Independent living officer jobs in birmingham

The successful candidate will be expected to endorse and promote the objectives set out as part of AvMA’s five year strategic plan.

Lawyers Service

• Providing high quality services to our lawyers including identifying and recommending appropriate medical experts to clinical negligence solicitors; maintaining and developing the medical expert database. Routinely considering the Experts’ Protocol and ensuring that it remains relevant and fit for purpose.

Inquest Service

• Assessing cases for eligibility for AvMA’s pro bono Inquest Service according to AvMA’s criteria.
• Preparing cases for the coroner’s court to include sorting medical records; liaising with bereaved families by phone and in writing; researching medical literature; taking and preparing initial statements; liaising with the Coroner’s officer; securing appropriate disclosure documents; instructing counsel; assisting with preparation of bundles of documents for the hearing. Identifying general and specific patient safety issues; considering need for Prevention of Future Death Reports and or Action Plans.
• Attendance at pre-inquest hearings and inquest hearings with counsel and the family. This may involve travel and overnight stays. Out-of-pocket expenses are paid. Although overtime is not payable, time out of the office is recoverable in accordance with AvMA Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) policy. Attendance may also be required to attend partial remote hearings via Teams/Zoom
• Capturing and recording key data from inquests, securing feedback from clients.
• Working with Medico Legal Team Leader to ensure appropriate publicity on case outcomes where appropriate to include obtaining relevant client consents and that the case is written up for potential publication in AvMA’s Lawyer Service Newsletter ​​​​​​​

Advice & Information Service

• Providing advice, support and information to the public through written casework. This involves helping people affected by medical accidents to obtain an understanding of what has happened to them, their rights and the most appropriate option(s) for resolving their concerns and meeting their needs including referrals to panel solicitors.

Helpline

• Providing advice and assistance to the public on AvMA’s specialist helpline. Training will be given and in due course assisting the Helpline Development Officer to train helpline volunteers.

Other Duties

• To endorse and promote the objectives set out as part of AvMA’s five year strategic plan: AvMA's 5 Year  Strategic Plan
• Junior Certification: Promoting the Certificate Competence Scheme (junior lawyer scheme) to include assessing applications received
• Feedback from clients: Working on the direction of ML Director and ML Team Leader to secure maximum feedback from clients on inquest and advice and information services
• Website: Helping to keep AvMA self-help leaflets up to date on the website
• Occasional representation of AvMA at meetings and events
• Conference: To help develop AvMA’s annual conference programme and other conferences as appropriate.

The vacancy

We are seeking to appoint one lay member to sit on our GOC Council.

About the GOC

We are the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. Our purpose is to protect the public by promoting high standards of education, performance and conduct.  For more information about us please visit our website:optical. org.

About the Council

The role of Council is to lead on the GOC’s mission to protect the public by upholding high standards in eye care services.  The Council is composed of six lay members (including the Chair) and six registrant members (i.e. registered optometrists and dispensing opticians).  At least one member of the Council must work wholly or mainly in each of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  One Council member acts as a Senior Council Member whose role is to carry out the Chair’s appraisal as well as provide a sounding board for the Chair and serve as an intermediary for Council members, Executive and stakeholders as necessary. 

The successful candidate will contribute to Council by exercising oversight, ensuring effective corporate governance, and making high-level policy decisions. They will be able to operate strategically and impartially; listen, communicate, and influence effectively; exercise judgment; and inspire confidence and support amongst our stakeholders. 

Remuneration and time commitment

Council members are remunerated in accordance with our member fees policy (£13,962 per annum plus reasonable travel and subsistence expenses).  The member fee includes time for reading and preparation.

The appointed member will be expected to commit approximately 2-3 days per month.  Meetings will usually take place via MS Teams but may on occasion be held at the GOC Offices at Level 29, One Canada Square, London, E14 5AA. There are occasional online catch-up meetings - these are currently scheduled on a Tuesday evening every 6-8 weeks, from 5.30pm – 6.30pm.

