Finance Trustee For An Education Charity Jobs
About Us
This is a pivotal moment in the development of both the National Forest and the National Forest Company, with a new 25-year vision for the National Forest, an ambitious strategy for the organisation, and a renewed focus and purpose in light of the urgency of climate change.
The National Forest is one of the boldest environmentally-led regeneration initiatives in the country, demonstrating how trees can provide a catalyst for change both in the National Forest and beyond. Across our 200 square miles and over three decades we have a track record of making things happen, increasing forest cover from 6% to more than 22%, transforming the landscape and improving lives and the economy.
An exciting opportunity has now arisen for a Head of Finance to join our team on a full-time, permanent basis.
The Benefits
· Salary of £51,626 - £58,876 per annum
· Annual bonus
· Civil Service Pension scheme with employer contributions of 28.97%
· 30 days’ annual leave plus 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
· Flexible working options
· Cycle to Work Scheme
· Employee Assistance Programme
· Discounts on gym memberships
This is an exceptional opportunity for a high-calibre accountancy professional with senior level experience gained in the charity sector to join our impactful organisation.
If you want to join us in our mission of growing the future together, we would love to hear from you.
The Role
As our Head of Finance, you will actively lead on the management of all aspects of the finance function to include;
· The production of interim and annual financial statements that comply with the requirements of the Charities SORP (FRS 102).
· Preparing all information and supporting documentation for the annual audit, and liaising with the National Audit Office, and the NFC’s external auditors.
· Supporting the internal audit process.
· Fulfilling the accounting and reporting requirements to Defra.
· Working closely with the Director of Corporate Services and Senior Leadership Team to develop strategic financial initiatives that support financial forecasting, goal setting and financial planning.
You will directly line manage the Finance Manager, ensuring the smooth operations of the finance function.
Your role will also involve:
· Preparing the annual budget
· Overseeing and signing off monthly payroll
· Contributing to the development and management of financial systems and procedures
About You
To be considered as our Head of Finance, you will need:
· To be a qualified accountant with at least five years’ relevant experience
· Senior experience in the charity sector, including producing charity SORP compliant group accounts and monthly management accounts.
· Experience of the financial management of complex restricted funded projects
· Knowledge of charity trading and gift aid arrangements
· Good written and oral communication skills
Everyone at the NFC is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. All new employees joining will have a full induction to the NFC’s work and our policies.
Other organisations may call this role Head of Accounts, Finance Manager, Financial Controller, Head of Charity Finance, Finance Director, FD, or Senior Management Accountant.
The National Forest Company is an equal opportunities employer, values diversity and is strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Are you a strong financial leader with a passion for the natural environment and the ability to galvanise teams to deliver ambitious goals?
Avon Wildlife Trust is looking for an exceptional individual to become our new Director of Finance and Operations. You will be a finance leader with broad commercial acumen. strong people management skills and the appetite to drive and hold accountability for the Trust’s membership and income growth ambitions.
The Trust has exciting plans to create and restore habitats, enable people to take action for wildlife, and secure more land for nature for wildlife across the West of England.
As Director of Finance and operations, you will be at the heart of our organisation’s success.
You will:
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Lead AWT Group’s financial planning, operations and accounting
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Ensure effective management of the Trust’s people and resources
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Drive development of the Trust’s fundraising and commercial activities
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Work with the CEO and Leadership Team to develop, implement and periodically review the Trust’s strategic and financial plans
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Work closely with all Departments to ensure effective financial and operational processes, support financial planning and inform future decisions.
If this is you, we look forward to hearing from you.
We want to see nature restored on a grand scale across the Avon region. We have big plans between now and 2030 to see this happen.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Who we are
Chefs in Schools is a young, ambitious charity that’s rapidly growing. Our mission is to improve kids' health, through improving school food & food education. Working in areas of high deprivation, we support and train schools and their kitchen teams to serve the best, freshest and tastiest food possible, alongside meaningful food education. We share our learning and resources freely, aiming to inspire and enable others to follow our lead.
We’re backed by some of the biggest names in food and have ambitious targets to ensure every child has access to incredible school food and food education, setting them up for life with the skills and knowledge to feed themselves well.
About you and the role
The purpose of this role is to lead on our finance strategy, and ensure all of our systems, reporting and processes are helping to drive forward the charity and deliver on our objectives at scale. You will work closely with the Chief Executive and Directors to ensure that financial planning is effective and supported by accurate data analysis. You will report directly to Trustees as required and ensure that the highest standards of transparency and probity are maintained.
You will be joining the team during a period of growth in the size and complexity of our delivery. We currently have 20 employees and anticipate doubling in size within three years. You will have a crucial role in shaping our systems and processes to ensure we can scale effectively, both our existing programmes and a new membership-based programme that is in development. We’re looking for an experienced finance professional with an interest in effectively using technology and systems to drive efficiency, without compromising on accuracy or compliance.
You will support and mentor the Finance and Office Manager, ensuring that financial administration is carried out proficiently and in line with all legal and regulatory requirements, including ultimate responsibility for ensuring that all statutory filings are made accurately and on time. Your role will also encompass ensuring that we operate within legal & regulatory frameworks and stay up to date with changes in relevant legislation.
