Company secretary jobs in leeds, west yorkshire

Join Mersey Rivers Trust and Help Make a Real Impact for Rivers, Wildlife and Communities! 

Are you a skilled finance and governance professional looking to use your expertise for good? Mersey Rivers Trust is seeking a Finance and Governance Manager to join our Senior Leadership Team and help shape the future of our environmental charity. 

We’re a passionate team working to protect and restore rivers across Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire — and we need someone like you to ensure our finances and governance are as strong as our mission. 

APPLICANTS MUST LIVE WITHIN OR CLOSE TO THE MERSEY CATCHMENT – APPLICATIONS FROM OUTSIDE THIS AREA CANNOT BE CONSIDERED.

The Mersey Rivers Trust (MRT) is an environmental charity focussing on the protection and enhancement of rivers and waterbodies in the Mersey Catchment. It operates in an area covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire. We have an annual turnover of c£1m and employ 19 staff delivering up to 30 projects per year. The Trust works with partners, local communities, and volunteers to deliver a wide range of projects including river restoration, reduction of flood risk by Natural Flood Management techniques, river monitoring, volunteer events (eg river clean-ups/invasive species control and citizen science), community engagement and education events, farm advice/plans and biodiversity net gain. The Trust continues to evolve to meet the increasing challenges of protecting and enhancing rivers and waterbodies in the catchment.

We are seeking a Finance and Governance Manager to join our Senior Leadership Team and lead the Trust’s finance, governance, and back-office functions. This is a pivotal role focused on ensuring financial integrity, regulatory compliance, and effective charity governance. While not involved in field-based project delivery, the Finance Manager plays a strategic role in supporting the organisation’s mission by enabling robust financial planning, reporting, and operational support. You will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Trustees, and project teams to ensure the Trust remains financially resilient and well-governed.

As the Finance and Governance Manager, you should possess expertise in financial control and reporting, allowing you to effectively handle delegated responsibilities. Your numerical skills and critical thinking abilities will enable you to proactively address challenges and streamline processes. 

The role holder will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer and will be a member of the Senior Leadership Team. The role will also include direct line management responsibilities of the Administration Officer. 

If you are a motivated financial professional with a passion for driving organisational success, we invite you to apply and contribute to our team’s growth. 

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the management of the back-office function and Charity governance of MRT.
• Act as the Company Secretary to ensure compliance with financial and legal requirements, as well as maintaining high standards of Charity governance.
• Work with the Chief Executive Officer to prepare and manage budgets, provide input to the Trust’s business plan and strategic initiatives.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the Trust as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
• Provide financial insight and analysis to support strategic decision-making and long-term planning.
• Support the development and implementation of organisational policies and procedures to ensure good governance.
• Act as a key liaison with the Board of Trustees, preparing and presenting financial and governance reports to inform oversight and decision-making.
• Lead on the development of internal controls and risk management strategies to safeguard the Trust’s assets and reputation.
• Oversee all payments, manage cash flow, income and claims.
• Support financial planning for grant funding applications to support delivery of our objectives.
• Line management of the Administration Officer.
• Renew the annual insurance policy ensuring adequate cover and value for money.
• Maintain, oversee, and update all project management reporting systems on time and to budget (including timesheets, expenses and monthly reports).
• Complete all necessary reports and keep suitable records in line with the funding requirements and document retention policy.
• Highlight any new risks and issues identified whilst carrying out duties, and work with the team to manage and resolve them.
• Fulfil duties as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer.
• Any other reasonable duties as required by MRT.

The post holder will be home based with travel throughout the Mersey catchment. The applicant will need to live within or close to the Mersey catchment to facilitate regular travel to meetings. Remote working from other parts of the country cannot be considered for this role due to the need for regular face-to-face interactions. 

Candidate profile

Essential

• A financial control and reporting background, qualification or qualified by experience. 
• Experience of organisational governance, ideally with knowledge of UK General Accounting Practice and Charities regulations.
• Experience of financial and management reporting within a small to medium-sized organisation.
• Experience of liaising with accountants to prepare annual accounts and reports required by the Charity Commission.
• Experience of cash flow forecasting.
• Familiarity with Xero financial and project management software (or similar).
• A confident and clear communicator with the ability to communicate financial information in an appropriate manner for non-financial trustees and staff.
• Aptitude in problem-solving.
• Self-motivated and able to work effectively from home with strong communication skills and with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to work flexibly across the working week when necessary.
• Ability to prioritise and plan activities to meet strict deadlines.
• Excellent literacy, numeracy and report-writing skills.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
• Good computer literacy skills (e.g. with Excel, Word, PowerPoint and project reporting systems).
• A reliable team player with good attendance and work performance.
• Ability to set performance objectives and ensure these are achieved.
• Excellent organisational / admin skills and attention to detail.

Desirable

• Experience in financial planning for funding applications.
• Experience of working in the charity or not for profit sector.
• Understanding of small-scale charitable trading.
• Experience of commercial contract management.
• Experience of managing an IT service provider.
• Knowledge of the Mersey Catchment.
• Good network of contacts in the sector. 

General notes

• Some travel around the Mersey Catchment will be necessary therefore a current driving licence and access to a vehicle (insured for business use) is desirable or otherwise access to public transport networks. 
• This position will from time to time require work during some evenings, weekends and public holidays to meet the needs of the post. A time-off in lieu system is operated by the Trust.
• We will also require the successfully applicant to undergo a basic DBS check and provide satisfactory references from previous employers.

