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Interim Head of Finance & Operations

Career Ready is a social mobility charity that believes that every young person deserves the opportunity to enjoy a rewarding future.

We were founded in 2002 by leading business figures with a mission: to boost social mobility by empowering young people and giving their talents a platform from which to flourish. Since then, we’ve grown in England and Scotland to support young people in areas of need.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced, qualified Finance professional to lead our Finance & Operations function.

About the Role

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer the Interim Head of Finance & Operations leads on and assumes day to day responsibility for providing high quality, strategic financial management for Career Ready.

You will lead on business operations to ensure the ongoing effective functioning of the charity and drive sustainable growth.

The Interim Head of Finance and Operations plays a key role in leading greater organisational efficiency and simplifying processes and will continue the delivery of a project plan reflecting the 2025-30 strategy.

You will play a critical role in driving the increased quality of Career Ready’s offer to our stakeholders in line with our strategy, vision and values.

Member of our SMT, comprising of the CEO, Director for Scotland, Director of Programme and Partnerships and Heads of functions.

This is an interim role to cover a period of maternity leave.

Main responsibilities and accountabilities

· Lead, direct and manage the finance and operations functions, overseeing two direct reports, ensuring they deliver a high-quality service to all internal and external stakeholders and are seen as adding value, in enabling Career Ready to achieve its vision and strategic objectives through its people. 

· Continue the delivery of a project plan reflecting the 2025-30 strategy, ensuring that activities happen at pace, are deadline-driven and achieve a high level of impact.

· Assume overall responsibility for the financial management of Career Ready, working with the SMT to ensure high quality and effective use of charitable funds.

· Input into and review the financial elements of funding applications and ensure that fund accounting processes align with funders’ requirements for project reporting.

· Produce financial reports for various stakeholders, as well as leading on financial modelling.

· Have oversight of all financial and accountancy matters including month end reports, management accounts, cash flow management, compliance, tax liability, presentation of management information and KPIs. Ensure that the CEO and Trustees are provided with accurate, timely information and analysis. 

· Oversee and coordinate the fully managed payroll services with the external bureau for all Career Ready employees and for some internship students (Jun to Aug during the Summer)

· Administration of the Staff Opt-In Pension Scheme, including onboarding new staff (Royal London)

· Act as a role model in our ‘one team’ culture. Lead in the development of efficient working practices across the charity, creating momentum and supporting motivation within the charity. 

· Lead risk management strategies and internal control procedures to minimise the risk of loss, or damage to, Career Ready’s assets. 

· Prepare and submit annual operational budgets and annual accounts to the CEO for review and approval.

· Draft and deliver papers for Trustees and Finance and Fundraising Committee (F&FC) meetings. 

· Attend Board and F&FC meetings to present papers and answer questions related to areas of expertise. 

· Provide day to day line management of the Senior Finance Officers and support their ongoing growth and development.

· Management of organisational governance and compliance activities, including policy management.

· Oversee and manage the organisation’s risk management register and process, with input from SMT.

· Oversee reviews and renewals of all insurance policies that affect the organisation.

· Lead on the compliance of statutory and charity regulatory reporting, giving guidance to colleagues where required.

· Ensure any changes to processes and procedures across the function are clearly documented.

Person Specification

Essential skills and experience

•  Belief and commitment to Career Ready’s mission and values
• Qualified (ACA/ACCA/CIMA/AAT) accountant with at least 5 years’ experience in financial management including budgeting, preferably in the charity sector.
• Significant experience in producing management and financial accounts
• Skilled in financial reporting and producing VAT returns
• Preparing for and ensuring a successful year-end audit, and demonstrable knowledge of UK Charities SORP and other reporting standards
• Experience in budgeting to support strategic decision making.
• Financial dexterity and strong analytical skills.
• Strong IT skills, including advanced MS Excel skills and extensive of using an accounting software, preferably Xero
• Excellent organisational and prioritising skills and ability to work independently and with autonomy
• Strong starter finisher with ability to lead and drive projects
• Knowledge of charity governance and compliance requirements
• Ability to build excellent relationships and have effective engagement with stakeholders
• Good communication skills and ability to communicate financial concepts to non-finance staff
• Attention to detail
• Ability to present financial information to various audiences
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and sensitivity of financial information
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to cope with competing demands to deadlines
• Honest and dependable

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience of leading a team, strong team building skills
• Line management experience
• Experience of using MS Planner or other project management tools
• Genuine interest in the work done by the Charity
• Experience of using a CRM (Salesforce)
• Degree in financial management or accounting

Full details are provided in the candidate pack

Salary and Benefits

Salary: £52,000 to £54,000 FTE (salary will be pro-rata for part time hours)

28-35 hours per week.  Career Ready is committed to supporting condensed/flexible working patterns.

Permanent and remote.  Travel to London required on an occasional basis

You will be rewarded with the following benefits:

· 6% contribution to personal pension plan, subject to 3% employee contribution.