The responsibilities, skills and experience listed below are intended to give you an idea of what we need for this role. If you don’t meet every single requirement, but feel as though you would be able to work with us to deliver the majority of them, we would urge you to apply anyway. We are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and for us, the most important ‘experience’ is passion for our mission. You may be just the right candidate for this, or other roles.
We want to get to know you at the interview and understand we can do this best if you’re at ease. We’re an inclusive employer and work hard to create a welcoming working environment for everyone, including appointing a neurodiversity champion to help us identify how we can make our work environment work for everyone. If you need adjustments to the interview process please let us know.
Key responsibilities:
- Developing a comprehensive financial strategy that supports the delivery of the charity’s objectives and activities
- Reviewing suitability of our current systems: Quickbooks for accountancy, Beacon CRM, PLEO for expenses management, Survey Monkey for data collection etc.
- Where necessary, identifying and implementing new software to ensure all systems and processes are robust, user friendly, deliver useful data analysis, integrate and/or improve automation
- Working closely with the Director of Transformations to translate the annual activity plan into an accurate organisational-level budget
- Advising the Chief Executive, team and Trustees, ensuring that benefits and risks of decisions are fully considered and fit with the overall financial strategy
- Oversee sound financial management and governance across the organisation
- Provide leadership and guidance to all things finance related, providing mentoring and support to the team
- Accountability for monitoring that the organisation’s services are, and will, run to budget, supporting budget holders and reporting promptly on risks
- Have ultimate oversight of the external audit and production of the statutory accounts, supported in delivery of this by the Finance & Office Manager
- Oversee production of management accounts and bespoke financial reports, including accurate forecasting, incisive analysis and accessible narrative commentary
- Support the Development team with financial submissions and other compliance areas (eg advising on and supporting with due diligence processes)
- Constantly seeking to develop and improve the organisation’s financial systems, policies and procedures to promote dynamic, best practice and up-to-date application of tools, systems and approaches
- Oversight of finance, governance and basic HR administration, supporting the Finance & Office Manager with high profile or complex queries, seeking specialist advice on financial or compliance matters as required
- Ensure the organisation’s compliance with charity law, in accordance with the Charity Commission in England & Wales
Skills & experience:
- You have interest and belief in our mission, to improve kids’ health through improving food and food education in schools
- You have full or partial qualification through an accredited accountancy body
- You have some experience in a senior finance role (eg Director, Head of, Management Accountant) in any sector, and some experience within a finance function in the 3rd sector (in particular familiarity with the Charity SORP and experience of administering restricted funds)
- You have experience of audit
- You enjoy a mix of leadership and rolling up sleeves to get hands on when the need arises
- You take a pragmatic and dynamic approach to robust financial management
- You can turn complex and dry data, into clear and engaging narrative
- You have project managed the implementation of new systems (accountancy / CRM / data)
- You are organised, methodical, strong on detail, and able to map out deadlines and plan ahead
- You are skilled in building rapport with people and strike a balance between being supportive and challenging
Benefits
You would be joining a friendly, supportive team who works hard but believe in a healthy work/life balance. We seek a diverse range of perspectives, skills, experience and knowledge. Joining a small, collaborative team means you’ll be able to contribute to and draw on various projects and strategic insights.
We offer 33 days of holiday per year, including bank holidays, a Cycle to Work scheme, hybrid working, free access to the CODE app for discounted restaurants & hospitality venues, enhanced parental leave. We are committed to developing our team and will support you with relevant training opportunities including £250 towards elective training and development of your choice.
As we work with children & young people, an offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and DBS clearance, in line with our safeguarding policy.
Please note that shortlisted candidates will be invited to a 30-mins online interview to take place on Weds 19th June. Successful candidates will then be invited to a second interview that will be in person at our offices in Brixton, London, on Weds 26th June.
We’re on a mission to transform kids’ health through food – plate by plate, class by class, school by school.
Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF) is a charity that builds thriving communities through effective philanthropy, matching investment to the needs of small charitable groups. We fund around 200 grassroots organisations each year, giving around £2m annually to tackle priority issues. These organisations offer excellent value for money, but often go under the radar of funders because they are too small to afford comms and fundraising.
In November 2023 we published the second edition of Oxfordshire Uncovered, our flagship report that sets out priority need areas for Oxfordshire over the coming years. Our county’s wealth, success and beauty hide a number of serious and shocking social problems, including poverty, poor education and health, crime, and homelessness. The pandemic and the current huge increases in the cost of living have made these issues worse, while the climate crisis is becoming ever more urgent.
We recently received an ‘A’ rating in an independent assessment of transparency, accountability and diversity by the Foundation Practice Rating and we are an accredited member of UK Community Foundations, a network of foundations across the UK. We work with philanthropists, businesses and the public sector, pooling their funds so that they can make a bigger difference together.
We are a small, friendly team. OCF is committed to creating an inclusive working environment where everyone can flourish whilst contributing to our mission. We warmly welcome applicants from across the rich diversity of Oxfordshire and we are happy to consider flexible working. We are proud to be an official Oxford Living Wage employer.
