Administration Jobs in Greater London

The role profile is in draft form and will be finalised in conjunction with the successful candidate, to provide the opportunity to shape the role and success factors.

Job Title: Senior Finance Officer 

Team: Finance 

Location: Hybrid (split between home-working and either London, Cardiff or Edinburgh)

Salary: £31,760 - £47,640 (Grade 3) (pending review)

It’s a very exciting time to join the Ramblers. We have been instrumental in helping Britain experience the great outdoors for almost 90 years. But we are looking to the future, not the past.

We know not everyone has the same access to the outdoors, so we’re continue to fight for change. We campaign, protect paths and lead walks so no matter who you are, you can enjoy the benefits of getting out into the fresh air and wide-open spaces.

We need your drive, knowledge, skills, and creativity to help us raise awareness of the Ramblers and what we stand for, helping the charity grow its supporter base and meet our brand goals. Ultimately, you will help open up the joys and wellbeing benefits of walking to many more people.

About us

You might know us for our group walks, thousands of which take place every week across England, Scotland and Wales.

But there’s a lot more to the Ramblers. Since 1935, we’ve been fighting for the public’s right to enjoy Britain’s landscapes. We do it through campaigning for changes in legislation, opening up green routes in cities, maintaining paths and signposts, saving lost paths … and so much more.

Purpose of Role

Reporting to the Head of Finance, the Senior Finance officer will lead on the day-to-day financial administration. They will provide a high standard of service in key financial and operational functions to include Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Cash management and Banking.

Key responsibilities

• Oversight and maintenance of the purchasing system iDocuments including administrative role, setting up new users and ensuring workflows are configured correctly
• Matching invoices to purchase orders
• Reconciliation of supplier statements
• Preparation of BACS payment runs
• Liaison with colleagues and budget holders to ensure:

- Purchase Orders are raised in advance of spend being committed,

- Purchase Orders are correctly coded

- Invoices are correctly matched to POs

- Goods Receipts Notes are created promptly

• Collaborating with suppliers and colleagues to resolve queries, disputes, or outstanding invoices
• Ensuring supplier details are up-to-date, old details are removed and any change requests are checked in line with best practice
• Carrying out spot-checks on procurement documentation pre-audit
• Manage the filing, storage, archiving and security of documents meeting all Data Protection requirements and responsibilities

Month end tasks, including preparation and maintenance of:

• Aged Debtors reports, with detailed notes on overdue invoices
• Aged Creditors reports, with explanations about any outstanding invoices
• Deferred and accrued income balance sheet account reconciliations
• Accruals and prepayments schedules, to include posting month end journals
• Reconciliations between iDocuments purchasing system and SUNsystems finance system
• Income analysis and pipeline monitoring
• Ensure all Direct Debit payments and associated invoices are posted in the correct period and reviewed periodically
• Monthly credit card reconciliation
• Posting other month end journals as required

Ad-hoc finance team tasks:

• Support to annual audit process.
• Finance inductions for new staff members.
• Credit card administration

Quarterly tasks:

• Preparation of gift aid claim to HMRC

Impact

• Impact: This role is a key player in the finance team and will be crucial in ensuring the Ramblers’ finances are run professionally and efficiently, and our budget holders are well-supported to help them to manage the budgets for their areas.

Other

• Undertake such other duties as may be reasonably required of the post
• Engage and proactively develop excellent working relationships across the organisation

The Person

Qualification

• AAT Level 4 or CIMA/ACCA part-qualified (minimum)
• GCSE English and Mathematics or equivalent.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Knowledge: This section specifies the theoretical understanding or specific expertise needed for the role. 

• Knowledge of and experience in Accounts Payable, including making BACS payments
• Extensive experience of working within an Accounts Department preferably in the non-profit sector
• An understanding of basic book-keeping
• Solid working knowledge of Excel is essential
• Working knowledge of accounting systems (SUNsystems preferred)

Skills

This section details the specific abilities and competencies required to perform the job effectively:

• Exemplary attention to detail
• Strong verbal and written communication aptitude
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel, as well as familiarity with accounts and purchasing software (experience with SUNsystems and/or iDocuments desirable)
• Ability to thrive under tight deadlines, exhibiting exceptional organisational and multi-tasking skills
• Able to identify coding inaccuracies and take appropriate corrective action
• Aptitude for identifying problems, generating solutions, and implementing them effectively
• Strong ability to manage time, prioritise tasks, and maintain orderly work processes
• Expertise in addressing user needs, resolving issues, and providing excellent service
• Ability to generate new ideas and approaches to improve processes or products