How to apply:

Please email the the following to appointment@optical. org

· your CV outlining your employment history, any relevant voluntary work, public service or other experience; together with any relevant professional, academic or vocational qualifications;

· the application form, stating how your experience matches the criteria for the vacancy you are applying for; and

· complete the EDI monitoring form linked in the candidate pack (this is an online form and does not need to be included in the email with your CV and application form).

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  midnight on Sunday 10 August 2025.

Online interviews will be held on between Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 October 2025.

If you have any questions, please email them to appointment@optical. org and we will aim to respond to you within 48 hours. 

We welcome applications from individuals who are disabled and from diverse ethnic backgrounds as these are currently under-represented on our council and committees.

We strive to be as diverse as the public we protect and welcome applications from everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity and geographical locations outside of London.

We’re recruiting!

Give Blood 4 Good is looking for a dynamic and proactive Programme Development Officer - our first ever paid role - to lead and grow our flagship Young Ambassador Programme. This is a brilliant opportunity to shape a life-saving initiative and drive real impact in education, youth engagement and public health.

About Give Blood 4 Good

We’re a Scottish registered charity dedicated to improving awareness and education around blood donation - especially among young people. By working with schools, universities and community groups, we’re breaking down misconceptions and fear that can be associat4ed with the process, and encouraging people to give blood as soon as they're eligible at 17.

After a successful pilot of our Young Ambassador Programme over the last three years, we’re entering an exciting phase of growth. This role marks a milestone for our charity - and you’ll be at the heart of helping us reach more students and schools across Scotland.

About the role

You’ll lead the expansion of our Young Ambassador Programme — a digital e-learning initiative designed to empower students to become informed, confident blood donation ambassadors.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Building and managing relationships with schools

• Supporting and enrolling students

• Updating and improving programme content

• Coordinating with our e-learning platform provider

• Identifying and applying for funding to sustain and scale the programme

• Working closely with our small, friendly team of volunteers

Your role will also include additional tasks that support the day-to-day running of Give Blood 4 Good.

This is a fully remote role, with flexibility around working hours. You’ll be our only staff member, so we’re looking for someone who’s confident working independently and can take initiative while keeping others informed.

Person specification

We’re looking for someone who has:

• Strong organisational and time management skills

• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder engagement abilities

• Proactive, independent worker with a solution-focused mindset

• Confident communicator, both verbally and in writing

Desirable (but not essential)

• Experience in fundraising, bid writing, or securing income from trusts/foundations

• Knowledge of the youth or education sector

• Previous programme delivery experience in a community or non-profit setting

• Existing contacts within Scottish schools or youth organisations

• Experience integrating fundraising within youth engagement activities

Benefits

• A unique opportunity to lead and grow a national programme from the ground up

• Flexibility and autonomy in your role

• Experience across programme delivery, fundraising, stakeholder engagement and more

• The chance to help save lives by building a more informed generation of blood donors

How to apply

To apply, please send your CV and a short cover letter explaining your interest and relevant experience.

In your cover letter, please include examples of how you’ve demonstrated at least two of the following attributes: proactive, independent, curious, and conscientious.

Applications close at 9am on Friday 25 July, though we may close early if we receive a high number of applications. Early submissions are encouraged!

Mary’s Meals is a global movement supported by people from all walks of life and we are focused on one goal – that every child receives a nutritious daily meal in their place of education. We are currently reaching over 2.6 million children every school day, across 16 countries.

We are recruiting for a dynamic, visionary leader to join us as Director of Strategic Initiatives – a vital role in helping us grow our global movement. Reporting to our Chief Growth Officer, you’ll lead a talented team responsible for designing and delivering bold new strategies to increase revenue and build long-term, sustainable income growth and grow the strength of our National Affiliate network.