The role
The Financial Accountant will report to the CEO and be part of our small management team. They will oversee our finances as we seek to scale up our grant-making while maintaining our high-quality assurance processes. They will also be responsible for providing scrutiny and a strategic eye to the management of our endowment. A small but important element of the role will be oversight of OCF’s cybersecurity. The successful candidate will combine a rigorous eye for technical detail with long-term thinking and a passion for our mission.
Accountable to: CEO
Key relationships: Treasurer, Chair of Finance Committee, Chair of Trustees, staff team and trustees and OCF fundholders.
Salary: £55,000 (full time equivalent) subject to negotiation for the right candidate.
Hours: 0.6 FTE (21 hours a week, which can be spread flexibly across the week)
Type of contract: Permanent.
Other benefits: 3% pension (increasing to 5% after five years). 25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays (FTE); additional paid leave for Christmas week office closure; 5 paid volunteering days (FTE).
Place of work: OCF office at 3 Woodins Way, Oxford (less than 10 minutes’ walk from Oxford bus and rail stations) with hybrid working options. Parking permits available.
Preferred start date: as soon as possible
Responsibilities
· Accountable for producing the Annual Report and Financial Statements in accordance with the Charity SORP, and being primary contact for the auditors.
· Preparation of annual budget and forecast, quarterly financial reports and monthly management accounts and updated forecasts.
· Maintain the detailed records of the endowment and restricted funds on a monthly basis. Oversee accurate statements for fundholders and provide ad hoc reports and analysis as required.
· Responsible for maintaining strong financial systems to provide accurate financial records and control systems for OCF, working closely with the Development and Grants teams to ensure complete alignment between internal systems (eg SAGE and Salesforce).
· Responsible for ensuring the Finance Committee is effectively supported, including: agenda and minutes, the production of timely reports, following up on actions and ensuring compliance with Charity Commission, HMRC Gift Aid and other reporting requirements.
· Liaise with OCF’s Investment Fund Managers (currently CCLA and Brompton Asset Management) and work with the Finance Committee to ensure performance is maximised.
· Monitor cash balances and ensure OCF is getting value for money on its cash.
· Management and development of a Finance Officer
· Oversight of effective delivery of all financial transactions, bank accounts, cash flow, bank reconciliations and staff payroll; potential to manage the administration of grants as our structure evolves.
· Bring to the early attention of the CEO and Chair of Finance Committee any matters of concern and risk in relation to the finances of OCF, and provide financial advice on mitigating actions.
· Maintain cybersecurity and insurance to meet operational requirements, and provide oversight to ensure OCF contracts are value for money.
Key competencies
· ACCA/ACA/CIMA qualified and membership of one of the major UK accountancy bodies
· Experience of charity accounting and knowledge of best practice
· A proven track record of financial management in a an organisation with significant turnover understanding of restricted spend-down funds and endowments
· Experience in accounting software – preferably SAGE – with good computer literacy, including MS Excel and ideally CRM systems such as Salesforce
· Ability to think strategically in financial matters and identify areas of risk and opportunity, and to implement improvements working with colleagues.
· Good communication skills, particularly with the ability to explain financial data to a generalist audience of senior decision-makers.
· Commitment to the mission and values of the Oxfordshire Community Foundation
· Commitment to developing staff, preferably with line management experience.
· Willingness to undertake occasional planned evening duties, such as quarterly Finance Committee and Board meetings.
Application Process
To apply, please submit a curriculum vitae and one-page cover letter.
Closing date 9 June 2024.
Interviews will be held 18 – 21 June. These will consist of a presentation task and in-person interview at our office.
Please let us know if you have a disability and require any reasonable adjustments to the interview process. We are proud to have disabled staff and are fully committed to providing adjustments.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Our system keeps your personal information hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
We have ambitious plans to make our much-loved centre more modern, accessible and inclusive, and to help promote a more sustainable future.
The Hill End Charitable Trust are looking for an enthusiastic and organised person to be our new project coordinator – working with our Centre Director on a wide variety of tasks to create and deliver the projects we need to transform our site and buildings.
The Hill End Outdoor Education Centre has been providing unique outdoor learning experiences to children and adults since the 1920s. Our mission is to provide exciting and meaningful day and residential learning experiences that inspire children, and every visitor, to enjoy and value nature and the outdoors. Managed for decades by local authorities, Hill End is now an independent charitable trust seeking to create a more sustainable future.
The Role
We are seeking a Project Coordinator on a part-time basis to help us create and deliver our vision to develop our site and buildings for the future. This includes modernising our existing facilities, improving access and becoming more environmentally sustainable.
These are ambitious plans and we are not expecting to achieve everything at once. We are looking to create a series of distinct, prioritised projects so we can move forward and need more people capacity in our small team to do so.
The Project Coordinator is a new role, and will undertake the essential administrative, communication, planning and reporting needed to help make our plans a reality. In the first instance, this will be to assist with key building renovations and improvements such as creation of disabled facilities.
The Project Coordinator will not necessarily have formal project management experience, but must be able to pull together a wide-ranging set of requirements, create and improve processes and practices that will allow us to better manage our site development in future.
This role might suit someone wishing to work either three full days or part of each working day. We are happy to discuss flexible working hours.