· Annual leave: 27 days per annum plus bank/public holidays (pro rata for part time). The charity is also closed between Christmas and New Year. Career Ready also allows flexible use of some Bank & Public Holidays

· Cycle to Work Scheme

· Access to both our Reward Gateway Portal and an Employee Assistance Programme.

· Flexible working

· Work from home allowance and paid travel expenses.

We regret that Career Ready is unable to offer visa sponsorship and candidates must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK. In accordance with our commitment to safeguarding, offers of employment are subject to completion of a DBS check. 

Timetable

Applications close at 9am on Monday 21 July 2025 

Please note that the closing date may be brought forward if we receive strong applications.

This is an interim role to cover a period of maternity leave, with a provisional start date of late September for a handover period.

Are you looking for a fully remote, purpose-led and meaningful leadership role, one where you will be dismantling the motherhood penalty for thousands?

Our client’s work sits at the intersection of providing information and support, research, raising awareness, and advocating and campaigning for change – always with a bold, unapologetic commitment to justice for mothers and parents.

Their impact over the last 10 years speaks for itself with 20,000 supported through their one-to-one advice line, successfully influenced key changes in UK law, including the Day-one right to request flexible working, and extended redundancy protection for pregnant women and new mums. Over 150 mentions in Parliament, Thousands of pieces of media coverage, including front-page features in The Times, The Guardian, and The Daily Mail and over 400,000 followers across social media, building a powerful digital movement

Culture and Inclusion

As Community and Membership Engagement Manger you will work with a wonderful Head of Communications and Campaigns, within a team values differences, is inclusive and passionate about creating a fairer world for working parents and mums.

The lived experiences we’d love you to have

Our client is not a “box ticker” instead they are a progressive and inclusive employer, one where they value your lived experiences and skills just as much and can see behind any gaps you might have on your CV.

As a Community & Membership Engagement Manager, you will own and manage our clients digital engagement strategy, ensuring members, supporters, and volunteers are engaged, informed, and active. You will oversee PTS’s owned media platforms, including membership channels, private forums, email newsletters, and social engagement spaces.

This role is about more than just community management, it’s about creating an inclusive, welcoming, and representative movement. You’ll engage underrepresented voices, ensure accessibility, and create content that speaks to a diverse range of parents. If you’re passionate about building online movements, crafting compelling content, and ensuring all parents feel heard and valued, we’d love to hear from you.

A core part of this role is diversifying our audience and ensuring our community is truly reflective of all parents, including Black, Asian and minority ethnic women, disabled parents, LGBTQ+ parents, and low-income families. You’ll develop inclusive strategies to expand PTS’s reach and remove barriers to participation, ensuring that those most affected by the motherhood penalty are at the heart of our work.

To be successful in this role, you will have experience and knowledge, demonstrating an ability to:

· Build Community & Digital Engagement, creating a brave and fearless movement

· Drive membership growth & engagement

· Create storytelling & user-generated content (Nothing About Us Without Us)

· Create, lead and manage digital content & online events

· Compile, interupt and use data, performance & continuous improvement

In return for your passion, commitment and hard work, you will receive some of the most competitive benefits across the sector, whilst knowing that every day you are changing the lives of parents, families and the workplace. Your passion for gender equity will be shape the lens through which you storytelling and campaign tirelessly for the good of the millions of women who continue to lose their jobs, get passed over for promotion and face a penalty for being a mum.

Here are just some of the benefits they offer:

· Flexible working is embedded in our culture with employees working different hours, and days of the week.

· 34 days annual leave, including statutory bank holidays. This is pro-rata for part-time staff.

· Paid leave between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

· 2 paid ‘’Wellbeing Days’’. These are days that can be booked off with no notice and no questions asked.

· 5 days paid leave to care for dependents. 

          days at nursery or school, or for activities such as sports day or school plays.

· Participation in a comprehensive workplace pension scheme with contributions from the organisation of 4%

· Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.

· Work from home onboarding and office set up

Next steps

We would love you to apply, which is a simple and transparent process, with a screening and interview stage with Scoutess Consultancy (recruitment partner for this role) and a one-stage interview with our client w/c 21st July (interview 24th July). Please note the advert will close on Sunday 13th July at midday, however, you may be contacted earlier if shortlisted.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

To support the Area Manager / Operations Director in ensuring the Charity’s development and growth in ways that are relevant and in line with operational services and charitable objectives.

To ensure the Charity achieves its aims and objectives and fulfils its operational plan effectively by providing high quality intervention, providing person centred support for at-risk young people.

To have key responsibilities in reducing risk and delivery of our Shaping Futures Intervention this is our Short-Term Intervention Programme (STIP) in Buckinghamshire.

