Financial Controller Jobs

• Director of Finance for prestigious Surrey independent private school
• ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified accountant - All sectors considered

About Our Client

The Director of Finance is responsible for the financial management of St George's Weybridge, a £30m business with over 500 staff. The post holder will fulfil a wide range of responsibilities and roles in connection with the financial strategy, accounting and general financial management of the School. The post is the most senior finance professional on the staff and reports directly to the Bursar, who is effectively the CFO/COO. As such, the Director of Finance has frequent direct contact with Governors and the Heads and attends the Governors' Finance and Risk Committee meetings.

The Director of Finance is a member of the Business Senior Management Team and leads a team of 8 staff, comprising the Management Accountant, Payroll and People Accountant, Fees Controller, Interim Project Accountant, Purchase Ledger Assistant and two Finance Assistants. A new role of Financial Accountant has been established and the successful candidate will have the opportunity to influence this role and appointment.

Job Description

• Formulate the financial strategy of the School alongside Governors and the Executive Leadership Team (consisting of the two Heads and the Bursar).
• Attend meetings of the Finance and Risk Committee of the Board of Governors, preparing financial reports and papers and leading on financial items tabled for discussion or decision.
• Attend and contribute to ad-hoc Governor meetings and discussions as required.
• Alongside the Bursar and the Heads, implement the School's strategic financial plans.
• Work closely with ELT to formulate operational spending plans and priorities.
• Work closely with the Director of HR on people strategies.
• Exhibit the behaviours and standards befitting a senior leader of St George's Weybridge, demonstrating and promoting the School's ethos and values.
• Lead and manage the staff in the Finance Department.
• Bring financial risks and opportunities to the attention of the Bursar and Governors.
• Conduct modelling and feasibility studies as appropriate.
• Review and implement changes to the system of financial control and reporting.
• Oversee production of monthly management information and bring appropriate matters to the attention of the Bursar, Heads and budget holders.
• Prepare papers for, attend, and contribute to the dealings of the Finance and Risk Committee.
• Prepare financial appraisals and reviews of major projects.
• Prepare long term forecasts and sensitivity analysis.
• Undertake competitor analysis and benchmarking studies.
• Retain financial awareness of external changes and development and provide recommendations and advice to the Bursar, including a thorough knowledge of relevant accounting requirements, such as GAAPs, FRSs and the Charity Commission SORP.
• Proactively investigate and promote ways of improving value for money.
• All accounting functions including nominal, purchase and fee ledgers, fixed asset register and the payroll.
• Oversee the staff and systems delivering all aspects of payroll.
• The accurate and timely production of management and financial accounts.
• The internal control environment.
• Management and control of fee collection.
• Preparation of the consolidated statutory accounts for St George's Weybridge and subsidiary companies.
• Liaising with external auditors on all matters connected with the annual audit of the School's accounts and other external accountancy advice.
• Preparing annual budgets and termly forecasts, including cash flow projections for the current and future years.
• Maintain, review and ensure compliance with the School's Financial Procedures Manual.
• Preparation of internal financial management reports, accounts and briefing papers, including monthly management accounting information to include cash flow statements and forecasts.
• Control of the treasury management function in order to ensure the most efficient and secure deployment of cash.
• Ensuring compliance with external regulators, including HMRC, the Charity Commission and Companies House.
• Being responsible for accurate and timely tax returns and tax reclaims, with professional advice where necessary, preparing recommendations for mitigating potential VAT and any other tax liabilities.

The Successful Applicant

• Formal Accounting qualification and experience of working in the commercial, educational or charity sectors.
• Experience of compliance with legislation and regulations relevant to the position
• Experience of contract negotiation
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Ability to analyse and manipulate financial data.
• Competent in the use of IT, notably MS Office applications and the ability to use modern financial software tools.
• Proven experience of managing a team within a complex organisation
• Empathy with the ethos and values of St George's Weybridge.
• Personal warmth, tenacity and a transparent collaboration style.
• A 'can-do' attitude with a sense of humour and proportion.
• A flexible approach to work, both in terms of responding to changing or unforeseen circumstances and being willing to work outside of regular hours as the need arises

What's on Offer

Hybrid working opportunity

Flexible working

Generous pension scheme

School fee child remission of 50%

Life & personal accident insurance

Free meals and parking

Employee loans

Medial support and employee assistance programme

Local retailer discounts

Where specific UK qualifications are required we will take into account overseas equivalents. All third party applications will be forwarded to Michael Page.