Experience

This section specifies the practical, hands-on experience required for the role:

• Proven experience of working in a finance team
• Experience working with different departments or teams within an organisation
• Knowledge of finance in the not-for profit sector

Personal Attributes

• Proactive communication with stakeholders and colleagues at all levels
• Self-starter: Takes initiative and is motivated to go beyond basic job requirements
• Dependable: Trustworthy and responsible, ensuring tasks are completed accurately
• Detail-Oriented: Pays attention to detail, ensuring accuracy and thoroughness in work
• Personable: Friendly and approachable, able to build rapport with colleagues and clients
• Innovative: Embraces new ideas and technologies to improve processes
• Willingness to learn and attend appropriate training and development courses and opportunities
• Commitment to excellence and being part of a high performing team

Salary on appointment

This statement outlines the salary policy for the job role.

• Salary Range: The role has a defined salary range from £31,760 (the minimum salary) to £47,640 (the maximum salary).
• Initial Salary Offer: The initial salary offer will be at the bottom of the range or possibly up to 10% above the base salary, depending on the candidate's skills and experience.

This approach is designed to ensure that new hires are compensated fairly but within the structured pay range for the role.

The Ramblers promote diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Values and Behaviours 

Our values are the core principles that guide us daily in our work and our membership of the Ramblers. We all share the passion that walking is for everyone and by living our shared values we can ensure the Ramblers is an organisation to be proud of. Our values will earn trust for the Ramblers brand which will allow us to open up a world of walking opportunities for even more people. 

 Inclusive – We make everyone feel welcome and part of the Ramblers community. We make sure we all feel respected and accepted and know our contributions make a difference in achieving our mission.   

  Inspiring – We strive to inspire people through the way we act and the things we say. We channel our passion and ambition so others are moved to help us achieve our mission.   

  Empowering – We empower and encourage each other to make a positive contribution to our teams and the Ramblers. We do all we can to make sure everyone has the ability, and feels confident, to take action.    

  Responsible – We take responsibility for ourselves and those around us seriously, by always acting in a safe and supportive way. We care about the environment and make sure we do what we say we will do.  

Philanthropic Partnerships Assistant, Global Greengrants Fund

Application Closing Date: 7 October 2024

Location: Remote or hybrid working within the UK; individuals will be required to attend episodic in-person office days in London as needed and prescribed by the organisation. This role requires applicants to be able to show that they have the right to work in the UK.

Term: full time - 35 hours a week

Organisation: Global Greengrants Fund UK

Salary: Salaries at Global Greengrants Fund UK (GGF UK) are dependent on applicable salary scales, internal pay policies including equity considerations and budget. Due to the ways in which salary negotiations perpetuate existing structural inequities, GGF UK has moved away from salary negotiation processes for any candidate. Our best offer for this position is £35,000 per annum

Benefits: We have improved our benefits package and we now offer 10% employer’s pension contribution, remote and flexible remote working, generous family and sick leave, employee assistance programme, health and life insurances, 28 days annual leave plus all UK bank holidays.

About Global Greengrants Fund:

Global Greengrants Fund (GGF) supports grassroots activists and civil society organisations around the world working to address environmental and social justice in over 160 countries.  GGF applies a participatory and decentralised model in making grants to grassroots groups through regional and thematic boards of advisors, global partner networks and independent funds, to support grassroots environmental and social justice action.

Global Greengrants Fund comprises two organisations located in the USA, Global Greengrants Fund Inc (established in 1993), and Global Greengrants Fund UK (established in 2012). The two organisations work closely together with a shared grantmaking programme and strategic collaboration at the senior leadership level. GGF UK consists of thirteen staff members working on fundraising and influencing philanthropy; finance; communications; and operations, with all of these functions operating autonomously but in close collaboration with their US counterpart functions.

In 2024, Global Greengrants Fund is amid a strategic journey in which we collectively centre our values, including diversity, equity and inclusion, and organisational care in our work, and to rediscover our identity and potential after 30 years of work. We have experienced tremendous growth over the past two years and we are thoughtfully, yet rapidly, growing our annual grantmaking, our philanthropic advocacy, and our global partnerships and collaborations to new levels. This includes creating a globally networked learning organisation and transforming our organisational culture to be more collaborative and self-steering – we call this our transformational journey. The Programme Funding Manager needs to understand the challenges and opportunities that come with these transformations and can remain flexible, steady, and adaptable.

