Investment appraisal lead jobs in aigburth, merseyside

Senior Finance Manager | £57,500 - £68,900 | Permanent | Fully Remote / Home Based

For the UK's largest not-for-profit social enterprise in the employment and social mobility sector, we are recruiting a Senior Finance Manager. This role will provide high quality financial information and analysis to senior managers and external stakeholders supporting decision-making. This is a highly commercial role, which is key in ensuring service quality is maximised, and financial performance targets are achieved. The Senior Finance Manager will lead a team of 4 and will suit someone happy to work fully remotely whilst developing excellent relationships across a large, multi-location organisation.

Main Duties:

• Budgeting and Cost Control - Lead divisional budget setting and forecasting process
• Coordinate monthly key variance summary in financial performance and KPIs for senior management and external funders and commissioners
• Interpret and present complex financial information to non-finance managers, supporting decision-making and improvements to budget and forecast performance
• Financial Reporting - Maintain robust financial controls across the division and coordinate the audit process with the financial reporting team. Preparation of year end accounts, liaising with auditors
• Lead the team to produce external financial returns to funders, dealing with queries
• Financial Analysis - Support business planning process, and short- and medium-term financial targets, partnering with Operational MDs and Senior Leaders.
• Lead the production of the multi-year financial forecast with the FP&A team
• Lead in planning and managing the year-end accounts closedown process
• Lead and develop workflows to ensure month-end processes are robust
• Work with Project Accounting team to provide finance support in costing, pricing, and tendering of new business opportunities
• Lead and motivate a team of Finance Managers and Management Accountants

Person Specification:

• CCAB Qualified
• Substantial experience of working at senior level in financial management across a complex organisation, ideally working on high-profile contracts with external funders
• Experience leading and motivating a team
• Experience leading strategic work streams supporting annual accounting cycle and longer-term financial planning requirements
• Experience of financial planning, costing, and option / investment appraisals
• Experience of budgeting, planning, reporting, and supporting budget holders
• Experience of FRS and charity SORP would be highly desirable

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As an employer, we are committed to ensuring the representation of people from all backgrounds regardless of their gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds to apply and would encourage you to let us know if there are steps, we can take to ensure that your recruitment process enables you to present yourself in a way that makes you comfortable.

With the end of bear bile farming in Vietnam now within reach, Animals Asia is entering an exciting new phase – expanding sanctuary capacity, entering new markets, and securing long-term care for every rescued bear.

Animals Asia has spent over 25 years working to end cruelty and restore respect for animals across Asia. With teams in Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, the UK, and beyond, they combine advocacy, direct rescue, and sanctuary care to create systemic change. Their mission to end bear bile farming – arguably the world’s cruelest form of animal abuse – is almost complete. In November 2023, they opened their third bear sanctuary which will enable them to bring home every last bear and achieve their founding goal in Vietnam by the end of 2026.

Their global fundraising and communications team is driven, well-structured, and rooted in the charity’s deeply held values. Income has been steadily rising since 2017 and they have the people, plans and investment to maintain this growth.

The Trusts and Foundations function has grown substantially since being unified globally in 2020. Income has more than doubled, donor relationships are well-managed, and new business is actively developed. With a 2024 target of $1.3m and strong pipeline visibility, this role focuses on securing and stewarding 5- and 6-figure multi-year partnerships, with particular scope for growth in the US and unrestricted giving.

This is an excellent opportunity for a skilled fundraiser to join a highly collaborative team and benefit from a structured, mature function where ambitious fundraising is supported and celebrated.

As Trusts and Foundations Manager, you will:

• Manage and grow a global portfolio of 5- and 6-figure funders, including multi-year partnerships
• Develop compelling, tailored funding proposals and impact reports, often for donors with limited direct project access
• Deliver high-quality stewardship, with regular updates and relationship-building through video, email, and occasional travel
• Collaborate with colleagues across the organisation to develop powerful cases for support
• Lead on identifying and cultivating new prospective donors through research, network mapping, and strategy input
• Use CRM systems to manage pipelines and track communications effectively
• Support the Global Director of Partnerships and work closely with a peer Trusts and Foundations Manager
• Contribute to delivering the team’s $1.3m target and future growth ambitions

Ideal skills and experience:

• Proven success securing 5-figure+ grants from global trusts and foundations
• Strong written skills, with experience tailoring proposals to global funders and funder motivations
• A confident relationship-builder, who is able to do so remotely and across time zones and cultures
• Highly self-organised, independent, and comfortable managing deadlines and priorities
• Strong understanding of CRM systems and income tracking
• Familiar with the complexities of fundraising for work in Asia or global programme delivery
• Alignment with the mission and values of Animals Asia; sector experience in animal welfare, conservation, or international development is welcome.

