Business benchmarking administrator jobs in edinburgh

The Association for Cultural Enterprises (AfCE) supports over 500 member organisations across the UK and internationally, helping the cultural sector generate earned income through commercial activity. As an Arts Council England-funded organisation, AfCE delivers sector-leading training, benchmarking, data-led insights, events, and advocacy to drive financial resilience in arts, heritage, and culture.

AfCE runs a year-round programme of live training events around the UK and Europe, as well as its signature annual Cultural Enterprises Conference and Trade Show. We have ambitions to grow attendance at these events, as well as growing our membership.

The Association is a charitable organisation, which also has a trading company, Cultural Enterprises (Trading) Limited (CET).

We are looking for a new Finance Manager to join a small, friendly, and ambitious team, to review the day-to-day processes and policies and identify opportunities to improve reporting  and make operational efficiencies. The Association is growing, so now is an exciting time to join our team and work with our members across the cultural sector.

Job Summary

The purpose of this role is to provide sound financial management for the Association and CET through:

• Statutory financial reporting in line with Charity SORP/UK GAAP, including annual returns to Companies House and the Charity Commission

• Management accounting, reporting and analysis to funders, management, staff, and Trustees/Directors

• Preparation and maintenance of budgets, forecasts and plans, including cashflows and project budgets

• Supervision and control of day-to-day accounting transactions, including oversight of the finance aspects of the Apprentice role

• Oversight and implementation of robust financial systems, policies, and procedures

• Responsible for financial queries, working with the Apprentice as first point of contact for external contacts
   

Main Duties

• Supervise day-to-day accounting operations and ensure accurate financial record keeping, including coding, allocations, reconciliations, and tax accounting

• Oversee invoice generation and debt recovery processes

• Process payments and staff expenses for authorisation

• Produce regular management accounts on an accruals basis, providing interpretation and advice to the Executive Team, Finance & Risk Committee, Trustees/Directors, and funders

• Lead on budget preparation and forecasting, including project-specific budgets; monitor and reforecast as needed

• Prepare statutory accounts in compliance with charity SORP and liaise with external auditors and the Treasurer

• Manage contracts with financial services providers, including bookkeepers, auditors, banks, and investment managers

• Attend AfCE and CET Board meetings

• Fulfil company secretarial duties, including:

  • Filing confirmation statements and annual accounts for ACE and CET with Companies House and Charity Commission

  • Filing changes in Trustees/Directors

• Complete Arts Council England (ACE) returns, including provision of financial information for quarterly payment processes when required

• Negotiate and implement insurance policies including:

  • General insurance

  • Cyber security

  • Life assurance

  • Staff sickness policy

  • Trustees’ liability

  • Conference insurance

• Oversee monthly payroll, including statutory payments to HMRC and pension providers, and liaise with bookkeepers for payroll updates or changes

• Review VAT returns for accuracy before submission to HMRC
   

Note on External Bookkeepers
External bookkeepers currently provide support limited to payroll and VAT processing.

Person Specification

Personal Qualities

• Self-disciplined, organised, proactive and self-motivating

• Logical and methodical approach to finance and administration

• Trustworthy, honest, reliable and conscientious

• Confident, professional, and personable, able to communicate easily within a small team and with external stakeholders
   

Professional Competencies

Essential

• Professional accounting qualification such as ACA, ACCA, or CIMA

• Strong knowledge of charity SORP and charity finance regulations, including VAT and Gift Aid

• Experience with Xero or equivalent cloud-based accounting systems

• Strong reporting skills

• Team player with excellent interpersonal skills

• High level of accuracy and attention to detail

• Experience producing management accounts and supporting senior leadership and boards

• Ability to interpret financial data for non-financial colleagues
   

Desirable

• Experience working in a small charity or business

• Understanding of the cultural or charitable sector

• Experience of remote working
   

Benefits

• Unlimited holiday policy

• 5% employer pension contribution

• Life insurance

• Flexible working arrangements by agreement with the CEO

We are an inclusive, equal opportunity employer and value diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of experience, merit and organisational need.

Position: Senior Events Fundraiser (Third Party Events)
Hours: Full-time (35 hours a week)
Contract: Permanent
Location: Office-based from one of our national offices (London, Cardiff, Belfast, or Edinburgh) with flexibility to work remotely
Salary: Starting from £33,044 per annum plus excellent benefits
Salary Band and Job Family: Band 2, Charity
*you’ll start at our entry point salary of £33,044 per annum, increasing to £35,109 after 6 months service and satisfactory performance and to £37,174 after a further 6 months.

About us

We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do. And it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK.

Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus.

Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information.

Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference.