The Role

The Philanthropic Partnerships Assistant plays an important role in supporting the financial sustainability objectives of GGF UK. The postholder is responsible for managing a portfolio of trust and foundations partnerships giving up to $200,000 per year, and will also be responsible for stewarding our portfolio of individual giving supporters donating up to £10,000 per year. The role also contributes to GGF UK’s communications activity in collaboration with our global Communications function, as well as contributing to ensuring that the organisation’s fundraising activity is supported with robust infrastructure and processes.

The position reports to the Head of Philanthropic Partnerships, and works closely with colleagues across Global Greengrants Fund UK and Global Greengrants Fund Inc.

The candidate profile.

The ideal candidate will have relevant experience in fundraising from trusts, foundations, and/or individual donors, ideally within environmental, international, or rights-based organisations. They will demonstrate exceptional attention to detail and time management skills, effectively prioritising tasks to deliver excellent results within a complex, varied, and time-sensitive workload.

With excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, the candidate will have a proven ability to create compelling proposals, presentations, reports, and other materials. They will possess strong IT skills, including proficiency in MS Office, Google Apps, and collaboration tools like Trello and Slack, along with experience using Salesforce or other CRM systems. The candidate will have a strong understanding of and commitment to environmental and social justice, with some knowledge of the issues addressed by Global Greengrants Fund. Additionally, they will have experience working with diverse global communities in a virtual environment.

The ideal candidate will be committed to shifting power in philanthropy, promoting trust-based and power-shifting approaches to philanthropy and grantmaking. The candidate will have a strong understanding of and commitment to environmental and social justice, aligning with the issues Global Greengrants Fund addresses. Additionally, they will excel in building strong alliances with diverse constituencies and managing complex relationships, having experience working with diverse communities worldwide, particularly in a virtual setting.

The right candidate will understand Global Greengrants Fund’s core values and be committed to the guiding principles and mission of Global Greengrants Fund and ensure they uphold them in the way they take up the responsibilities of the role. They will value transparency and accountability, demonstrating strong critical thinking, strategic risk management, and the ability to influence and resolve differences across boundaries. With a high degree of self-awareness and insight, the candidate will excel in building strong interpersonal relationships, both within and outside the organisation, and possess outstanding communication and collaboration skills.

How to apply:

Applications need to be submitted through GGF UK’s job platform by 7 October 2024 at 23:00 GMT. You will be required to complete a set of screening questions and upload a current CV. You will need to submit these in English. If you’re intrigued by this position but feel like you don’t fit the profile precisely, please still apply. 

Global Greengrants Fund UK is an equal opportunities employer. We strongly encourage applicants from all backgrounds and walks of life. We believe that diversity and inclusion among our team is critical to our success. We seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool and welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

About this role

Join the mission to protect our planet's future by becoming our Senior Grant Officer. Synchronicity Earth is a growing organisation with an expanding team, and we are now looking for an experienced Grant Administrator to take ownership of the grant-making process within the team and organisation, building on the structures already in place to ensure we are a supportive and dynamic place to work.

Our grant-making model is unique. We channel philanthropic donations from trusts and foundations, corporate foundations, corporates or individual donors through partners and grantees (identified by our in-house team of conservation experts who make up the ‘Research Team’), which are undertaking conservation work in those areas that most critically need support. The central core and operating costs of Synchronicity Earth are generously covered by the Synchronicity Foundation, which means that any donation we receive is disbursed out to the field without a management or administration fee taken. This enables the donor to have confidence that 100% of their funding is going out to the field and delivering impact.

Synchronicity Earth’s mission is clear: we blend passion and action to provide safe havens for endangered species, support communities living in harmony with nature, and turn conservation into a worldwide effort. By joining, you're not just taking part; you're weaving your own story into a future that's brighter and sustainable for all.

We understand that life sometimes takes unexpected turns, and we welcome candidates who may have taken a career break. Your unique experiences and fresh perspective will only enhance our team's diversity and strengthen our ability to tackle the complex challenges facing our planet.