Principal Duties
These will include:
Gathering and analysing management data
- Using customer bookings and finance systems to extract key information.
- Defining and reporting on key metrics to evaluate the progress and success of projects.
- Collating and using data as required to help with other key strategic tasks such as cost-benefit analysis and business cases.
- Providing data as required to support business planning, funding bids, marketing and communication.
Project communication
- Identifying and engaging with a wide range of key stakeholders, such as partners, customers, contractors, consultants and planners.
- Putting in place systems for better project communication, internally and externally.
- Assisting with scheduling of tasks and meetings.
- Reporting as necessary to the Centre Director and Trustees.
Project coordination
- Helping to define project aims, needs and budgets in line with our strategic priorities.
- Obtaining quotations, costings and development options for Hill End to review and approve.
- Assisting with legal and contractual considerations.
- Putting in place new and robust systems to record project progress and next steps.
- Defining and improving existing management systems.
- Helping to create a new project management model for future development.
Knowledge, experience, skills and personal attributes required
The Centre has a small, dedicated staff who are all committed to the aims of the charity. The successful applicant will share the values and enthusiasm of the team. Hill End is outdoor-focussed and they should be prepared to embrace this outlook in their work and join in wholeheartedly with making the Centre a success.
The successful applicant must have:
· Excellent organisational skills, able to pull together complex tasks.
· The ability to prioritise and work to deadlines.
· Good communication and collaboration skills.
· A capacity to learn new systems quickly and thoroughly.
· Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
· Proficiency in standard office software packages (e.g. Microsoft Word and Excel).
· Self-motivation and able to work without close supervision.
· Awareness of their responsibility to protect the safety and promote the welfare of young people visiting the Centre.
· A satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
It would be an advantage to an applicant to have:
· A good overall standard of education.
· Project management experience.
· Previous experience with the construction industry or planning.
· Enthusiasm for education and outdoor learning.
Application Procedure
To satisfy the requirements for safer recruitment, we need to ask for a full employment record. Details of any gaps between jobs or between finishing education and employment must be provided.
Please apply by submitting the following:
- A cover letter explaining your previous experience relevant to the position.
· A CV including employment history and full contact details of at least two referees.
The closing date for applications is 12pm on Friday 31 May 2024
Interviews will take place on Tuesday 4 June 2024
Hill End is committed to safeguarding children and young people. All post holders in regulated activity are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
You can read more about Hill End on our website, and access key documents such as our Safeguarding Policy and our Equalities and Diversity Policy and Commitment.
This post is kindly funded by the Oxfordshire Community Foundation Step Change Fund – focusing on capacity building and strengthening of Oxfordshire’s charitable sector.
Hill End provides exciting and meaningful learning experiences that inspire children, and every visitor, to enjoy and value nature and the outdoors.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
This role is not open to sponsorship.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an MDT Admin to join our Therapies Team. This role will require the successful candidate to provide high quality efficient and reliable administrative support to the Therapies Directorate.
Staff benefits include, free shuttle bus, and more… Read more below.
Role Requirements
- Support planning and changes in the administration of children and young people’s timetable for children and family services.
- Support with photocopying of notes for subject access/ solicitor requests (SARS).
- Manage the SARS and redacting process with appropriate members of the Therapies teams.
- Update logs and coordinate the Clinical and Safeguarding Supervision across the Therapies teams, escalating non-compliance where required.
- Monitor mandatory training compliance and administer booking processes for all relevant training sessions/course.
- Coordinating specialist clinics, including spine and hip clinics; liaising with the Physiotherapy team to ensure the correct children are on the schedule. Liaison with external Consultants to organise the clinic lists.
- Carry out audiotyping of clinic letters and distribute as required.
- Update absences within the teams onto the SMI (staff care) system, as requested by the Heads of Service.
- Place orders for any required equipment and/or resources for departments and for the children and young people as deemed necessary.
- Take overview of clinical asset ordering, linking with the clinical assets team and management system, in line with MHRA guidelines and the medical devices policy.
- Track and monitor equipment orders with Heads of service, escalate delays and provide a central overview for all equipment re-charges and ordering.
- Raise and receipt PO’s and invoices for the therapies directorate and liaise closely with the finance team.
- Undertake other or additional duties that are within your skills and abilities, as the organisation may reasonably require from time to time.
With experience of working in a complex environment, across a large and diverse workforce, you will be exceptionally organised with a high-level of attention to detail. You will naturally possess excellent inter-personal skills, and an ability to consult and positively engage with key stakeholders across the organisation.
Interview Date: To be confirmed.
Terms and Conditions
PLEASE NOTE: The Children's Trust Application Form MUST be completed and submitted, for your application to be considered. As part of the shortlisting process, gaps in employment will be examined and further explored during the interview process.
Strictly no agencies, please.
As we often receive high levels of applicants for our roles, we regret that we will only be able to contact those applicants who are shortlisted for interviews. Therefore, if you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume you have not been shortlisted for an interview on this occasion.
About Us
The Children’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity for children with acquired brain injury, providing expert rehabilitation, education, therapy, and care at our national specialist centre in Tadworth, and to children and their families across the UK, via our Brain Injury Community Service.