Senior Finance Manager | £55,000 - £64,600 | 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
• 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
• 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
• 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

________

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.

King's College Taunton

Finance Manager

£48,000 - £58,000 plus excellent benefits and holiday

Reporting to the Director of Finance and Operations you will provide operational management of the finance department of the school, ensuring accurate financial reporting, appropriate financial controls are in place, that cash is managed prudently and that the department provides timely and relevant support to the business

Key Responsibilities include:

• Manage the finance team and the day to day running of the Finance Department to support the operation of the Prep and Senior School and subsidiary companies.
• Prepare management accounts, including balance sheet for the School and its subsidiaries each month showing the financial performance and position of each entity compared with budget, and produce a concise commentary on variances and other matters of significance and review with the DFO
• Providing information for the DFO and Finance and Council meetings as required
• With the DFO, prepare annual budgets for review
• Manage the annual audit and prepare audit files for submission by required date and manage the audit onsite field work team
• Prepare the annual Statement of Financial Activities and Balance Sheets for the School and its enterprise and international companies
• Assist DFO in preparation of annual Directors' Report
• Prepare monthly cash statements and aged debtor analyses
• Prepare cash flow statements each term
• Ensure the fixed asset register is maintained and depreciation calculated accurately
• Ensure that all intercompany transactions are properly reflected in the accounts of each company and in the consolidated financial statements of the School
• Prepare group VAT returns for the School's and subsidiaries and monitor non-VATable transactions for the Charity in respect of registration requirements
• Reverse VAT charges for overseas agents
• Liaise with VAT consultant where necessary
• Corporation Tax Returns for trading subsidiaries in conjunction with advisor
• Reconcile bank accounts for restricted funds and analysis of fund market values and ensure all other bank accounts are reconciled monthly (fees and operating accounts)
• Reconciliation (and supervision) of all major nominal ledger control accounts
• Liaising with overseas partner schools re income and payments
• Reporting on investment portfolios
• Daily management of cash and optimisation of income from cash deposits
• Managing daily posting of all fees and operating bank accounts by Finance Team
• Managing the purchase ledger operation.
• Accurately managing accruals and prepayments and reporting for audit
• Recognising all non-fee/other income appropriately including donations, restricted and non-restricted

London: £70,995 to £87,781 | National: £68,407 to £76,800 

The College of Policing is the professional body for the police service in England and Wales who work to share knowledge and good practice, set standards, and support professional development for police officers and staff. Although we're a small organisation, our work has a big reach. We are uniquely placed to work both with national policing organisations and local forces to support frontline officers, staff and volunteers in their day-to-day roles.  We offer a supportive and inclusive environment for people to thrive.

This post can be based remotely with occasion travel to the headquarters in Ryton-on-Dunsmore (CV8 3EN) or regional offices including London, for individuals based close to an COP office then the team are in a couple of days a week. They offer extensive flexible-working policy, employee wellbeing support, family friendly policies, employers’ network for equality and inclusion membership (ENEI silver award winners), and status as a disability confident leader means everyone can bring their whole self to work.

The Head of Finance and Procurement will report to and work closely with the Director of Enabling Services leading the Finance Team. This team is highly competent, reliable, and experienced in what they do. A Senior Leadership role supporting the Chief Executive and Directors to lead, plan and implement the College’s agreed strategic priorities, ensuring products are fit for purpose and have the greatest overall benefit for end-users in policing.