You will:

• Drive a programme of high-impact, global initiatives, from new fundraising products and digital solutions to youth and faith engagement strategies.
• Provide expert support and coaching to Executive Directors leading National Affiliates across the world.
• Guide strategic planning and change programmes with measurable outcomes, clear delivery plans and a deep focus on stewardship.
• Lead and inspire a high-performing team of specialists focused on audience insights, product development and market expansion.
• Collaborate closely with senior leadership across our global family to ensure alignment, shared learning and sustainable growth.
• Support the development of effective governance, technology and safeguarding practices across affiliates.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the MMI Executive Leadership Team and contribute regularly at the highest levels of decision-making.

About you:

You will bring significant senior-level experience in strategy, programme leadership, and/or business development – ideally in a global or multi-entity context within the charity sector.

• A strong track record of driving income growth and leading successful change initiatives.
• Experience working across cultures, with the ability to influence, inspire and build trust in diverse settings.
• A sharp focus on what works in fundraising, product innovation and audience engagement – particularly in the context of international development.
• Experience collaborating closely with technology teams to deliver digital and tech-enabled solutions.
• Proven leadership and coaching experience, with the ability to build high-performing teams and work with autonomy, agility and purpose.

Most of all, you’ll be motivated by our mission and ready to play a key role in helping us reach the next child waiting for Mary’s Meals.

About us:

We believe in the innate goodness of people, respect the dignity of every human being and family life and believe in good stewardship of the resources entrusted to us. In line with our values, Mary’s Meals is fully committed to a culture of safeguarding. Mary’s Meals is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work and we expect all the Mary's Meals family to share this commitment and work in the best interest of the communities we serve. Our safe recruitment practices ensure that only those that are committed to our high standards join our movement.

Salary advertised is for UK based candidates, our salary philosophy ensures consistency across locations where Mary’s Meals operates, please reach out for more information on salary & benefits if you are based outside the UK. 

To apply:

If you are inspired to join our movement and our vision, mission and values resonate with you, we would love to hear from you. To apply, please click below to send your CV and a short covering note (no more than 1 page) telling us why you are a great fit for this role and why you would like to work for Mary’s Meals International.

Job Title: Philanthropy Manager

Reports to: Senior Philanthropy Manager

Location: Hybrid work with 40% from Breaking Barriers’ offices in Manchester, Birmingham or Glasgow

Salary:  £33,000 - £39,000

Hours: 5 days per week (37.5 hours) but open to part-time (30 hours minimum), and flexible working arrangements

Contract: Permanent

Overall purpose

The Philanthropy Manager will manage and steward a portfolio of funders and donors – across trusts and foundations, statutory sources and major donors – to secure annual and multi-year gifts in support of Breaking Barriers’ vision. As well as managing relationships with our existing donors there will be a focus on creating new relationships through proactive prospecting and developing a long-term strategic approach to stewardship and relationship development.

You will be an ambitious, enthusiastic, energetic, and autonomous fundraiser with a demonstrable passion for supporting people from a refugee background. You will have a strong track record of high-value relationship management and fundraising, ideally specialising in Trusts, Statutory, Major Donor fundraising or a related area. We are looking for someone who can successfully secure and steward gifts of 5 figures and above – so evidence of stewarding high-value relationships and high-quality written skills are key.  You will collaborate with additional fundraisers across Trusts, Statutory, Corporate and Major Gifts to coordinate approaches and maximise opportunities across all functions.

We welcome applicants with relevant transferable skills from other sectors and other areas of fundraising but a strong knowledge of the fundamentals of grant fundraising is essential. We are looking for a passionate individual who can get people excited about the work we do and who wants to make a difference in the lives of individuals from a refugee background. You will share our energy and determination, and will be attracted by the idea of working in a team with big ambitions, and in which you will have the opportunity to grow and develop. We encourage creative thinking and new ideas so a proactive individual who is able to spot opportunities and take the initiative would thrive in this role.