Boasting a beautiful 24-acre site in Surrey, we are located just outside of London, close to the M25 (accessible via Junction 8, A217 to Tadworth) and easily accessible via National Rail, by way of: Clapham Junction, Sutton, and Epsom.
Staff Benefits
The work we do is highly rewarding, and in addition to an attractive salary, we offer a valuable range of benefits, including, Zest; our staff flexible benefits platform, on-site nursery, free eye tests, enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay, time out days for those experiencing menopause symptoms and time off for gender reassignment.
We also offer additional annual leave days for those with long service, with entitlements ranging from 35 to 41 days (including bank holidays) depending on your length of service.
Other benefits include free on-site parking; a staff shuttle service from Epsom and Sutton train stations to Tadworth Court, subsidised cafeteria, on-site staff accommodation (subject to availability), the ability to retain your NHS pension (where applicable), Teacher’s pension (where applicable) or the opportunity to join an alternative scheme, and the opportunity to develop your career in a supportive and collaborative environment.
Rehabilitation of Offender’s
Many roles at The Children’s Trust are exempt from the provisions of Section 4 (2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013 and 2020) and as such, are subject to an Enhanced DBS check. Successful applicants will be required to complete an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, which will disclose all unspent convictions and adult cautions and any spent convictions or adult cautions that would not be protected. The exceptions to this are our retail roles within The Children’s Trust shops, which are subject to Basic DBS checks which will disclose unspent convictions or adult cautions.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Many roles at The Children’s Trust are exempt from the provisions of Section 4 (2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013 and 2020) and as such, are subject to an Enhanced DBS check. Successful applicants will be required to complete an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, which will disclose all unspent convictions and adult cautions and any spent convictions or adult cautions that would not be protected. The exceptions to this are our retail roles within The Children’s Trust shops, which are subject to Basic DBS checks which will disclose unspent convictions or adult cautions.
Online Searches
In accordance with statutory safeguarding and child protection guidance, online searches will be conducted for shortlisted candidates before interview. The online searches will be conducted by a person who is independent of the interview and selection process and will focus on relevant information returned via searches of the candidate’s name (and variations thereof). Social media searches will be limited to professional platforms such as LinkedIn. Any concerns relating to suitability for work with children and young people will be forwarded to the interview panel, for discussion during the interview.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
You will be joining our expanding and dynamic team, with the freedom to work creatively with a committed group of volunteers and staff to support people who experience mental ill health in Bristol.
We need someone who is passionate about our mission and who shares our values to increase awareness through marketing and communications, expanding our social media and website content and linking with local networks in order to support fundraising efforts. You will have a high level of autonomy and be given the opportunity to develop new ideas in this exciting field, in a role that is varied and flexible.
We are an equal opportunities employer, but more than that we are a charity that cares passionately about diversity and inclusion as it is one of our core values. We are committed to making our team better reflect the diverse communities that we serve in Bristol. This means that we particularly welcome applications from individuals who are part of marginalised groups.
What we offer:
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Established grassroots Bristol mental health charity with a large member and volunteer base.
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Flexible hybrid working – Our office is based in the community hub The Wellspring Settlement with the option of working some of the working week remotely.
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Salary of £28,980
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Annual leave allowance of 25 days plus bank holidays. Additional days off between Christmas and New Years.
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A paid day off for your Birthday
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A Free Headspace membership
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Period/Menopause leave policy
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Eye tests paid by us and £40 towards new glasses
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Workplace pension scheme.
Applications to be submitted by midnight on the 27th May.
We are a charity that provides in person and online peer support groups and befriending for mental health in Bristol and surrounding area.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Task Ahead: Finance Manager
As The Difference moves from its early start-up phase into the delivery of our 2025-30 strategy, our programmes and sector-influencing work are expanding to reach more schools and to deepen our impact. Alongside this growth, our team - and the operational function which supports them - is also growing.
As Finance Manager, you will be a key member of the Finance & Operations team. You will hold end-to-end responsibility for the finance function, from reconciliations to budgeting. You will decide where and how our existing processes could be improved, as well as developing new systems that will underpin our work as a larger and more established charity. You will be supported by the Director of People, Finance & Operations, as well as our external auditors.
The Difference is still a small and growing charity. This means that our work is fast-paced, our roles are broad, and there is a culture of being reactive and flexible, as the needs of the organisation evolve. If this sounds exciting rather than daunting, then this could be the role and team for you!
Areas of Responsibility
The Difference is looking for a Finance Manager to lead our finance function in the following ways:
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Oversee our internal bookkeeping, payment, and accounting processes, and improve these systems ongoingly.
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Lead on budgeting and forecasting across the organisation, supporting teams to predict income and expenditure and make sound financial decisions.
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Lead on the production of management accounting information, including internal monthly management accounts, quarterly reports for Trustees, and financial reports for investors.
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Lead on The Difference’s audit process, with external auditors.
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Work with the Development & Impact Manager to update fundraising pipelines, and ensure the availability of high quality income projections for Trustees.
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Support accurate budgeting and reporting for grant funding, including tracking spend of restricted funds.