The key responsibilities of the Head of Finance and Procurement will be:

• Engage, build and influence relationships with internal and external stakeholders providing strategic vision, leadership and accountability. Evaluate the impact of College policy, products and services to understand stakeholder impact and contribution to the College’s agreed strategic priorities Champion the efficient use of College resources and budgets
• Develop transformational strategy, policy and proposals to deliver the organisation’s agreed strategic priorities, utilising research and best evidence to apply rigour and challenge.
• Lead financial and procurement strategies and planning for the organisation, making appropriate and timely recommendations to the Executive and College Board
• Lead the overall management of day-to-day internal financial controls and assets including the detection and monitoring of fraud, and financial risk management
• Identify, analyse and manage strategic risks proactively, reporting, escalating and putting in place mitigation as appropriate and ensuring all risk assessment is timely, proportionate and balanced with the operational realities and requirements of policing
• Develop, lead and performance manage individuals through line management and/or matrix management arrangements as required, ensuring adequate resourcing is planned to meet objectives and that project and programme management disciplines support the delivery of key initiatives

The successful Head of Finance and Procurement will have:

• You must be ACCA, CIMA or ACA fully qualified finance professional
• Strong ability to build effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels and work collaboratively to achieve objectives
• You will have led a team or teams during your career
• Strong ability to effectively challenge and influence others, including more senior colleagues and stakeholders, to ensure the right outcome is achieved
• You will have experience of managing budgets and forecasts, dealing with external stakeholders (such as internal and external audit), and have been involved in risk management and performance management
• Able to communicate with, engage and inspire others at all levels

Robertson Bell is exclusively partnering with the College of Policing to recruit a new Head of Finance & Procurement with the role based remotely or from one of the offices. The benefits package is generous including up to 31 days of personal annual leave and around 28% Employer contribution to pension. 

Training and Education Lead

Position: Training and Education Lead: Parental Cover (8 months)

Location: London/Hybrid

Salary: £19,000 for 8 months (pro rated from £28.5k)

Hours: Full-time

Contract: Fixed term 8 months

Benefits: Pension; up to 26 days holidays (plus an additional two days at Christmas for office closure); training and development opportunities; contribution to further studies and study leave allowance

We reserve the right to close the role early should a suitable candidate be found before this date. Applicants are required to submit a current CV and cover letter.

About the role:

This role is for an events person who can support our training and development courses. These courses are delivered either face-to-face or hybrid and are often delivered by a team of the organisation’s members. We use tools such as WebEx, MS Teams and Slido to support the delivery. There is an agreed schedule for the rest of 2024 for our public (open) training plus some bespoke, in-house training to be agreed upon with clients. There will also be additional in-house training to be secured for the remainder of 2024 and the first part of 2025.

The role holder will work within our professional development team, headed up by the director of professional development. They will report directly to the director and work alongside other team members to deliver an effective apprenticeship programme.

Our working pattern is hybrid, with attendance in the office expected for three days per week, including every Wednesday. You may also be expected to attend events across the UK and overseas.

Key responsibilities include:

• Negotiate contracts with suppliers to meet the agreed requirements and budget, liaising with the DPD as required.
• Organise and attend volunteer Working Party meetings as required.
• Working with the volunteers, external suppliers and DPD, ensure all requirements are clearly defined, appropriate and in place for the course to be delivered.
• Liaise with suppliers and contributors to deliver and sign off the online activity.
• Work with the DPD and others to identify potential speakers.
• Support the DPD to negotiate and agree contracts with speakers.
• Work with clients and speakers to agree on delivery dates.
• Process bookings via iMIS, including sending confirmations to delegates.
• Respond to queries from potential delegates and their employers.
• Support current delegates with queries on their programme and progress.
• Work with the DPD and Financial Controller to put together the draft budget for specific events, bursary scheme, or online development activities.
• Supply up-to-date information on the bursary holder’s progress and course uptake to inform budgetary, marketing, and other management decisions.

About you:

To be successful in this role, you will need experience managing events (face to face and hybrid) including liaising with speakers and managing the technology. You will be able to work with colleagues to identify and contact potential speakers. You will also be able to manage the budget for the course delivery. To be successful at the organisation, you will need to be able to work in a small team, be flexible in accommodating changing priorities and thrive in an ever-changing environment.

You will also bring with you the following skills and experience:

• A qualification or experience in event management including online and bespoke courses.
• Strong planning and prioritisation skills with the ability to multitask.
• Excellent oral and written English.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills including record-keeping and attention to detail.
• Excellent Customer Service skills.