About this job

We’re looking for a Senior Events Fundraiser to join our Community, Events, and Retail Fundraising team, leading on the delivery of our third party events activities.

You’ll plan, develop, and promote a well-established portfolio of third party challenge events, working to achieve set income targets, while ensuring an outstanding supporter experience for our event participants.

You’ll also be responsible for developing our third party events portfolio; monitoring and evaluating products, as well as innovating, to create opportunities for future growth.  

Closing date for applications: 9:00 on Monday 14 July 2025

Interested?

PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Equal Opportunities 
We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and or from ethnic minority backgrounds.

We’d be grateful if you downloaded and completed the equality and diversity monitoring form and submit it with your application. 

Disability Confident Employer 
We’re a Disability Confident Employer and we’re committed to promoting equality and diversity.

You can ask for reasonable adjustments as part of both our recruitment and new starter on-boarding processes.

If you need any help or adjustments to apply for this role, please contact us. You can also ask for the application materials to be sent to you in a different format. Such as for them to be sent to you by email or in a larger word format.

More about our employee benefits:
We have a wide range of employee benefits including (but not limited to): 

Encouraging work life balance

• 38 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), pro-rata for part-time
• More annual leave entitlement, based on length of employment
• Smart working options (with the opportunity to work remotely and find a smart working pattern that suits both you and us) 
• Flexible working options 

Caring for you and your family 

• Generous sick pay entitlement
• More sick pay entitlement, based on length of employment 
• Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave in each calendar year 
• Free access to a GP virtually 24 hours a day/7 days a week allowing you unlimited advice, reassurance and where appropriate diagnosis 
• Enhanced leave for new parents 
• Free access to a confidential 24 hours a day/7 days a week helpline service for both you and your family with a specialist range of support and information
• Special leave options (such as up to 5 days paid leave for domestic or personal emergencies a year)
• 10 days paid disability leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• 10 days paid carers’ leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Death in service scheme
• New family-friendly benefits, including paid leave:
  • In the event of miscarriage or still birth 
  • To support fertility treatments
  • For antenatal appointments for both parents

Thinking about your finances 

• Enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Discounted season ticket loan and interest-free emergency loans
• Give as you earn to support other charities of your choice before tax
• New employee portal including lifestyle savings vouchers and personal wellbeing

Enriching your life at work

• Personalised development plans with a wide range of training courses and opportunities to source additional training options with your line manager
• Yearly internal apprenticeship opportunities
• New, modern offices that embrace working together both in-person and remotely 
• Various opportunities to influence how we internally operate (including surveys, and focus and committee groups) 
• Active and supportive internal employee networking groups for collaboration and peer support 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering for MS Society activities during normal working hours (such as fundraising events, or campaigning in the local community) 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering with other charities during normal

Safeguarding 
We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services and we come into contact with.

This is regardless of Gender, Race, Disability, Sexual orientation, Religion or belief, Pregnancy, Gender reassignment.

We recognise our particular responsibility to make sure vulnerable adults and children are protected.

We have measures in place to protect everyone we come into contact with from abuse and maltreatment of all kinds.

Your right to work in the UK 
You must have the right to work in the UK to work in paid employment with us. You’ll need to share documents showing you’re eligible to work in the UK if we offer you employment.

You can find the UK visas and permits granting you the right to work in the UK on the UK Government website. We currently don’t have a Sponsor Licence agreement with the Home Office and aren’t able to support you with your visa applications.

No agencies please.

Qualifications/ skills: CIPD qualified or equivalent professional HR qualification (Level 5 or above)

Time: Minimum 12 up to 16 hours per week. Can be worked flexibly but there are some essential meetings on a Monday. 

Where: Remote - UK based. Two team days per year in London / South East or online. 

Salary: £35,000-£38,000 full-time equivalent, depending on experience. This salary is in line with our organisational pay structure.

Deadline to apply: 11th July 2025

Estimated start date: September 2025

Role overview

This HR Lead role will support a unique, employee-owned, self-managed organisation. You'll play a key part in ensuring the smooth running of HR practices, advising on employee relations, and contributing to a positive, self-directed work environment.

As a self-managed organisation HR is distributed between a number of different roles. You will be working alongside our Organisational Development Lead, Training & Development Lead, Compliance Lead, HR Support, Onboarding/Offboarding Lead, Team Companion and the leadership team.

As this is a new developing role, the responsibilities listed in the Job Description are areas where Chiltern has identified HR expertise is needed at this current point in time. This gives the role holder the opportunity to further develop and shape this area of our business.