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Support business planning by working with teams to model potential future work - e.g. costs of expansion of an existing programme; modelling potential new programmes.
Person Specification
Essential – We are looking for the following skills, aptitude and experience; though you may be stronger in some areas than others:
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Values – Your experience evidences shared values with The Difference (see below) and a personal commitment to our mission to improve life outcomes for vulnerable people.
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Finance experience, operational and strategic – Experience across all areas of finance, from accurate invoicing, payments and record-keeping, through to setting and managing budgets, financial modelling and forecasting, and working with external accountants or auditors.
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Finance process development – Experience of developing finance systems; the ability to recognise how processes could be continuously improved, and enact this improvement.
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Leadership of self and others – Confident in identifying skills or information gaps within your team, and drawing on the expertise of others to address these gaps. Able to show how you've continually grown your own skills and those of your team members so that together you can efficiently cover workload and plan ahead.
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Proactive problem-solving – Ability to thrive in a fast-paced start-up environment and to problem-solve: from rolling sleeves up and diving into detail to working collaboratively to build capacity.
Desired – You are more likely to be successful in your application if you have one or more of the following additional experiences:
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Accounting qualification and experience - Some form of accounting qualification and post-qualification experience.
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Early-stage charity/social enterprise experience – You may have specific experience growing charities or businesses for social good at the early or start-up phase.
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Experience of charity finances – You may have worked for or supported other charities, and have experience of working with philanthropic grants, charity accounting, and governance.
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Insight into schools – You may have experience working in the education sector, whether that’s through working for a business or charities that partnered with schools, or through working in a school yourself.
Why Work for The Difference?
Schooling isn’t working for the children who need it most. Every week in England 109 children – equivalent to three full classrooms – are permanently excluded. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Since the pandemic, school suspensions have risen significantly, as has persistent absenteeism. 1 in 5 children are missing more than 10% of their time in school. Children who are excluded or persistently absent are much more likely to already be experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage. They are more likely to live in poverty, have additional learning needs, suffer mental health challenges, or experience a lack of safety outside school. Certain ethnicities are also disproportionately affected, notably Gypsy Roma Traveller and black Caribbean children.
Exclusion and high rates of absence can have a dramatic effect on life chances. These young people are more likely to drop out of education or employment, become vulnerable to long-term mental ill health, or be at risk of criminal exploitation. The Difference believes that children and young people deserve better and that the education system has to change.
Our Organisation
The Difference is a young education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. By 2030, we want rates of exclusion and absence to be falling nationally and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, including those who may be vulnerable. The Difference was born out of a year of research into school exclusions with think-tank IPPR. This research identified a lack of inclusion expertise in schools and proposed a new leadership development programme to fill this gap. In 2018, Difference founder Kiran hired the team who took this idea from concept to reality, beginning work with our first schools.
The Difference is now a 22-strong team delivering multiple school leadership programmes, alongside a growing research and policy arm. The team is supported by our Youth Advisory Board, made up of young people who have experienced exclusion and who provide their expertise and insights on how school inclusion work should be done. This work is needed more than ever. Effects of COVID-19, coupled with the spiralling cost of living, have substantially increased levels of vulnerability. Schools serving excluded pupils face under-funding. The Difference has had excellent early impact but there is work ahead to capture this, share learning with schools and policy-makers, and grow our capacity to lower exclusions across England.
Our Values
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High Expectations - We are ambitious for excellence from young people, colleagues and ourselves. We don’t believe in writing off someone’s potential because of their identity or experience of crisis.
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Strong Relationships - We prioritise genuine relationships over transactional interactions, and know that this requires deliberate relational practice. We see colleagues and partners as people first and their roles second; and know this greater trust allows us to take more risks, gain more feedback and have greater impact.
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Internalised Locus of Control - We work hard to reframe difficult situations to discover what we have within our power in terms of solutions. We take it upon ourselves to walk towards challenges and can take a high level of ownership and agency in our work/
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Pragmatism - We believe leadership means recognising current limitations and striving for improvements within and beyond them. We develop consensus and chart new ways forward, challenging false and extreme positions like “zero exclusions” or “no excuses”.
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Scientific approach - We take a diagnostic approach to unpicking causes of problems. We are loud and proud of our failures, recognising failing fast and often is key to finding the best solutions. We test solutions and are willing to use data and feedback to make adjustments and choose new directions.
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Not Squeamish about Structural Inequality - We believe patterns of inequality can and should be disrupted. We strive to be clear-eyed about these inequalities, and both the individual practice and system-changes required to address them. We push ourselves to overcome awkwardness in talking about this; and begin by acknowledging our own biases and blind spots.
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Asset-based - We work hard to avoid deficit thinking and aim to start with what’s strong, not what’s wrong. We are careful not to frame our colleagues and stakeholders - particularly young people and families – as victims but instead to recognise their agency.
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Wise selves - To both enjoy work and do their best, we want to make decisions and work with others in our “wise” - or regulated - selves. We also want to bring our compassionate self to those we work with, externally and internally, to support one another through challenging times.
How To Apply
To apply, please complete all sections of the application form by midnight on Sunday 19th May.