• Basic financial awareness and understanding for example working to a budget and controlling costs.
• General IT skills including MS Office (e.g. Word mail merges and Excel reporting).
• An aptitude to learn new software/portals and experience with customer databases such as iMIS, webinars and eLearning platforms will be an advantage.

How to apply:

Applicants are invited to submit a cover letter explaining why this role is of interest and setting out details of your current/most recent position, including a brief description of your duties and responsibilities, start date, current salary and notice period. You should also send in a CV with details of your educational and professional qualifications and employment history, giving details of your responsibilities and the experience gained.

You must indicate in your cover letter how you adhere to the criteria set out in the specific duties and responsibilities of the post and competency specification, referring to evidence presented in the curriculum vitae.

About the organisation:

The employer is a not-for-profit association with stunning offices near Canary Wharf in London. With a strong membership in over 60 countries, drawn from the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies, and support services, they support regulatory professionals to deliver better, safer healthcare for patients.  They offer an extensive range of regulatory affairs education and professional development, both for members and the wider regulatory community, in human medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, medical devices and veterinary sectors.

They are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their gender, race, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.

Other roles you may have experience in could include Events Management, Events Supervisor, Meeting and Events Manager, Education Lead, Training Lead, Education and Training Manager, Training and Education Manager, Resource and Evaluation Manager, Training Officer, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Impact Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation Learning Specialist etc.

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.

As the most senior finance professional within the organisation, the Group Accountant has overall responsibility for the quality of the consolidated financial reporting, and for supporting the Business Director with managing financial risk, setting financial strategy, and ensuring that Trustees are appropriately informed of the financial position of the charity.

The Group Accountant is expected to coordinate the preparation of high quality consolidated financial reporting. He or she will set high standards for school finance teams, support them in their work, provide advice, develop constructive working relationships and facilitate the sharing of best practice.

MIST is proud of being one of the larger charities in the UK by turnover. Our ethos and values are at the heart of all that we do, and the Group Accountant is expected to reflect these in the quality and manner of his or her work.

Accounts Receivable Supervisor.

Permanent position
Hybrid working
£34,000 - £37,000 Salary

14% pension contribution

35 days annual leave + 8 days bank holiday.

Morgan law are working exclusively with the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama for the recruitment of an Accounts Receivable Supervisor.

Reporting into the Head of Finance and managing a credit controller, your responsibilities will include:

To be responsible for the accurate maintenance of the Student Billing module in the finance accounting system.

Manage and maintain an accurate debtor control record, adjusting student fee records to ensure that students have been correctly billed by raising invoices and credit notes accordingly.

* Ensure School fees are paid in line with agreed deadlines and liaise with students to resolve payment queries including setting up individual payments plans in a speedy, accurate and professional manner.

* Provide analysis of tuition fee income and provide information to management for monthly, quarterly, end of year financial reporting and periodic reconciliation purposes.

* Develop and manage communications plan for students regarding payment dates and methods of payment.

* Oversee the Sales Ledger, raising all invoices and credit notes for other income streams including Student Support Services, Short Courses, Research and other departments.

* Send accurate monthly statements to students/customers.

* Produce monthly sales ledger analysis including aged debtor report.

* To maintain accurate and appropriate credit control procedures in line with the school policy and proactively manage the collection of all outstanding debts.

* Advise Head of Finance regarding potential bad debt risk and adequacy of bad debt provision

The client will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so apply early so you do not miss out.

English for Action 

Operations  Lead

Salary: £23,595 (£39325 pro-rated) (likely increase from August 1st to keep up with inflation) 

Hours: 22.5 (3 days) per week

Location: Work from home, with occasional meetings in London required (travel at employee’s expense). 

Duration of contract: permanent 

Closing date for Easy Apply applications: Tuesday May 7th, end of day
Closing date for further applications: Wednesday May 15th, end of day

Interviews to be held on: Friday May 17th in the afternoon

Reporting to: The trustee HR subgroup and a line manager on the Executive Team

The role at a glance: Leading on EFA’s operations, with particularly emphasis on financial management and HR support for our small team of (currently) 8 employees. You’ll develop and administer our People policies, practices and culture to support EFA as a happy, equitable place to work and an effective mission-focused organisation. Scope for both day-to-day care for our systems and creative improvement of how we do things. In addition, to oversee EFA finances; payments received and paid, budgeting, monitoring any financial risks and advising with records/reports to the board of trustees and staff team on a monthly basis.   Read more about the role.