Job purpose

This is an exciting time to join Action for ME. With developments in research and policy alongside delivering services which are in high demand, you will enjoy working in a fast-paced and continually changing environment. You will be responsible for overseeing operational programme design and delivery, reporting of progress, and measuring the impact of all Action for ME work to improve the lives of people affected by ME. Better meeting their needs today while taking action to secure change for tomorrow. You will also assist the Chief Executive in implementing the organisational strategy, and by adapting and evolving delivery models on the ground. As you will have operational management and oversight for our Healthcare Services and hold the Designated Safeguarding Lead role for the organisation, you will bring considerable services-related experience at a management and leadership level. The Chief Executive will focus predominately on external matters and therefore you must have experience of managing an organisation to achieve high quality programmes with evidenced impact and motivated teams. You will act for the Chief Executive on topics, as agreed, and deputise during their absence.

Key duties

1. Leadership

• Ensure that children and adults with ME are at the heart of everything we do through meaningful engagement and participation to influence all aspects of our work.
• Deputise for the CEO and represent and promote the Charity at national meetings and events.
• Deputise for the CEO during periods of absence, and in relation to specific matters, issues or elements of operation as delegated from time to time by the CEO, ensuring a consistency of approach and decisions aligned with the organisation’s objectives.
• With the CEO and HR Business Partner, lead on implementing the People and Culture Strategy and ensuring our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging plan is achieved.
• To provide support, leadership and coaching to the Management Team to ensure the smooth running of the organisation and development of the Charity.
• Contribute to the development of the overall strategy for Action for ME, ensuring that the best use is made of available resources within agreed priorities. Ensure that agreed strategy is delivered to target and in line with agreed budgets.
• Work closely with the Chief Executive and Trustees to ensure effective reporting to the Board and sub-committees.

2. Operations & management

• Manage the day-to-day operations of the Charity ensuring high quality service provision that meets all best practice, legal and regulatory frameworks and internal policies and procedures.
• Hold overall management responsibility for our Healthcare Services including the role of the CQC Nominated Individual, ensuring all regulatory requirements and compliance are met.
• Manage the staff and volunteer team, including holding regular meetings and ensure the efficient running of the office ensuring a culture that supports, inspires and motivates the team while ensuring required standards and quality are met at all times through effective performance management.
• Act as the organisational Designated Safeguarding Lead (children and vulnerable adults), working closely with the Designated Safeguarding Officers, colleagues and the Safeguarding Lead Trustee; facilitate the annual safeguarding audit (led by the Lead Trustee) and ensuring safeguarding standards across the organisation are maintained.
• Contribute to the learning and development of key personnel including coaching support (either directly or through the identification of external coaches) to enhance performance.
• Establish (where not already in place) and maintain a clear performance outcome-focused management system driving positive change and improvement across all teams.
• Ensure that policies and procedures are effectively implemented and kept up-to-date to enable the effective management of operations and support growth.
• Take the lead role for data protection, health and safety, compliance and risk management across the organisation and act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

3. Finance & income generation

• Hold financial leadership responsibility, working closely with the Finance Manager and the Fundraising Director to ensure sustainability for our work.
• Ensure effective financial management with procedures in place which are kept up-to-date and implemented accordingly.
• Provide support and engagement, where appropriate, to actively grow our income.

4. Working with others

• Lead, nurture and develop relationships with key stakeholder groups and partner organisations, both locally and nationally, supporting Action for M.’s place as the ‘go to’ organisation for people affected by ME
• Lead on new business ideas and pilot projects in line with the strategic objectives; with colleagues, develop the business case, identify and manage risks, lead implementation across teams, evaluate success and learning and make recommendations for future development.

5. Other key accountabilities

• Be proactive in keeping up to date with developments affecting operations and maintain and improve personal competence through continuous professional development.
• Take direction on projects and priorities from the CEO, which may vary from time to time.
• To ensure best value in all service delivery.

Person specification

Experience and Knowledge

• Proven experience in an operations, leadership, or senior management role, ideally within the charity service delivery or healthcare sector, with the ability to develop and implement strategic plans that drive organisational growth and reporting that demonstrates impact delivered. If you come from outside a support services background, you must demonstrate sound understanding of the regulatory and best practice requirements related to delivering support and/or healthcare services.
• An understanding of ME and associated/overlapping illnesses, the impact on people affected by it or a commitment and ability to understand the illness and lead services to meet the needs of children and adults with ME
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams, including remote workers, and fostering a supportive workplace culture where change is a constant.
• Safeguarding understanding at a management/decision-making level.
• Proven experience of building and nurturing strong relationships internally and externally at all levels.
• A sound understanding of outcome-focused, effective performance management, quality assurance and risk management.
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, financial planning, and resource management in the voluntary sector.

Skills and Behaviours

• Experience of governance, risk management, and compliance, including within regulated services, ideally within a charity and/or service delivery setting.
• Proven ability to think strategically, balance competing demands, use initiative to solve problems and actively seek innovative approaches to problem solving and delivering results.
• Strong interpersonal skills including motivational, negotiating influencing and networking skills which build strong internal and external relationships.
• An ability to understand, analyse and make effective use of data across all of our work.
• A proven ability to coach and motivate staff and to build and lead teams reflecting organisational culture and values, a respectful, constructive and energetic style.
• Proven, strong MS Office skills that supports writing, email, internet and database use.
• Demonstrable ability to work within our organisational values