To view the full job description and person specification, as well as details on our accessible recruitment process, please view the attached recruitment pack.

Other considerations

• As part of our safeguarding commitment to our clients, we carry out pre-employment checks to ensure that successful applicants are suitable to work with adults at risk. These include basic DBS checks, obtaining references and verifying a candidate’s identity and right to work in the UK.   
• We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief.

How to apply

If you are looking for a role where you can make a real difference, we want to hear from you. To apply, please submit a CV and statement (up to approximately 500 words/1 A4 page) outlining:

• Why you are interested in the role
• What skills you would bring to be successful in this role
• Any experience you would like to highlight
• Any reasonable adjustments you require for the interview process
• Disclosure of disabilities if you wish to do so (as a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role)

Please note that applications without a covering letter will not be considered.

Closing date for applications is 11:30pm on Wednesday 06 August. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We belong to the Experts by Experience Employment Initiative, which advocates and supports organisations to employ more people from a refugee background. With this in mind, we particularly welcome applicants with experience of seeking asylum and/or a refugee background. 

If you are an expert by experience (a refugee or a migrant with direct, first-hand experience of issues and challenges of the UK asylum or immigration system), you can ask for an independent and confidential support for your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network. Please reach out to HR Manager Rebecca Hughes for further details (we are unable to include email addresses in this advert, but you can find contact details on the final page of the attached recruitment pack).

Managing Director - Green Finance / Rothbury Conservation Trust 

Salary: up to £90,000 per annum  

Location: Home Based, Office facilities available, some UK travel will be required.  

Full time (35 hours per week)  

Permanent contract 

Closing date for applications: 20th July 2025  

First interview: 1st August 2025  

Second interview: 8th August 2025 

About Us 

The Wildlife Trusts are a grassroots movement of people from a wide range of backgrounds and all walks of life, who believe that we need nature and nature needs us. We have more than 944,000 members, over 38,000 volunteers, 3,600 staff and 600 trustees. There are 46 individual Wildlife Trusts, each of which is a place-based independent charity with its own legal identity, formed by groups of people getting together and working with others to make a positive difference to wildlife and future generations, starting where they live and work. 

Every Wildlife Trust is part of The Wildlife Trusts federation and a corporate member of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, a registered charity in its own right founded in 1912 and one of the founding members of IUCN – the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Taken together this federation of 47 charities is known as The Wildlife Trusts. 

The next few years will be critical in determining what kind of world we all live in. We need to urgently reverse the loss of wildlife and put nature into recovery at scale if we are to prevent climate and ecological disaster. We recognise that this will require big, bold changes in the way The Wildlife Trusts work, not least in how we mobilise others and support them to organise within their own communities. 

The Wildlife Trusts are on a mission to bring about a people-powered nature and climate recovery by empowering people to take meaningful action for nature, and to create an inclusive society where nature matters to everyone, everywhere. We are ambitious in our desire not just to slow, but to reverse the declines in nature. Together we have developed a bold, new collective strategy which outlines our vision and the actions we will take to restore nature over the next eight years. 

Central to our strategy are our three goals which set out what we are striving to achieve by 2030 in pursuit of our vision of a thriving natural world. Goal 1 is to put nature into recovery with abundant, diverse wildlife and natural processes creating wilder land and seascapes where people and nature thrive. Goal 2 is to inspire people to take action for nature and climate, resulting in better decision-making for the environment at both local level and across the four UK nations. And Goal 3 is to enable nature to play a central and valued role in helping to address local and global problems, such as by helping tackle climate change and supporting wellbeing and education. 

Achieving these ambitious objectives means that we must develop new ways of working which increase the scale and impact of our work. Therefore, we have embarked on a programme of strategic transformations that are essential to achieving our goals, and which will result in a stronger and more effective Wildlife Trust movement for the long term. RSWT is leading the transformation programme across The Wildlife Trusts including in community organising, equality, diversity and inclusion, and funding nature’s recovery. The Wildlife Trusts have existed for over 100 years thanks to a strong membership base and traditional fundraising activities. 