You at a glance: You’re passionate about the community organising and education work we do with migrants in London and the radical participatory ethos of EFA London. You bring strong experience of ‘People work’ and governance of groups or organisations (whether paid or unpaid), with an interest in how to bring the best of conventional operations practisce into a team interested in a more equal distribution of power. You’re a ‘people person’, combining strong communication skills with a strategic eye on moving towards solutions. You’re committed to anti-oppression and promoting healthy workplaces for staff. You have a fastidious approach to the administration which underpins all of this. 

About EFA

English for Action provides free, participatory, and empowering English language classes (ESOL) for migrants in London. Our classes are spaces to build community and support students to organise collectively around issues like employment and housing rights. Our work currently supports around 500 adult migrants across London. We’ve become a national centre of good practice for a radical participatory approach to ESOL, informed by the work of Paulo Freire, and we share this approach through trainings, research and partnerships. 

Organisation: We are a staff team of 8 people supported by a larger team of volunteers and 9 trustees. EFA promotes shared leadership and collaboration and we aim for our organisational structure to reflect this. In the last 4 years we’ve transitioned away from having a CEO to an executive team to oversee operations and decision-making - which you could be elected to join following your probation period. We’re still in transition and there is scope to make a real contribution to developing innovative practice within our workplace. As a charity, ultimate responsibility for, and control of, the organisation lies with the Board of Trustees. 

EFA employee benefits include: 

• Pension scheme with employer matched contribution, currently at 6%. 

• Pay rises in line with inflation wherever possible (we have a flat pay structure) 

• Tech and cycle scheme

• Flexible working possible based on your needs 

• Continuous Personal Development actively encouraged and training opportunities explored. 

• Enhanced annual leave: starts with 24 days per annum pro rata, rising to 32 days per annum pro rata plus Bank Holidays (pro-rata for part-time hours) after probation, with some restrictions on when holidays must be taken.

• Full entitlement to days off for sickness (including mental ill-health), compassionate leave, bereavement leave, and parental leave 

• Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental leave pay 

• Enhanced sick pay 

• Collaborative decision making on organisational strategy and practice

• Working within an organisation that makes a huge difference in communities across London and the UK. 

Recruitment process / how to apply

We know applying to jobs can be time consuming! And often candidates with lots of relevant experience can be put off if they don’t fit every part of the job description. 

So, we’re using an ‘Easy Apply’ form, where you can attach a CV and fill out three questions to express interest in this role. Even if you are not sure you quite fit all the specifications - give it a go. It may take as little as 10 minutes. 

We’ll then encourage you to apply at Stage 2 if we feel you have relevant skills and
experience. You’ll then have another  week  to complete a few further questions. 

Get in touch if you’d like to chat informally about any aspect of this job description or the role: 

The Biochemical Society and its wholly owned publishing subsidiary Portland Press Ltd (PPL) are seeking an experienced and influential leader to join us as our new Chief Executive, from January 2025 on the retirement of the current postholder Kate Baillie. You will play a crucial role in shaping and delivering a new strategy to increase our income, partnership, and growth potential.

The Biochemical Society was founded in 1911 and currently has around 5,000 members. It is a learned society that is at the forefront of advancing molecular bioscience, promoting its importance as a discipline, facilitating the sharing of knowledge and expertise, and supporting molecular bioscientists across all career stages.

We are looking for a Chief Executive who can continue to grow our profile and positive reputation. To us, this means continuing our excellent work with our trustees, staff, community and stakeholders, enhancing our growth and building new partnerships.

As our new Chief Executive, you will lead us to empower individuals by developing and diversifying our income, providing inspiring leadership to our committed, expert and established team, and acting as an effective advocate and ambassador for the Society.

The Public Affairs Assistant will work with the Public Affairs Manager, Director of Policy and Evidence and the Policy and Campaigns Team to help influence decision makers and build stronger relationships with stakeholders, and ensure there is better understanding of the impact that challenges with talking and understanding words can have on a child and young person’s life. 

