cultural shifts as well as systems change. For more information, please visit our website.

The Role

The Finance Manager will be a pivotal position within JB’s senior leadership team, responsible for the effective and efficient management of all financial operations. This role requires a highly experienced and hands-on professional who can seamlessly manage day-to-day bookkeeping and compliance while also contributing to the organisation's financial strategy and future resilience.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in charity finance, a deep understanding of VAT complexities, and the ambition to grow into a strategic financial leader. You will work closely with the Managing Director, CEO, and Treasurer, providing the essential financial intelligence needed to guide key organisational decisions.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Management And Reporting (Operational & Strategic)

• Hands-on bookkeeping and transaction management: Oversee and execute all financial transactions, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll preparation, and bank reconciliations using the organisation's accounting software.

• Management accounts: Prepare accurate and timely monthly management accounts, commentary, and analysis for the Managing Director, CEO, and the Board of Trustees.

• Statutory compliance: Manage all aspects of Charity SORP compliant financial reporting. Prepare and coordinate the annual statutory audit, working directly with external auditors. Oversee filing and reporting to regulators including the Charity Commission and Companies House.

• VAT and tax compliance: Lead on all VAT compliance, including preparation and submission of quarterly VAT returns, ensuring full adherence to HMRC regulations, particularly those unique to the charity sector, including partial exemption requirements and annual adjustments.

• Budgeting and forecasting: Coordinate and support the annual budgeting process. Develop regular financial forecasts and projections to ensure the organisation remains financially sustainable.

• Cashflow management: Monitor and manage the organisation's cash flow, ensuring adequate funds are available for all operational needs.

• Payroll: Manage the relationship with the outsourced payroll provider, collate salary information, ensuring is accurate and up-to-date and manage pension payments.

• Coordination of confidential finance administration: Business rates/premises, company bank accounts, credit card software, audit preparation, companies house, PL, EL, PI & and drive insurance renewal process

Strategic support and leadership development

• Financial insight as part of the Senior Leadership Team: Develop and deliver clear, data-driven financial analysis and insights to inform strategic decision-making across the organisation (SLT, SMT and Board).

• Policy and procedure: Review and maintain robust financial controls, policies, and procedures to safeguard the charity’s assets and ensure best practice.

• Strategic recommendations: In collaboration with the MD and CEO, research and present options for improving financial efficiency, exploring new funding models, and strengthening the long-term financial health of Julie's Bicycle.

• Board support: Prepare monthly management accounts, as well as comprehensive financial reports for quarterly Trustee meetings, attending meetings as required to present and discuss financial performance.

• Training the team: Embed a culture of financial curiosity, procedures and basic literacy.

Grant And Project Finance

• Restricted funds: Maintain meticulous records for all restricted and designated funds, ensuring compliance with all donor and grant conditions.

• Grant reporting: Lead on preparing detailed financial reports for funders (e.g., Arts Council England, trusts, foundations), ensuring all expenditure is accurately recorded and compliant with specific grant requirements. Consolidate all the above into a shared reporting calendar.

Person Specification

Essential experience and knowledge

• Qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA/AAT), with at least 5-10 years of demonstrable, progressive experience in a similar finance role, with a significant portion gained within the UK charity/non-profit sector.

• In-depth, practical knowledge of UK charity financial regulations and Charity SORP.

• Expert-level understanding of VAT for charities, including partial exemption and trading subsidiaries.

• Proven ability to manage the full accounting cycle, from transaction entry (bookkeeping) through to preparing statutory accounts.

• Experience in managing the annual audit process and engaging with external auditors.

• Excellent proficiency with accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks, Xero, Sage, Aquila) and advanced Excel skills.

Skills and attributes

• Hands-on and proactive: Willingness to undertake all levels of tasks, from routine data entry to high-level analysis (essential)

• Developing leadership: Demonstrable potential or experience in influencing decisions, leading process improvements, and contributing strategic thinking (strongly desirable)

• Collaborative working: Ability to nurture and maintain relationships across the team (essential)

• Exceptional attention to detail: A meticulous and highly accurate approach to all financial data and reporting (essential)

• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues, the MD, and Trustees (essential)

• Alignment with mission: A genuine interest in and commitment to the mission and values of Julie’s Bicycle (desirable)

Why Join Us?

At Julie’s Bicycle, you’ll join a passionate team working at the intersection of creativity and climate action. We offer a collaborative, inclusive, and flexible working culture, where your voice will shape how the cultural sector responds to one of the greatest challenges of our time. 

How to apply

If you’d like to apply, please: 

• Complete the application form and equal opportunities monitoring form found on our website.

Submit these via our application portal by 11.59pm on Sunday 23rd Nov 2025.

We encourage people from any background to apply for this post. We are committed to creating a workforce which is representative of our society, and to bringing together those with a variety of skills and experiences to help shape what we do and how we work. We are particularly keen to hear from people of colour and those who self-identify as disabled.

Please note, this post is open to people who already have the right to live and work in the UK, as Julie’s Bicycle is not currently in a position to sponsor a work visa. 

A note on AI

While we understand that some people may use AI tools for accessibility (and recognise and support that many assistive technologies may use elements of AI), we ask candidates to consider what tools are most appropriate during the application process. For example, we recognise the value for many people of machine learning language tools like Grammarly. On the other hand we would discourage the use of generative AI tools in writing your application, as we'd like to understand your personal interest in working for Julie's Bicycle, and be able to understand your non-AI-assisted communication skills just as they are. We also recognise that for many of the people and creative communities we work with, the rise of generative AI poses a threat to their livelihoods, while the environmental impacts of AI are only set to grow: this means we also have a responsibility as Julie's Bicycle to consider where and when (and if) we use AI in our work. 

Thank you for your interest in working at Julie’s Bicycle.