Specific responsibilities will include the following:

• Oversee and manage the distribution and administration of all grants within our programmes.
• Work with both the Programme and Philanthropy Teams to ensure all grants are matched with the relevant income stream.
• Oversee the grant admin work of programme officers to ensure accuracy and timely delivery of grant paperwork.
• Monitor and track grantee compliance with all report submissions and any other key deliverables.
• Manage the grant pipeline, reporting issues to the Programmes Team, working towards solutions with partners and enabling speedy grant giving.
• Support the Programme Team in development of rolling 3-year plans for funding, and liaise with Philanthropy Team to allow planning for fundraising.
• Provide advice and guidance to applicants and grantees on administrative procedures, policies and practices.
• Act as the internal point of contact for all grants in our database (Salesforce).
• Coordinate and deliver on reporting requirements to the Finance, Research, Operations and Risk teams for all grant giving.
• Support across teams as required on entry, cleaning, research and administration relating to data management.
• Work to develop processes and systems to improve efficiency.

For the right candidate, there will be opportunities to increase your experience and responsibilities and potential career development as the organisation grows.

Essential skills and experience

• Grant management experience (at least 3 years).
• Experience of working with finance and database systems i.e., Salesforce, NetSuite, Fluxx.
• Proven track record of managing grant pipelines and financial implications.
• Proven track record of working and communicating across multiple teams and stakeholders.
• Excellent attention to detail.

Candidates from Black, Asian, and Minority-Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds and people with disabilities with the above essential criteria who opt-in to our Guaranteed Interview Scheme will enter the first recruitment stage, see more information at the bottom of this advert.

Your development: skills and experience from this role

The following list is meant to provide guidance for your application while also demonstrating the type of skills and experience you will utilise and develop as part of this role. If there is anything here which you currently have no experience in, but would like to develop, then this would be a great role for you. Please let us know in your application if any of these particularly appeal to you, or you have some experience already.

Key skills and training:

• Experience of working with a diverse range of global organisations i.e., local grassroots, BINGOs etc.
• Experience of working in the charitable sector.
• Experience of working in the environmental sector.
• Project management skills.
• Accountancy skills.
• Second language (French, Spanish).

About us

Synchronicity Earth is a UK-based, global environmental charity which funds and supports organisations and individuals that aim to make our planet a better place to live for all its inhabitants.

We are a medium-sized charity which supports partners working to protect less well-known species and ecosystems around the world that receive less attention but face the greatest threats. We do this through our conservation Programmes, which identify, fund, and support organisations with a focus on: Amphibians, Asian Species, Congo Basin, Biocultural Diversity, Freshwater, and Ocean. We also support projects across two other areas: the More than Carbon initiative, a portfolio of climate and biodiversity projects targeted at corporate donors; and the Synchronicity Portfolio, which aims to foster systemic change to promote a greater focus on biodiversity conservation within different sectors. Our partners are mostly organisations embedded within their local communities, and often projects which also consider social impacts such as women’s health and empowerment, engagement with Indigenous Peoples, and sustainable livelihoods (e.g., small-scale fisheries) in addition to wildlife conservation.

Our workplace values and culture

We pride ourselves on having an open and inclusive culture. Our team supports each other and encourages new ideas and creativity to help us develop new projects and reach new audiences with our work. We aim to apply the same dedication to a flourishing diversity of people and wildlife on our planet through our programmes to our working environment and strive to make this environment open and inclusive for everyone. We recognise that the environment sector (and our organisation, as part of it) does not reflect the diversity of the global community it serves (particularly in terms of ethnic diversity) and has a long way to go to be as inclusive as possible to ensure people from all backgrounds and personal situations feel welcome in the workplace.

Reporting, location, and work hours

This position is a permanent position that is based in Synchronicity Earth offices in Central London, with the option for hybrid office/home working if the successful applicant wishes with a minimum of 3 days a week in the office (laptop would be provided for home working). During a 6-month probationary period we would require 4 days per week in the office.  The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the UK until at least the end of 2028, we cannot accept applicants who require visa sponsorship for this role. 

Application & Recruitment Process

Inclusion is a priority throughout our workplace culture and is embedded in our recruitment process (we are actively still seeking to improve it through employee and candidate suggestions). For example, the first stage of recruitment will be anonymised to mitigate against unconscious bias. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds for this role, particularly non-graduates, and are happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Please let us know at any stage during the recruitment process if you have any accessibility requirements, we can accommodate for you, and which pronouns you would like to be referred to by.

How to apply:

• Fill in our candidate survey.
• Submit a cover letter (one side of A4) outlining any relevant skills and experience you have for this role, why it interests you, and any particular skills that you would like to develop in this role, with your CV (no longer than two sides of A4) via Charity Jobs.