Now, to achieve the level of funding needed to reverse nature’s decline, we need to diversify and increase our income by exploring new ways of funding such as innovative finance. 

About You  

Do you want to lead the field in the development of private investment into nature’s recovery? 

Fundamentally, you will have worked at a senior level as a Managing Director/CEO and have financial investment and commercial leadership experience that translates into strong awareness and understanding of financial investment markets and how these financial mechanisms can be used to drive large-scale investment, in this case into a green finance vehicle(s) for the Wildlife Trusts. We need you to translate that experience into solutions that scale up nature’s recovery, by developing realisable business propositions that create revenues from corporate sales of nature-based services such as biodiversity net gain credits or voluntary carbon credits amongst many other possible services. 

An innovative problem-solver with an entrepreneurial spirit, you will need to develop compelling and practical commercial strategies which can be successfully delivered within the Wildlife Trust Federation. As such you will be a great communicator, with a personable style who can work with many different people across the wonderful variety of geography, size, scale, and activities of the 46 Wildlife Trusts. 

The Wildlife Trusts value passion, respect, trust, integrity, pragmatic activism and strength in diversity. Whilst we are passionate in promoting our aims, we are not judgmental and are inclusive. We particularly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented within our sector, including people from minority backgrounds and people with disabilities. We are committed to creating a movement that recognises and truly values individual differences and identities. 

RSWT take our Safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously. Please click here to read our commitment statement. The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk. For applicable roles, applicants must be willing to undergo checks with past employers and Disclosure and Barring Service checks at the eligible level. 

As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to offering an interview to anyone with a disability that meets all the essential criteria for the post. Please let us know if you require any adjustments to make our recruitment process more accessible. 

RSWT are committed to increasing the diversity of its staff through its Levelling the Field recruitment pledge and will put any ethnic minority applicants that meet all the essential criteria for the post through to the next stage of recruitment. 

Please be aware we may not accept applications if we have reason to believe they have been wholly produced using generative AI tools. 

Job Summary

Location : Requirement to attend our sites in Basildon, Harlow and Thurrock if required and to team meetings quarterly.

Type: Remote

Salary: £48,000.00 per annum

Hours :  37.5 hours per week

Term: Permanent

Main Responsibilities:

Leadership

1. As a member of the Operational Leadership Team and wider Senior Leadership Team, work collaboratively and take collective responsibility for the strategic management and leadership of the organisation.

2. Work closely with the CEO, Treasurer and Board of Trustees to facilitate good governance and risk management.

3. Manage, maintain and develop all financial systems and control; increasing their impact and quality, and implementing best practices in financial management.

4. To supervise finance assistants and ensure that they are adhering to financial code of practices.

Financial Management

1. Lead and manage all aspects of the financial cycle, including budgeting, forecasting, fixed asset management, reserves & designated fund management and financial reporting.

2. Work with HR & Payroll Officer to manage and retain oversight of the day to day financial operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, banking and general ledger maintenance, including the reconciliation of petty cash, credit cards and all bank accounts on a monthly basis reviewing and approving payment runs and payroll.

3. Work with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to prepare the annual budgets and forecasts.

4. Lead and manage the provision of regular budget monitoring and reports to budget holders.

5. Assist with the budget preparation for funding bids. Manage, monitor and keep track of any grants, funding or commissioned income, working with relevant managers to provide relevant financial information for inclusion in monitoring reports.

6. Lead and manage the provision of quarterly financial reports to the Board and advise them on financial issues as appropriate

7. Provide insightful financial analysis and reporting to inform and support organisational management, development and decision[1]making, and funding applications across the organisation.

8. Work with the CEO to prepare medium term financial forecasts for the organisation to support strategic decision-making and delivery of strategic priorities.