This project is funded for the next 18 months, we will be working closely with partners to extend this funding agreement.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinate onboarding of young people, including the initial assessment, and developing 12 individualised sessions bespoke to each young person.
• Ensure a 12-week programme is written and sent to the young person with agreed outcomes after initial meeting.
• Responsible for a case load of young people up to 20 young people at any one time.
• Lead sessions and activities with appropriate resources to empower young people to make more positive choices to reduce violent behaviours, reduce risk of exploitation and other offending behaviours.
• Support the multi-agency network for the young people you are working with. Report any safeguarding concerns to the DSL, with support from your line manager.
• Work in partnership with the Operations team to develop opportunities in line with the intervention if needed.
• Attend stakeholder meetings where needed.
• Uphold Caudwell Youth’s values
• Effectively report to your line manager complaints and compliments relating to the programme
• Build knowledge of local strategies, linking in with network forums.
• Develop relationships and partnerships with local employers, benefit agencies, training establishments to enable opportunities for young people.
• Monitor targets and ensure programme objectives are met.
• Collect outcomes data with tools provided by Caudwell Youth.
• Embed engagement strategy with the young people in your area.
• Coordinate a safe exit of young people effectively, signposting to Caudwell Youth’s mentoring service (if appropriate) or externally.
• Ensure we achieve agreed development objectives, with support from your line manager.
• Be an ambassador for Caudwell Youth in the geographical area you are leading.

​Coordination and Development

• With support from your line manager, ensure the delivery, development of services, community-based activities, and development opportunities are in line with regulatory requirements, our own policies, including safeguarding, social media, health & safety and data protection.
• Develop services and activities and opportunities for inclusion, community engagement and personal development for young people as agreed with your line manager.
• Ensure appropriate planning, risk assessment and evaluation for all activities relating to your area of responsibility is completed, with support from your line manager where appropriate.
• In collaboration with the Operations team, support activities for the needs of the young people across the charity’s wider geographies.

Administration:

• Maintain an excellent standard of administration, record keeping and reporting of all work undertaken in line with data protection and Caudwell Youth’s policies and procedures.
• Monitor all activities for your area against targets and objectives.
• Undertake proactive activities in line with our policies and good practice.

Partnership and Liaison:

• Work closely with the team and the stakeholder steering group to promote good communication and shared focus.
• Ensure effective, relevant and appropriate communication at all times.
• Represent the Charity to other organisations, funders and supporters.
• Establish and develop good relationships with other charities and agencies to increase partnership and effective joint working where appropriate.
• Be a point of contact for referrers and external contacts as regards to activities and service provision.
• Maintain strong working partnership with Thames Valley Police and Buckinghamshire Council to deliver the Shaping Futures Programme.

Team Ethos:

• Work effectively as a team, supporting other team members and be willing to receive support whilst fulfilling your own responsibilities and tasks.
• Express and promote equal opportunities and encourage inclusion and involvement.
• Ensure good communications and relationships within the team at all times.
• Attend team meetings, personal work reviews and task group meetings proactively and as a contributor.

General:

• Demonstrate a high level of professionalism and maintain professional boundaries at all times
• Undertake and identify training as required and take a positive approach to personal development.
• Fulfil the duties and responsibilities of an employee as regards to Health and Safety at Work, including own safety and self-management.
• Undertake any other reasonable tasks deemed necessary.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

On appointment, you are expected to have:

• Previous professional experience and hold most of the necessary skills for the role.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of young people services in the UK Strong people skills: demonstrates empathy, leads by example, and contributes to building a desirable team culture
• Understanding of young people at-risk Commitment to equality and diversity
• A positive attitude with a proactive and flexible approach to work
• A good understanding of safeguarding and confidentiality
• A full driving licence, with access to a vehicle and have business insurance cover on your policy

Experience:

• Experience of working with statutory services to support at risk young people
• Experience of working to agreed delivery targets, monitoring outcomes, programme evaluation and report writing
• Excellent presentation skills to external stakeholders

Skills:

• Experience of liaising and relationship building with local networks
• Awareness of other local charities
• Use of software such as Office 365 and Better Impact
• Desirable but not essential - hold a certificate in JNC or NYA Youth Work Qualification

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

Please confirm the following essential criteria. All questions must be answered Yes to meet the essential criteria:

• Do you have a minimum of 1 year’s experience working with young people in a formal or informal setting?
• Do you have experience planning and delivering activities or support services for young people?
• Do you hold a full UK driving licence with no endorsements or convictions, and be eligible to obtain business insurance?
• Do you have basic experience using Microsoft Office (e.g., Word, Excel, Outlook)?
• Do you hold a Certificate in Youth Work and Community Practice? (this can be a qualification from an awarding body JNC, NYA or equivalent).

WHY WORK FOR US: 

We are an experienced team that are dedicated to improving the lives of the young people we support.

Benefits:

• Flexible working
• Hybrid – working from home and in the community
• Westfield Health (including Employee Assistance Programme and extended counselling sessions)
• Group Personal Pension with a 5% employer contribution and Salary Sacrifice Scheme
• 25 days annual leave (FTE) plus bank holidays, plus charity closure between Christmas and New Year
• Extra paid day off on your birthday
• Paid day off for volunteering in your community
• Training opportunities to support your personal development
• Employee discounts on everyday goods and services
• Being part of a passionate and dedicated team

Caudwell Youth is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. As part of this commitment, we undertake disclosure checks in accordance with the Codes of Practice for all. Having a criminal record will not automatically exclude applicants.