We are Speech and Language UK (formerly I CAN) – we want every child to face the future with confidence. For 1.9 million children in the UK learning to talk and understand words feels like an impossible hurdle. We want to reach children earlier to make sure every child has the skills to face the future. We design innovative tools and training for staff in schools and settings, give families the confidence and skills to help their child and put pressure on politicians to prioritise support for children.

The post-holder will:

· Provide the administrative support to the Speech, Language and Communication Alliance playing a key role in support the charity to foster stronger relationships with key partners

· Support the Public Affairs Manager in dissemination of briefings and correspondence with parliamentarians and civil servants, including setting up meetings

· Attend meetings as required, both in person and online to facilitate record keeping and liaison

· Maintain the Microsoft Team and SharePoint sites so that documents and notes are securely stored and accessible and version control is maintained.

We are keen to hear from you if you have:

· Previous office/administrative experience (paid or unpaid).

· Proficiency in Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written).

· Commitment to the overall aims of the charity.

· Flexible, positive attitude towards performing a variety of duties.

· Willingness to develop/learn in the role.

To apply, please submit your up-to-date CV and a covering letter of no more than two pages, addressing how you meet the criteria above by Monday 29th April, 9am. Interviews are due to take place on 7th May. 

Please note that we will not close applications before this time and date as we recognise that candidates put in a lot of time and effort into making an application and we want to give each of you the time and space to put in an application you feel proud of.

Please note that we will not shortlist candidates who do not submit a CV and a supporting statement.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, unfortunately, we are not always able to respond to every applicant. If you have not received a response within one week after the closing date, you have not been successful on this occasion.

Speech and Language UK is passionate about promoting equality, valuing diversity and working inclusively. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons particularly Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic applicants, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce.

We are committed to safer recruitment practices and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos? Then Advance Charity could be the career choice for you!

We are looking for a Senior Keyworker

Salary: £26,000 - £28,000

Location: Kent (Canterbury) – also in community probations

Hours:   25 Hours per week, with some working from home

Contract: Fixed term until 2025 (possibility to extend to 2026)

This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.  

Please note: Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, and satisfactory enhanced DBS check. This role is also subject to Police Vetting.

About us

Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending.  We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community. 

We are a community-based organisation who lead in best practice approaches to supporting women in their local community. We achieve this by being available to meet and support women in local settings and at our women’s centres, and by working in close partnership with other agencies.

Our values are to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaboration, innovation, and accountability. 

About the role:

Working as a Senior Keyworker you will be responsible for supervising a small group of keyworkers, planned and ad-hoc supervision is an integral part of the Senior role, and you will be supporting keyworkers with monthly supervision and have oversight of safeguarding for the women they work with.  You will be supporting the quality control for the region which will include dip-checks and data input.

About You:

To be successful as the Senior Keyworker you will need the below experience and skills:

You will have an in-depth knowledge of the range of needs and interventions required for women offenders. The ability to lead a small team to deliver inclusive, innovative and professional services.  The ability to not only maintain own a small caseload of women, never compromising on quality engagements, but also to role model best practice and lead a small team of Kent wide Keyworkers

How to apply:

Please submit your up-to-date CV with a supporting statement. Please note that only applications made via the job advert on the Advance careers page, and those that include a cover letter will be considered. 

· Closing Date for Applications: Sunday 5  May 2024 @23:59

· Interviews are taking place on a rolling basis

*Advance reserves the right to close the advert early, or on the appointment of a candidate.

What we can offer you - Employee Benefits: 

• A 35-hour working week
• An exceptional 30 days of paid holiday per year (pro rata for part time), PLUS public holidays on top (that's nearly 40 days paid holiday per year!) 
• Additional days off to celebrate International Women’s Day, and for religious observance and moving home
• Perkbox - an employee discount platform where you can receive free rewards as well as take advantage of savings on clothes, groceries, travel, leisure and more
• Pension scheme
• Enhanced maternity/adoption provision
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee eye-care scheme
• Clinical supervision for front line staff and first line management roles
• Refer a Friend Scheme - £250 for each referral who passes probation
• Organisation wide away days
• Thorough induction and training
•  Career development pathways 

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Under the Equality Act 2010, we are required to make any reasonable adjustments. If you have a disability as defined under this act and/or have special needs, please email the Talent Acquisition Team via the Advance website and will aim to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate your needs.

Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and actively seek to recruit people from groups underrepresented in our current team. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay and benefits.

Safeguarding

Advance is committed to safeguarding and creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm and expects all staff, including volunteers to share this commitment. We believe all individuals have the right to live their life free from violence and abuse and the right to feel and be safe.  We have a suite of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice guidance, accessible to all staff, which promotes safeguarding and safer working practices across all our services and activities. When we recruit staff, we follow rigorous safer recruitment practices, this involves carrying out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and identity checks.  We ensure all staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training relevant to their role and responsibilities, to empower them to be competent and feel confident in recognising and responding appropriately to safeguarding issues and promote wellbeing.

Job Description

The Head of Advocacy and Policy will be responsible for developing an excellent Advice Service and Retention Team to support and advise students effectively to enable excellent student experience and satisfaction.

This role will lead on the development of effective insights, representation and support initiatives/campaigns for students, across our three campuses at Greenwich, Avery Hill and Medway.

This role will enhance work with the diverse student population of the University of Greenwich and lead a dynamic team to ensure students have consistent and accessible services that contribute to positive student experience.

This role sits within the wider Membership Services department, together with other key areas consisting of; Activities, Sport, Academic Communities, Representation and Democracy, we provide a high-quality service for students, that they can shape, steer and be at the heart of.

This postholder will be part of the GSU Senior Leadership Team and will be expected to contribute to department and organisation wide strategic development.

The post holder will:

• Have expert knowledge in areas of in relation to Advice and Retention and policies and legislation relating to such activity
• Support and develop strong student-led communities and campaigns in areas of: Advice, wellbeing and retention so that members can thrive
• Provide line management support to staff so that the team have up to date, specialist advice skills, knowledge and understanding of University regulations, policies and procedures that may affect the work of the Advice service and oversee engagement across Greenwich’s 3 campuses
• Undertake casework and provide expert advice for the team on all aspects of Advice
• Lead on the project management of wellbeing/health promotion campaigns and initiatives throughout the year, as well as any external bids through bodies such as OfS
• Oversee the Retention and Wellbeing Project work, and other relevant projects with external partners
• Lead on insights work relating to retention, wellbeing and support
• Lead on responses to external consultation and enquiry responses, including but not limited to OfS, Department for Education, OIA and Universities UK
• Support elected officers to deliver on campaigning priorities
• Ensure the Advice service has the skills and is equipped to support the diverse needs of students at Greenwich and Kent at Medway.
• Provide regular insights and reports on the GSU Membership to inform our strategy and service provision
• Work with other Heads to develop relevant and modern Front of House services for each GSU campus ensuring ease of access and consistency for all members.

Key Areas

• Be an engaged and active member of the Senior Leadership team, contributing regularly and working collaboratively with peers
• Provide leadership, strategic direction and day to day operational management to the Advocacy and Policy: recruiting and inducting members of staff, motivating, supporting and developing team members to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge for their roles as well as manage performance
• Develop a proactive results driven culture within the team, ensuring agreed objectives and targets are delivered, whilst promoting a collaborative approach to working with internal departments
• Develop succession plans and identify training and development opportunities within the team
• Be accountable for the quality of outputs of the team
• Provide support to the Officer team helping and equipping them, particularly in their roles as representatives and providing pastoral support and guidance.
• Ensure the whole organisation is aware of and understands the work of the Advocacy and Policy Team and its contribution to our strategic objectives
• To maintain expert and up-to-date knowledge on sector policies and regulations relating to advice, retention and student success, providing relevant guidance to officers and staff as required.
• Develop and promote a culture of continuous improvement across the team to ensure we can adapt to changing students’ needs and priorities, as well as building on successes and preparing for the future.