9. Lead on the audit process and the preparation of year end accounts to trial balance including preparation of the audit file and the closing down of the accounts on our accounting management system to ensure that the organisation is compliant with legal requirements and good practice.

10. To work closely with the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and designated Trustees to advise, review and cost the annual pay award.

11. To provide back-up and holiday cover for the processing of monthly payroll.

12. To work with and support the HR & Payroll Officer in providing payroll information and reconciling payroll monthly.

Governance and compliance

1. Ensure compliance with all relevant financial regulations and reporting requirements (e.g. Companies House, HMRC and the Charity Commission).

2. Attend Trustee Board meetings to report on financial matters, including the identification and management of financial risk, and provide any relevant reports.

3. To support the Trustees, SLT and line managers in managing our finances carefully and within our financial means, through provision of advice, guidance, support and training.

4. To be the main point of contact with external auditors.

5. To ensure that robust financial controls are in place, underpinned by appropriate financial policies and procedures and to ensure that they are adhered to and that the organisation is protected from fraud and error.

Closing date for applications : 21st July 2025

We are looking for our new Campaigns Coordinator for Birmingham Friends of the Earth.

If you are passionate about environmental campaigning, and love supporting and working alongside committed voluntary activists, we’d like to hear from you. You do not need to have had a similar paid role in the past to apply for this role.

Birmingham Friends of the Earth (BFoE) is a non-profit organisation campaigning to create a more sustainable and fairer Birmingham. We empower others to take action, we hold decision-makers to account on climate change, waste, nature and clean air, and we make sure environmental justice is at the heart of everything we do, campaigning intersectionally and inclusively. As well as having an active volunteer-led campaigns group, we run The Warehouse, our lively environmental community centre in Digbeth and a key centre for the city’s activism. BFoE is linked to Friends of the Earth, the national organisation, but independent and able to campaign on issues that matter to us, in ways that resonate with us.

The purpose of the role, part of our small staff team of 5, is to lead our campaigns activity, working with and supporting our campaigns group.

We welcome applications from those for whom this would be their first paid campaigns role. Experience of voluntary activism and enthusiasm to develop your skills and grow into the role are more important than ticking all the boxes.

Interviews are still to be confirmed, as we are aiming for some flexibility to allow for summr holiday arrangements. There is space on the application form to give us any dates you are not available for interview within the period 18th August to 5th September.

We look forward to reading your application!

National Numeracy supports volunteers from our corporate partners to deliver sessions in primary schools
that inspire children to see the value of maths in the real world. The Programme enables volunteers to
directly support communities with low number confidence and skills, celebrating everyday maths, and
developing the building blocks of social mobility in areas of need.

The new Programmes Assistant will work with the Volunteering Manager and wider Programmes Team to
deliver this exciting Programme. The role will involve working with internal team members and external
partners to assist with delivery, including recruitment of volunteers and schools, training of volunteers,
resource delivery and preparation, feedback, data collection and associated admin. The Programmes
Assistant will be the first point of contact for volunteers, schools and partner organisations.

We are looking for someone who is flexible and able to respond to the fast-paced work around the busiest
periods of the year for the Programme. It’s not imperative that you come from the education or charity
sectors, or that you have held an equivalent role previously, as long as you can show us that you have
relevant transferable skills and an understanding of what it takes to be successful in this role.

National Numeracy is based in Falmer, just outside Brighton, but we are offering significant remote/hybrid
and flexible working with this role. The role may include occasional UK travel, to visit schools, partner
organisations, attend occasional Team Awaydays, and very occasionally to visit the office.

We are seeking a part-time Finance Manager for Energy Sparks, a charity working towards a sustainable future in which the school community is at the heart of measurable action to tackle climate change. Energy Sparks equips children and young people with the knowledge, skills, and tools to take practical action in their school and wider community to reduce carbon emissions. We enable school leaders, staff and communities to better understand and reduce their school’s energy consumption and introduce wider measures to reduce their carbon footprint. 

