St John Ambulance is partnering with Robertson Bell in their search for a Finance Business Partner (Volunteering) to join their high performing team on a permanent basis. St John Ambulance is England's leading, volunteer-powered first aid charity dedicated to first aid education and emergency response across England. They are committed to ensuring that everyone receives the help they need in a health crisis from those around them.
The Finance Business Partner in Volunteering is responsible for providing the first line of support and assistance with the development of financial plans, analysis of the financial performance and forecasts of the Volunteering businesses. They will be a key member of the Financial Planning and Insight team to ensure delivery of the annual three-year budgeting process, that is aligned to strategic operational plans.
The organisation:
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team of over 1,400 employees and over 30,000 volunteers, united by their goal of saving lives through essential first aid services, training and campaigning. As a charity with rich heritage and a long history of serving humanity, they are proud of their past and excited about creating a healthier, safer, more resilient future.
St John Ambulance works at the heart of communities, supporting and enabling them to access and receive physical and mental health first aid. They do this through developing and providing effective community response and outreach services and using our longstanding expertise to empower people with vital clinical skills and the confidence to use them. There is also a buoyant social enterprise network which delivers first aid training and supplies medical consumables to businesses and consumers.
The key duties of this Finance Business Partner will be as follows:
- Provide impactful and effective finance business partnering to St John Budget Holders, the Senior Management and Executive Teams.
- Deliver high quality business and financial analysis, with detailed outcomes and benefits, to identify and present coherent rationales for change, to support effective delivery of services.
- Work with the relevant stakeholders, to timetable in the production of the charity’s monthly management accounts, the annual budgeting and in-year forecasting process.
- Drive continuous improvement in St John’s financial management reporting, forecasting and analysis.
- Utilise technology and tools to continuously improve the presentation and content of the charity’s financial management reports.
- Provide clear and understandable narrative to stakeholders and the rest of the team, advocating good accounting principles.
- Identify and implement cost and efficiency savings, without compromising the quality of the service and accuracy of the reporting.
- Work with business partners to provide the financial analysis and appraisal for business cases.
The successful candidate will have:
- A full professional accountancy qualification (CCAB or CIMA).
- Ideally, experience in the charity sector and working in large complex organisations.
- Significant experience in management accounting processes.
- Demonstrable, previous, extensive experience in a finance business partner role.
- Track record of supporting the end-to-end processes for in-year forecasts and annual budgets.
- Experience in dealing with a stakeholders at all levels, internal and external.
- Excellent influencing skills, with confidence and gravitas to respectfully challenge.
This role is being offered Nationwide within the UK, with only occasional travel required to an office for key in-person meetings. Applicants must be willing and able to attend occasional meetings in the evenings, via Teams. TOIL and flexible working arrangements facilitate this.
The closing date for applications is on Sunday 7th September, with first stage interview due to take place the week commencing 15th September. Applications will be under continuous review in advance of this date so please do not delay in applying to make sure you don’t miss out!
Thank you!
WHO WE ARE
Animal Equality is an international animal protection organisation working with society, governments and companies to end cruelty to farmed animals. Animal Equality has offices in the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and India.
Animal Equality releases investigative materials captured from inside factory farms and slaughterhouses, exposing the conditions that farmed animals face around the world. We publish our findings on television, in newspapers and online. We routinely secure mainstream media coverage, including on the BBC, ITV, Sky News, The Times, The Guardian, The New York Times and many more.
Animal Equality also advocates for political change. Our current campaigns include a UK ban on foie gras imports, increased enforcement of existing animal protection laws, legal protections for farmed fish, and Government subsidies for transitioning towards a plant-based food system.
We focus on farmed animals because of the scale and severity of the issue. More than a billion animals are confined and killed for human consumption every year in the UK. Farmed animals also often suffer in some of the worst ways: pigs typically endure painful mutilations, many chickens die of heart attacks, fish are confined in underwater cages, and some farmed animals are victims of deliberate abuse and neglect. But the problem is solvable! By utilising effective campaigning strategies, Animal Equality is having an impact for animals around the world and building a future where all animals are respected and protected and are no longer exploited for human consumption.
Animal Equality UK’s current key campaigns include:
- Strengthening enforcement of animal protection laws.
- Halting the expansion of Scotland’s salmon farming industry.
- Achieving a ban on foie gras imports.
- Securing species-specific slaughter legislation for fish.