Key duties include advising on employee relations, supporting self-managed teams, and promoting a culture of continuous improvement and employee ownership, and you'll also work closely with individuals to ensure HR policies are adhered to, individuals feel empowered and engaged and that the organisation's culture aligns with its values in the delivery of HR practices.
 

Accountabilities

Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

1. HR Strategy & Organisational Development

• Collaborate with the leadership team to drive the organisation’s People Management Strategy

• Devise and deliver HR projects to improve business efficiency and effectiveness

• Lead succession planning initiatives across the organisation

• Horizon scan for emerging HR practices and employment law developments

2. HR Policy, Compliance & Risk Management

• Develop and maintain HR policies, procedures, and the Employee Handbook to ensure legal compliance

• Ensure compliance with UK employment law across all HR functions

• Lead on:

  • Third Party Risk Policy

  • Equality Impact Assessment Policy

  • Stakeholder Engagement Policy (ensuring service user perspectives are integrated)

• Monitor adherence to internal policies, including whistleblowing, grievances, and dignity at work

• Audit EDI data bi-annually and create strategies to promote diversity and inclusion

3. Employee Relations & Case Management

• Providing advice and leading on the process for :

  • Grievances

  • Disciplinaries

  • Bullying, harassment, and capability issues

  • Redeployment and redundancy

• Lead meetings prior to disciplinary sanctions in collaboration with our HR administrator

• Mediate disputes and facilitate conflict resolution within the context of HR discussions

4. Compensation and Benefits

• Developing and maintaining salary structures

• Conducting salary benchmarking and market analysis

• Overseeing annual salary reviews

• Ensuring compliance with pay equity laws

5. Recruitment, Onboarding & Talent Management

• Oversee advertising and attraction strategies

• Support onboarding processes to aid efficiency

• Review terms and conditions, contracts, and engage with external advisors as needed

6. Attendance & Performance Management

• Manage absence cases including statutory and contractual entitlements

• Support the leadership team with performance and attendance-related challenges

7. Systems & Process Improvement

• Maintain and enhance HR systems, ensuring lean processes and the integration of e-systems

• Regularly review and improve the Staff Portal alongside our Training & Development Lead

8. Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)

• Stay updated on EDI legislation and best practice

• Support the organisation in being legally compliant, culturally relevant, and innovative in its EDI approach

• Lead data audits and present an equal opportunities review every two years

9. Professional Development & Networking

• Engage with local HR support networks, including CIPD and ACAS

• Maintain continuous professional development (CPD)

• Be an active member of Social Enterprise UK HSC HR group and attend relevant meetings

Person specification

We are looking for an efficient, well-organised, friendly person to join the team with the following qualities:

• CIPD qualified or equivalent professional HR qualification (Level 5 or above)

• Experience in a generalist HR role, including employee relations, policy development, and HR project delivery.

• Experience working on or leading Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships across all levels

• Confident facilitator and leader of sensitive meetings and discussions, with a culture of care

• As this is a hands on role, a high level of organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously is needed

• Commitment to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and supportive work environment

• Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability, with the ability to adjust to changing priorities and respond effectively to new or unforeseen challenges.

Job benefits

A key benefit in working for Chiltern is being a part of a forward thinking employee owned team, where our culture celebrates and values the voice of each individual.

Staff members benefit from a flexible working environment, creating a personal schedule based around the requirements of the role.

Ultimately, at the heart of what we do is our value of ‘care’, which is felt strongly across the team.

Additional benefits include:

• Flexible working

• 32 Days (FTE) per annum annual leave allowance (including bank holidays)

• High street discount shopping portal

• EAP package - access to confidential support and wellbeing services

About Chiltern Music Therapy

Chiltern is an award-winning social enterprise that provides music therapy, community music services and training to over 1700 people of all ages and many different needs across England each year. Formed in 2011 from a desire to change how music therapy was offered in the UK, we hold accessibility and financial inclusivity at our heart, working across health, education, social care and community settings.

Proud to be a self-managed and employee-owned organisation, we strive to create a world where music therapy is the transformative thread in the lives of the children and adults we support. At Chiltern we recognise the different strengths within our team. We provide an environment where people can take charge of the work they do and make informed decisions using professional judgement and life experience, alongside peer support. We’re welcoming, inclusive, and have worked hard to create a positive environment that we are proud of. You can find out more about us on our website.

How to apply

To apply, please apply with your CV and a one-page covering letter which should include your reasons for wanting to join Chiltern Music Therapy and suitability for the role. 

We welcome enquiries and applications from people of all identities and backgrounds and value diversity in our workforce.

We encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible as we may close applications early depending on application numbers.

For more information about Chiltern Music Therapy please visit our website.