This is an exciting, new role in our growing team and provides a great opportunity to apply your financial accounting and management skills to help our charity flourish. As the only finance employee within a small organisation, this role will be a blend of weekly bookkeeping tasks alongside the preparation of management accounts and strategic oversight of Energy Sparks’ finances. The successful postholder will embrace the varied responsibilities. 

• Salary: £40,000-£42,000 pro rata dependent on experience

• Role initially offered 0.2 FTE. This can be worked 7.5 hours per week across the year or 8.75 hours per week term time only, with the opportunity for future growth, subject to income. Hours can be worked flexibly from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

• Home working with occasional team meetings in Bath (typically 1 visit per year, although for local employees there may be the opportunity to meet more often)

• Post holder must already have the legal right to work in the UK. 

Application deadline: 11:59pm Thursday 24th July 2025

To start September 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

About us

Energy Sparks is an online energy management tool and energy education programme specifically designed to help schools reduce their electricity and gas usage through the analysis of smart meter data. Energy Sparks helps pupils and the wider school community to reduce their school’s carbon emissions, and make a real contribution to addressing the 'climate emergency'. Energy Sparks started in 2017 in Bath, and is now working with over 1000 schools across the UK. 

Current annual income is £500,000 to £600,000 with expected growth in the 2025/2026 financial year. To date, the responsibilities in this job description have been delivered by the CEO. All staff work remotely with the core staff team based in the Bath area.

Key Responsibilities

Note: Energy Sparks currently uses the Xero accounting package to deliver most of the tasks below. 

1. Financial Reporting 

• Prepare monthly/quarterly management accounts, ensuring accurate reporting of income and expenditure.

• Provide financial reports to the CEO and Board of Trustees 

• Track restricted vs unrestricted funds and ensure proper allocation and reporting.

• Prepare the annual financial statements (in line with charity SORP).

2. Transaction recording and bank and payment reconciliation 

• Reconcile bank accounts weekly, including card payments

• Match incoming payments to invoices or grants

• Authorise and categorise supplier invoices

• Maintain accurate coding of income and spend to specific funders or grants (restricted/unrestricted funds), including apportioning staff salaries with manual journals

3. Accounts Payable and Receivable

• Process supplier payments

• Monitor supplier invoice due dates and ensure timely payment

• Issue sales invoices to schools, Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) and other partners

• Monitor accounts receivable and flag and chase overdue invoices with schools, MATs or partners.

• Monitor Energy Sparks account renewals and work with the wider team to issue renewal notifications.

4. Payroll 

• Check and post monthly payroll on Xero

• Post HMRC payments (PAYE/NIC)

• Process and post pension contributions

5. VAT

• Record input VAT on supplier payments including reverse charge VAT

• Correctly charge VAT on sales invoices

• Prepare quarterly VAT returns including accurate business/non-business apportionment for input VAT recovery

6. Record-Keeping

• Maintain digital records of receipts, invoices, and approvals

• Ensure proper documentation for charity finance compliance

7. Internal Controls & Risk Management

• Comply with Energy Sparks’ internal financial controls and policies to manage risk.

• Monitor cash flow and reserves and recommend adjustments for financial sustainability.

8. Strategic Financial Leadership

• Provide strategic financial insights to help inform decisions about growth and expansion.

• Assist with long-term planning, forecasting, and cost analysis for sustainability.

• Support organisational change, ensuring financial stability and compliance as the charity grows.

• Suggest improvements to financial processes, including optimising our use of accounting software to increase efficiency.

This will be a varied role within a small staff team and an ability to embrace a diversity of tasks is essential. There are currently no line management responsibilities for this post.
 