Strategic Development

• Contribute to the strategic objectives of GSU, with a particular focus on advice, support and wellbeing in relation to the student experience
• Develop and oversee a new and innovative approach to proactive health and wellbeing campaigns that empower students to look after themselves and each other, as well as seeking support
• Lead on Access and Participation Plan Engagement, acting as the key contact on this area with the University.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with relevant senior UoG staff and departments including Student Academic Services, Faculties and our partners at Kent Unio
• Develop and oversee the Advice service to support advocacy initiatives at multiple levels within the University, ensuring both students and University stakeholders view GSU as a credible and reliable source of information on the needs of students.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Develop and oversee a structured approach to gathering, analysing and reporting on data relating to engagement of students with our services and to student views on key issues relating to retention and success
• Develop and oversee processes of collecting quantitative and qualitative data from casework to analyse trends and inform feedback for the SU and university
• Ensure evaluation mechanism are embedded in the teams working practises and that findings are shared and used to implement learnings with the goal of improving services
• Support Officers by preparing information, statistics and trends about key services to be shared within the University committee cycle
• Be responsible for the implementation of service standards for the Advocacy and Policy Team and to monitor and report on adherence to these standards
• Prepare materials to apply for any relevant quality mark accreditations for the service.

Budget and Financial Management

• Manage a budget relating to Advocacy and Policy including any restricted funds.
• Be responsible for the teams resources, ensuring these are effectively allocated, managed and controlled
• Review and establish processes, systems, polices and where appropriate standard procedures to maximise efficiency ensure deadlines are met and a positive return on investment
• Review and provide narrative for scrutiny at monthly management meetings with the Finance Team

Stakeholder management

• Collaborate with GSU colleagues, particularly the Student Voice and Engagement Teams to ensure we have a consistent approach to how we work with and support students
• Work with students through our representative structures and forums to ensure we shape services students want and need, taking into consideration the varying campus priorities
• Maintain strong relationships with key university staff to develop, deliver and evaluate collaborative projects and interventions supporting advice and retention
• Attend meetings relating to Advocacy and Policy as well as associated areas at both GSU, the University and externally, included, but not limited to regional networks
• Identify opportunities to share best practice and represent the work of GSU and your team to the wider HE community, through conferences and publication.

Personal Specification

Essential Experience

• Line management experience
• Relevant experience working in the youth, education, students’ union or other membership or advisory organisation
• Experience of leading a multi-functional team
• Experience of mentoring coaching staff/elected officers
• Experience of developing operational policies and procedures
• Experience of budget management, project management, and operational management
• Experience of working with a range of stakeholders and partnership working or strategic networking

Essential Skills and Abilities

• Ability to work with and lead a high performing team
• Ability to troubleshoot difficult situations, and deal with them calmly, efficiently and effectively
• Ability to produce confident, clear written reports and be able to write succinct documents on complex areas
• IT skills at a level that supports membership CRM systems, Advice Pro and other platforms
• Excellent time management and organisational skills with the ability to manage others to reach deadlines, within agreed budgets and to a consistently high standard
• Ability to write strategies and be able to effectively communicate vision and mission
• Ability to stay focused and efficient in the face on changing priorities
• Track record of successfully developing and implementing projects and operational change
• Able to draft policies and procures with an eye for detail and accuracy

Essential Knowledge

• Awareness of current issues within the higher education sector
• Knowledge of relevant external bodies and organisations including Advice UK, NUS, Citizens Advice, OIA, Ofs, Student Minds
• Knowledge of relevant health and safety legislation
• Knowledge of Safeguarding, advice legislation, risk assessments and GDPR
• Knowledge of providing 121 support

Education/Training

• No one specific qualification is required, but evidence of recent continuing professional development in a professional area relevant to the post is required. For example: ILM, City &Guilds etc.

Personal Attributes and other requirements

• Able to travel within the Borough and Region.
• Able to work some evenings and weekends and stay overnight where necessary.
• Works well in a team with a flexible approach to work
• Be eligible for a DBS check if needed
• A commitment to the principles and practices of equality and diversity
• An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.
• Commitment to the values and ethos of GSU.

Desirable other requirements

• Visionary, creative, and innovative strategist
• A positive, solution focused leader – able to make ‘tough’ decisions; determined and resilient in order to cope with the demands of the role
• Empowering, authentic leader with high levels of emotional intelligence