First round interviews will be held during the week beginning 27th May, over video call. Please indicate if you would not be available to attend an interview during this week.
If successful in this stage, second round interviews (including a task to be completed the same day) will take place on the week beginning 3rd June, at our office in Bethnal Green.
We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups in the charity sector such as people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with experience in the care system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates.
As part of our commitment to fairer recruitment, all applications will be assessed with names and any protected characteristics redacted.
Recommended Reading
If you’d like to understand more about The Difference and what we are trying to achieve, we would recommend the following:
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The research which underpins our organisation.
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Our latest Impact Report, sharing our work in 2023
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Community Learning Partnerships is a highly recognised, successful Leeds based charity with over 30 years of experience working in deprived areas to reduce inequality, poverty, and deprivation by improving wellbeing in Leeds through the provision of learning, skills, and personal development opportunities.
We are looking for a finance professional, someone who can provide the Charity with sound financial management. This role will be considered for hybrid working on completion of successful probationary period, although a minimum of 2 days in the office will be required.
The ideal candidate will have:
Ø AAT full or part qualification or other equivalent relevant qualification or experience
Ø Experience in financial management and payroll processing
Ø Full understanding of all aspects of book-keeping
Ø Proficient in Sage Line 50 accounts
Ø Outstanding numeracy skills and accurate data entry
Ø Experience of working within the charity / third sector would be desirable
The successful applicant will benefit from:
Ø 25 days annual leave (increasing according to length of service) + 8 bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time)
Ø Birthday day off (pro-rata for part-time)
Ø 24-hour employee assistance programme
Ø Free healthcare scheme
Community Learning Partnerships is committed to equality of opportunity, and we welcome applications from all sections of the community.
Due to the nature and financial responsibility of this role, we will undertake a standard DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) background check.
Transforming Lives for Good (TLG) is a national Christian charity working in partnership with local churches to give struggling children a hope and a future. An exciting opportunity has arisen for an individual to join our award winning (Sunday Times Best Not for Profit to work for) team as Head of Finance. We’re looking for a commercially minded and relational leader capable of developing the finance team and bringing strategic financial leadership to the organisation at every level.
To join our dynamic staff team, we are looking for an individual with clear systematic thinking and ability to embed system changes in an increasingly complex organisation. You’ll enjoy working in a growth context and come with an entrepreneurial, problem-solving mindset and the high expectations that inspire excellence in all those around you. As a key member of the Wider Leadership Team, you will play a central role in developing the financial leadership and culture throughout our organisation with outstanding judgement and integrity. If this sounds like you and you share our passion to see UK churches transforming the lives of struggling children, then we would love to hear from you.
TLG is a Christian charity hence, we are looking for individuals with a strong and vibrant Christian faith. As part of our commitment to safeguarding, the successful applicant will be required to undertake an enhanced disclosure via the DBS.
We would welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds to enable us to better reflect the needs of the communities we serve.
Initial interviews will be held on May 23rd 2024 online.
Final interviews in person on June 3rd 2024 at our National Support Centre, Bradford.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Robertson Bell are seeking a dynamic and experienced Director of Finance and Operations to join this small but mighty charity! This pivotal role will provide strategic financial leadership, overseeing financial management, IT systems, and operational efficiency to ensure the financial sustainability and growth of the organisation in alignment with its charitable objectives.
The Director of Finance and Operations will report into the CEO and manage a small team of three. The successful post holder will spend the majority of their time on finance and governance processes and matters as well as holding oversight of the outsourced IT contract acting as the main point of contact.
Duties for this role will include:
- Provide robust financial information for operational management and decision-making.
- Ensure financial sustainability and facilitate growth to further charitable aims.
- Maintain financial probity, controls, and compliance with HMRC and Charity Commission.
- Lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting to the Board of Directors and Trustees.
- Manage financial risks and appraise the viability of plans and proposals.
- Ensure effective payroll, pension scheme management, and procurement procedures.
- Lead commercial decisions in collaboration with the CEO.
- Act as Company Secretary, ensuring legal and statutory compliance.
- Oversee and enhance IT systems to optimize organisational workflow.
This position will be offered on a home working contract however attendance to key meetings will be required. These meetings will happen mostly across London and Birmingham with all travel expenses paid for. This Director of Finance and Operations will mostly suit candidates that have previously worked in a small sized not for profit organisation.
The successful candidate will:
- Be a fully qualified accountant (CCAB/CIMA/ACCA).
- Be experience managing teams.
- Ideally have proven experience in the charity sector.
- Have the ability to present financial information.
For more information on this role please don’t hesitate in applying!
CARE International is a leading humanitarian organisation fighting global poverty. Founded in 1945, we seek a world of hope, inclusion, and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live in dignity and security. Today, we operate in over 100 countries around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice. We place special focus on women and girls, because women’s rights are human rights, and we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. CARE is non-religious and non-political, allowing us to deliver humanitarian and development assistance to anyone in need regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, age, religion, political view or sexual orientation.