Deputy Shop Manager
Hornbeam Park, Harrogate, North Yorkshire

Part time, 15 hours per week – 2 positions available

£24,242.40 (pro-rated to £9,828.00) per year

We are committed to paying the Real Living Wage.

About Us

Yorkshire is one of the regions hardest hit by cancer. Together, we can change this.

Yorkshire Cancer Research is a charity dedicated to funding research so that you and those you love live longer healthier lives, free of cancer.

Thanks to supporters, the charity funds vital cancer research and pioneers innovative new services for people with cancer. These life-giving medical breakthroughs are helping more people survive cancer – in Yorkshire, and beyond.

As an inclusive employer, our aim is to ensure our workforce reflects the rich diversity of our region. We believe a diverse workforce is vital to us taking action to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer more effectively in Yorkshire. We offer equal opportunities regardless of race, religion or belief, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnerships.

The Benefits

We offer all employees a wide range of benefits including an enhanced contributory pension scheme, 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays (increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service), flexible working arrangements, private medical insurance, enhanced maternity leave, career progression, learning and development, wellbeing initiatives, offices within walking distance of Hornbeam Park train station, free onsite parking and a whole lot more.

We’ve got a strong set of values that inform everything we do and we’re looking for people who are aligned with these. As our Deputy Shop Manager, you will put people in Yorkshire at the heart of everything you do, unite with colleagues and other organisations in this cause, and dare to think big and bold to make positive solutions happen.

The Role

You will manage the day-to-day operation of the shop in the absence of the Shop Manager, including managing a team of volunteers, ensuring accurate accounting and handling of assets, delivering high standards of customer service, and adhering to all charity policies and procedures. You will lead by example and ensure that volunteers, supporters, donors, and customers understand how their contributions are making a difference to the lives of people in Yorkshire and beyond.

Specifically, you will:

· Play an active part in running our shop in Hornbeam, supporting the Shop Manager in implementing processes and ways of working.

· Provide cover for days off, holidays and sickness as required, with possible occasional travel to other shops to provide support if needed by the charity.

· Support the Shop Manager to maximise the income and profit of the shop through active stock management, replenishment, and rotation.

· Manage a team of well-trained volunteers in the absence of the Shop Manager and take every effort to create a positive retail environment.

· Support the Shop Manager to ensure accurate accounting and handling of assets (items donated and money received).

· Support the Shop Manager to ensure accurate record keeping of items donated and the amount paid for each item for Gift Aid tax reclaim purposes.

· Create a welcoming professional atmosphere and deliver high standards of customer service for all customers and supporters.

About You

To be considered for this role, you will need:

· To ideally be educated to GCSE level or equivalent but not essential.  

· Experience of managing people/volunteers including recruitment and development.

· To be highly organised with good time management skills.

· To be able to prioritise workload and meet deadlines.

· To be able to use own initiative.

· To be resilient and adaptable to change.

· To have good planning, guiding and motivation skills to successfully achieve targeted income is desirable.

· A willingness and ability to occasionally travel across the Yorkshire region as needed for training sessions and team meetings.

· A willingness and ability to safely lone work.

· A willingness to complete our pre-employment checks (to be undertaken once the role is offered and accepted) which include:

o A check on your employment history, by seeking two references

o A check on your eligibility to work in the UK as per the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006

o To undertake a DBS check at the level relevant to your role.

Please note, this role is not eligible for a visa sponsorship.

Application

Before applying, please visit our Careers Page to view the full role profile and find out more about working for Yorkshire Cancer Research.

To apply please submit a CV and cover letter outlining your suitability for the role to Claire Wooldridge, Head of People, before 15 October 2025. Please read our privacy notice before applying.

Yorkshire Cancer Research is a responsible and flexible employer.  We welcome any discussion for flexible working at the interview/offer stage where we will consider an individual’s circumstances against the needs of the charity.

We positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. If we can make any reasonable adjustments to support your application, please contact the People Team.

We are looking to appoint someone who sees risk not just as a challenge to avoid, but as an opportunity for kingdom impact. This role calls for someone able to blend robust yet proportionate compliance and an eye for detail, with bold, faith-shaped decision-making.

In this newly created role, you will play a key part in shaping how we coordinate policies, manage risk, and navigate complexity with both diligence and hope. You will ensure that our compliance meets or exceeds required standards, strengthening trust and relationships. You will support governance that enables wise decision-making and foster a risk management culture that both protects the organisation and recognises and seizes opportunities, all while actively pursuing and staying faithful to our calling.

• Salary: £33,000-36,000 (pro-rata) + benefits
• Location: Home-based or the option of a desk at our office in Oxford.
• Terms of appointment: Part-time (22.5 hours per week). Permanent
• Closing date: Monday 3 November at 9am
• Interview date: Interviews will be held over 10 and 11 November 2025

Key responsibilities:

• Compliance management
• Legal agreements and advisory implementation
• Risk management
• Governance support

For more information, see our application pack.

Benefits include:

• 33 days’ annual leave, including bank holidays
• Up to 5 days’ extra leave to serve on the Board of an external organisation
• Competitive contributory pension scheme
• Employer pension contributions up to 7.5%
• Fully employer-funded life assurance
• 24/7 employee assistance programme for emotional and practical support
• Tax-free home-working allowance
• Family-friendly employer
• Monthly in-person team days in Oxfordshire or the Chilterns (expenses covered)
• Hot-desking facility at Oxford office
• Fully paid-for professional development opportunities.

​It is an occupational requirement of this role that you have a clear, personal commitment to the beliefs set out in our Statement of Faith and Doctrinal Position Statement.