- Inspiring the public to eat plants, not animals.
ABOUT THE ROLE
We are seeking a highly organised, detail-oriented Operations Officer to play a central role in ensuring the smooth running of Animal Equality UK’s internal operations and supporter services.
This is a varied role covering administration, finance, data management, supporter care, and event coordination. You will be the first point of contact for many of our supporters and stakeholders, providing excellent service while supporting team members across all departments.
The ideal candidate will be proactive, solutions-focused, and comfortable balancing multiple projects in a fast-paced environment. You will have a ‘can-do’ attitude and a calm and professional demeanour, thrive on problem-solving, and take pride in ensuring that systems and processes run efficiently behind the scenes.
JOB DESCRIPTION
- Culture and internal support: Act as a culture ambassador, upholding Animal Equality’s values of professionalism, resilience, accountability, and compassion. Strengthen communication between teams and ensure effective use of project management tools. Identify and lead process improvements with guidance from the Operations Manager.
- Supporter and donor care: Serve as the first point of contact for supporter queries via phone, email, post, and social media. Provide excellent donor support, including thanking donors, resolving payment issues, and sending mailings. Maintain supporter and volunteer records accurately in CRM systems and ensure compliance with GDPR.
- Finance and reporting: Process expenses, supplier payments, and support budget forecasting. Assist with Gift Aid claims, monthly data uploads, and finance reports. Prepare scheduled reports and presentations to track progress against objectives.
- Team processes: Support recruitment processes, including application handling, interview coordination, and onboarding/offboarding schedules. Ensure smooth induction for new staff and manage equipment, training resources, and access.
- Events and operations: Assist with the organisation of internal training, team meet-ups, and supporter events. Support health and safety measures for team members and volunteers at peaceful protests, undertaking risk assessments and first aid training. Manage stock and campaign materials, fulfil supporter requests, and oversee mailing logistics.
- Data and systems: Conduct database cleansing and maintain accurate supporter, volunteer, and executive records.
- Represent Animal Equality’s culture: Support Animal Equality’s life-saving work by producing high-quality output, embracing and representing the organisation’s culture principles proudly at all times, and supporting our philanthropic efforts.
- Support with other ad hoc duties, as requested by your line manager.
ABOUT YOU
You are a reliable, proactive, and solutions-focused team player who takes pride in creating order and efficiency. Embracing Animal Equality’s culture principles and reinforcing them proudly, you balance meticulous attention to detail with a flexible, positive, level-headed approach and are motivated by helping the organisation succeed for farmed animals.
You actively seek constructive feedback and use it to continuously improve your work. You show ownership and a growth mindset that is focused on improving the world for farmed animals. Knowledge of farmed animal issues and alignment with Animal Equality’s mission is a must, as is professionalism, adaptability, and discretion.
You must have a minimum of one year’s experience in operations, administration, project management, or a related role. With exceptional communicational and time-management skills, you are comfortable balancing competing priorities and will bring a friendly, professional attitude at all times. Adaptable and solutions-focused, you are confident when learning new technologies.
You will be based remotely in the UK. In addition to monthly meet-ups, some travel within the UK may be required for demonstrations, meetings, and events. While not common, occasional evening or weekend work may be necessary to support campaigning activities. Any additional hours worked and agreed with your Manager can be reclaimed as TOIL.
BENEFITS
- Holiday entitlement equal to 33 days per year (including standard public holidays).
- Personalised employee assistance programme (EAP): An Animal Equality-funded benefit that offers employees confidential counselling and advice on a wide range of work and personal issues. The programme offers several services, such as a 24/7 confidential helpline and expert cognitive behavioural therapy.
- Flexible hours, with the option to start between 8am and 10am and finish between 4pm and 6pm.
- Able Futures Support: The service is a nine-month, practical and confidential support service for employees whose circumstances or mental health may impact their wellbeing or work. Employees can work with a mental health professional to deepen their understanding of how their mental health may impact them and build coping skills and resilience to thrive at work.
- Yearly stipend to access learning and development resources to help employees further grow their personal and professional skills.
- A free vegan lunch every month at the Animal Equality monthly meetups.
APPLY NOW
For more information and to apply, please visit our vacancies page.
Closing date: 5.00pm on Friday 19th September 2025.
Registered Charity
6 - 10
Animal Equality’s vision is a world in which all animals are respected and protected.