With a refreshed organisational strategy and a new Chief Executive, it’s a great time to join CARE as we embark on an exciting period of growth and change. After a period of challenge and transition we are in a stronger position. Your work reforming the risk and control environment, and delivering a long-term financial strategy, and a comprehensive Financial Improvement Plan, will create the enabling environment for the organisation to achieve its strategy goals. Your commercial acumen and financial analysis and planning ability will support ensuring we diversity our income and create a sustainable financial base, whilst driving a locally led development agenda.
We are looking for someone who is excited by the opportunity and challenge to deliver these improvements and can offer a clear vision and drive the creation of an efficient strategic value add finance, compliance, and governance department. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team and a key organisational leader, you will also have a strong role to play in building a positive, enabling, anti-racist, inclusive culture alongside your SLT colleagues and the Board of trustees.
A strong CARE International UK is needed now more than ever to influence for change in the UK and support our mission around the world.
Recruitment timings:
· Application deadline: Sunday 26th May
· Shortlisting: Monday 10th June
· 1st stage interviews: w/c 17th June
· 2nd stage interviews: w/c 24th June
To apply please send your CV and supporting statement by Sunday 26th May via the link. The supporting statement should be 2-3 pages maximum addressing the person specification and your motivations for wanting to join CARE International UK and make it the best it can be.
We are proud to exclusively partner with Allen Lane on the recruitment of this role. Please visit the Allen Lane site to find out more. For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Bryony Thomas via the agency site.
The Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) are pleased to be exclusively partnering with Robertson Bell in their search for a Finance Director to join their close-knit, dynamic team on a permanent basis, in this newly revamped role. The Holocaust Educational Trust’s mission is to ensure that people from every background are educated about the Holocaust and the important lessons to be learned for today.
They are seeking an experienced, strategic accounting professional to work with the Treasurer, Chief Executive and Managing Director, to devise and implement the Trust’s finance strategy, to ensure they have the resources they need to deliver their charitable objectives. The Finance Director will be responsible for ensuring an effective finance function; leading on the financial management of the Trust; overseeing financial compliance and governance; and the development and oversight of our Financial Strategy.
The organisation:
HET work to make sure that the millions who were murdered in this dark period of history are remembered, and honour those who survived and continue to tell the world of their experiences. Since 1988, the Holocaust Educational Trust has worked with schools, universities and communities around the UK to raise awareness and understanding of the Holocaust.
Through their flagship programme, the Lessons from Auschwitz Project, tens of thousands of young people have had the opportunity to see for themselves the site of the former Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. They return inspired and passionate about ensuring that the legacy of the Holocaust continues for generations to come.
The key duties of the Director of Finance are as follows:
- Support the CEO and Senior Leadership Team in developing HET's organisational strategy and plans, ensuring they are financially sustainable.
- Play a key role in the senior management team and attend and present at various Committee and Board meetings.
- Prepare and present accurate and timely financial data and supporting narrative including strategic plans, budgets, management accounts, and live forecasts, updated monthly or as required.
- Support in the creation of, and challenging on, departmental budgets; presenting budget to Board and budget holders.
- Lead on the financial side of grant and contract reporting and applications.
- Work with the wider team to ensure procurement procedures are getting value for money and contracts are financially sound.
- Maintaining a high standard of strict internal controls.
- Ensuring financial policies are complete; reviewed and updated.
- Effectively line manage the Finance Manager and support their, and the wider Finance team’s, development.
- Support the Finance team in the implementation and use of the new Finance System.
The successful candidate will have:
- A recognised accounting qualification.
- Significant strategic and business planning experience, scenario planning and investment management.
- Expert knowledge of financial control procedures, SORP and charity accounting.
- Experience of presenting complex financial information to Trustees and Board of Management as well as to non-finance managers.
- Proven leadership skills and management skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including sound report writing and presentation skills.
- Experience in new systems implementation / change management.
This is a hybrid role based in London, offering the potential to work from home up to three days per week. It presents a full time opportunity, although 0.8 FTE will be considered for the right candidate. The closing date for applications is on Sunday 2nd June with first stage interviews taking place the week commencing the 10th June. Applications will be under continuous review before then so please don’t delay in submitting your CV for consideration!
You will be highly organised, with strong experience of administering financial and operational support to an organisation. As a positive ‘can-do’, resourceful and supportive team player, you will be confident working alone and with others, as part of a small team.
You will be ready and able to work remotely in the UK.
We are committed to supporting professional development, and flexible working.
Please make sure to submit both an application form and a CV. If either are omitted, the application will not be considered.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Do you have demonstrable experience of giving money and budgeting advice or support in a student facing environment or financial services setting? Do you have an understanding of issues facing students in Higher Education?
We are recruiting for a specialist Money & Budgeting Advisor into our Advice Service to provide money, budgeting and debt advice to our members, oversee the application processes for our expanded hardship funds and to run our new financial literacy programme. This role will work alongside another Money & Budgeting Advisor and with our wider Advice & Wellbeing team, supporting each other to achieve positive outcomes for our students. The post holder will provide accurate finance, debt and budgeting advice and information to students using the Advice Service including casework, support and advocacy.
We are a registered charity employing over 100 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.
It's an exciting time our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.
We support flexible working, with hybrid working for all staff.
Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work.
This role is a fixed term maternity cover role for 9 months (with possible extension).
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.