Closing date for applications: 22nd September 2024, 12noon

Expected first-stage interview dates:

• First Stage Interviews (Zoom): 30th September - 4 October 2024 (TBC)
• Second Stage Interviews (in-person): 7th October - 10th October 2024 (TBC).
  • Step free access and accessible bathroom available.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

We recognise that people from Black, Asian, and Minority-Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds and people with disabilities are under-represented in our sector, and that there are often additional barriers present for people from these groups when applying for roles in the charity sector and beyond.

As part of our commitment to attract and retain talented individuals from under-represented groups to the conservation and environment sector, if you belong to these groups, you can opt in to the Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) in our candidate survey (found in the supplementary material). If you meet the essential criteria for a role, you'll be guaranteed a first-stage assessment. In most cases, this will be a 20-minute interview held via Zoom, however, in the case of an extraordinary number of applicants, the first-stage candidates (including GIS) will receive a short assessment. The results of this assessment will be used to select candidates for the second-stage interview.

When asked what they love most about working at Rainforest Trust UK, our staff say it is feeling they are making a difference and taking direct action on some of the biggest issues of our time: climate change, biodiversity loss and Indigenous Peoples' rights. They also like being part of a small, friendly, and supportive team, where they feel they can have a direct input into decisions and our direction.

This is a great opportunity for someone to gain experience in our small, but growing, charity, supporting the team to reach our funding goals for Rainforest Trust’s vital projects internationally. The Fundraising Assistant will have a varied role supporting a broad range of fundraising strands and take responsibility for some of our supporter care, CRM administration, digital communications (including social media) and community fundraising.

You may not have experience in all of these areas, but you will be a fast learner and willing to pick things up on the job. You will be an excellent communicator, with strong interpersonal skills to speak to and thank donors both verbally and in writing. You will also have strong IT skills, be organised, proactive, and committed. 

You will share our values and passion for protecting the environment and will show genuine care in supporting our donors to give to the rainforests. We want our staff to be as diverse as the nature we seek to protect, so we particularly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented within the conservation sector, including people of colour and people with disabilities. We recognise that your experience may be from unpaid roles as well as formal employment. We want to know why you’re the right person for this role, not whether you’ve been given the right opportunities. If your experience doesn’t entirely match the person specification but you feel you could bring value to the role we’d encourage you to apply.

What we offer
- This is a 2-year fixed term contract with the potential for an extension if the role delivers the expected outcomes.
- Annual FTE salary is £26,000
- We offer 25 days’ annual leave, plus 8 bank holidays (pro-rated)

Who we are
Rainforest Trust is a leading global organisation sponsoring the creation and expansion of protected and conserved areas, playing a central role in combating biodiversity loss and fighting climate change. We have already placed over 50 million acres under permanent protection across 72 countries, and recent surveys show that 99% of the rainforest we have protected since 1988 remains intact.

Rainforest Trust UK (RTUK) is set up as a separate charity to tax-efficiently raise funds from donors here in the UK for Rainforest Trust’s conservation projects. We are currently a team of seven people, but we are affiliated to, and supported by, the Rainforest Trust team in the U.S., which has a team of about 40 staff. In 2023 the global charity raised $46 million for conservation projects in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, with the UK charity contributing £2.2 million of this.

We currently work remotely, meeting up 2 days per month in London to work alongside each other in a shared office, or to run events for our supporters. 

Key Responsibilities (see attached job description for full list)
- Deal promptly with donations received on a daily basis, following our processes to ensure supporters are appropriately thanked.
- Respond to day-to-day enquiries from Rainforest Trust UK supporters via phone, email and post.
- Support the Fundraising Manager in sending communications to the donor base, utilising content from Rainforest Trust Global, checking for accuracy and ensuring all communications adhere to Rainforest Trust’s brand guidelines.
- Lead on the daily management of Rainforest Trust UK’s social media channels, including scheduling posts and responding to comments/messages.
- Be the main point of contact for fundraisers, schools and other community groups raising funds for Rainforest Trust UK.

Person Specification - see attached job description document

Working Arrangements and Travel Requirements - You will be predominantly home-based (so you will need an excellent internet connection) and expected to commute to London two days per month to work in-person, alongside the team.

We are flexible as to how many hours this postholder works, and will consider a 4-5 day per week arrangement.

Equal Opportunity Employer - Rainforest Trust UK is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to developing a diverse and inclusive working environment. We recognise that promoting diversity and eliminating discrimination in our work will bring benefits for our people, our organisation and our charitable purpose. We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief or any other protected characteristic.