Person Specification

Experience & Knowledge

1. Significant experience in a senior finance role, ideally in the charity sector.

2. Strong knowledge of charity financial compliance, SORP, and statutory reporting

3. Experience of fund management and management accounts

4. Experience of preparing VAT returns and business/non-business apportionment 

5. Proficiency in Xero or similar accounting software, including manual journals

6. Confident running a Payroll function using Xero or other accounting software

7. Skilled in financial planning, reporting, and budgeting

8. Advanced use of Excel and Google Sheets.

9. Experience preparing for audits and liaising with external auditors/independent examiners

10. Strong communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with staff, funders, trustees, schools, Multi-Academy Trusts and suppliers. Happy to pick up the phone and chase schools or MATs for invoice payments!

11. A self-starter mentality with the ability to work independently as well as within a team.

12. Excellent organisation, efficiency, and attention to detail.

13. Strong problem-solving abilities and a solution-focused approach.

Nice to have

1. Strong interest in sustainability

Benefits

1. £40,000 to £42,000 pro rata dependent on experience 

2. 12% employer pension contribution

3. 38 days paid annual leave pro rata including bank holidays

4. 0.2 FTE. This can be worked 7.5 hours per week across the year or 8.75 hours per week term time only, with the opportunity for future growth subject to income. Hours can be worked flexibly from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

5. The opportunity to make a difference in reducing carbon emissions and helping young people to live sustainable lives.

Application deadline: 11:59pm Thursday 24th July 2025

To be considered for this role, all applicants must currently have the right to work in the UK.

Energy Sparks is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications regardless of race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.

Assistant Finance Business Partner

(SEO)

£41,055 - £44,415 (National)

+ £5,000 Accountancy Allowance or £2,500 Part Qualification Allowance

The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 50% of the government’s office estate. We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers.  We are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team.

Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading ground-breaking programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme, as well as delivering modern and cost-effective real estate service solutions. 

Innovation and progress are at the heart of our behaviours.  We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged, and we’re dedicated to becoming a leading, inclusive employer both in the external market and throughout the Civil Service.  Our strong emphasis on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces. 

Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth.  We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.

The responsibilities of the Assistant Finance Business Partner will include:

• Producing management accounts for relevant budget holders and contributing to GPA’s client budget process
• Partnering with the LCR and Net Zero programme managers and external partners to ensure that all expenditure has been accurately assessed based on project completion and integrity is applied
• That regular reconciliations and sampling of the project accounts are completed including timely project closure assessments
• Provide advice on financial treatment of project costs to ensure that all items are correctly assessed for capitalisation, and that the treatment of abortive costs and feasibility works are appropriately treated as RDEL, while being allocated to the correct projects
• Attendance at monthly stakeholder meetings to support the management of projects, supply chain and client relationships
• Supporting any client discussions as required to ensure recovery of billed amounts, keeping accrued income minimal and controlled
• Building a network internally with other finance teams to ensure smooth transition of data and knowledge between interlinked processes, and contributing as part of the wider finance team
• Promote continuous improvement by developing and improving accounting processes and procedures relating to projects and other expenditure
• Preparing balance sheet reconciliations including accruals and prepayments
• Analysing financial performance to identify variances and ensuring transactions are accounted for correctly
• Preparing and processing journals
• Supporting internal and external audits
• Facilitating forecasting and reporting
• Identifying trends, risks and opportunities in the financial data
• Ensuring Record to Report principles are embedded within the GPA
• Deputise for the Finance Business Partner as required

Key Skills & Experience 

• CCAB or equivalent part-qualified or finalist-level candidates required, full qualification desirable.
• Experience in facilities management or estates-related roles (e.g. property management, construction projects) is preferable, however candidates from other backgrounds will be considered.
• Strong month-end management accounting experience required; finance business partnering experience is advantageous.
• Confident communicator with proven stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ambitious and driven, ideally from a fast-paced or client-focused environment.

The GPA is committed to representing the communities we serve by making Diversity, Equality and Inclusion part of everything we do. To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.