Financial Controller

 

Contract: Part-time (3 days per week)

Duration: Temporary initially, with the strong likelihood of longer term contract for the right person

Location: a bright and creative office in Dalston, East London

 

About Feedback

Feedback is an environmental organisation that campaigns to end food waste at every level of the food system. We catalyse action on eliminating food waste globally, working with governments, international institutions, businesses, NGOs, grassroots organisations and the public to change society’s attitude toward wasting food.  We run a number of high profile campaigns, including Feeding the 5000, Gleaning Network UK and Stop Dumping, and have a high profile as an expert voice on food waste – recently featuring in Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s major new series ‘War on Waste’.

About the Role

This role is an exciting opportunity to make a difference within a small but fast growing charity. You will have the autonomy to make the finance function your own, with plenty of room for personal development and progression. We are a friendly team, priding ourselves on maintaining a positive and values-led organisation. We aim to provide a flexible working environment with a good work/life balance.

Our ideal candidate will be enthusiastic, flexible, a self-starter, ready to get involved in all aspects of the running of the organisation, and quick to transfer existing skills to rapidly evolving circumstances. We welcome interest from candidates who are returning work after maternity leave or career breaks.

 

We're looking for someone to start as soon as possible to fill a current skills gap. This will initially be a temporary role, but there is a strong likelihood of a longer term contract for the right person. Some responsibilities outlined below therefore relate to our longer-term ambitions for the role – particularly the 'strategy, budget and risk management' section.

 

Key responsibilities

 

Financial accounting & control

Review, develop and maintain effective and accurate financial controls and management systems across the organisation, taking an active role in ensuring reconciliations are performed on a suitably regular basis.

Oversee all aspects of the input and maintenance of accurate accounting records, ensuring that these comply with statutory requirements and the relevant accounting standards.

Ensure that accurate restricted fund accounts are maintained and that the financial records comply with funder reporting requirements.

Liaise with and maintain effective working relationships with external bodies such as professional advisors, payroll, independent examiner, banks etc.

 

Deal with tax issues, gift aid and other charity requirements on an ad hoc basis.

 

Financial Management and Reporting

Prepare timely and accurate monthly management accounts with supporting analysis and commentary, and report on these to management teams and to Trustees as appropriate.

Maintain an ongoing accurate overview of the financial health of Feedback, specifically monitoring and reporting on the cash position.

Manage the delivery of grant and contract financial management for Feedback and ensure that there are effective processes in place to provide required reporting to donors, liaising with programme teams and project managers and programme finance staff to ensure delivery.

 

Oversee financial reporting to the European Commission for Feedback’s EC-funded projects.

 

Oversee maintenance of the organisation’s statutory accounts and returns, in accordance with established accounting principles and in line with SORP 2015; work with Feedback’s selected external accounting firm to deliver annual charity and consolidated accounts to an agreed timetable.

 

Strategy, budgets and risk management

Be responsible for the budgeting and forecasting process for the organisation and provide appropriate reporting and analysis of variances and support for decision making to Managing Director and the Trustees.

 

Develop templates, guidance and models to ensure that budgets to support proposals are rigorous, capture costs appropriately and ensure that resources are deployed effectively. Ensure effective recovery of indirect costs/overheads from programme budgets to ensure that costs are being suitably absorbed.

 

Participate in review and monitoring processes to evaluate performance against budget, review risks and issues and agree corrective actions with programme leads.

 

Team management and development

Supervise the Finance Officer (bookkeeper).

Provision of training on the finances to new trustees and managers as required.

Remain up-to-date with key technical accounting and legal developments and funder requirements and maintain Feedback’s policies, procedures and systems in line with these requirements.

 

Person Specification

 

Experience

Essential

• Qualified accountant with strong financial systems experience
• Proven ability to maintain effective policies, procedures and controls across an organisation
• Experience of working within an international charity environment, with complex funding bases across multiple stakeholders and geographies

 

Desirable

• Supervisory experience
• Experience of using Xero or other cloud-based accounting software
• Understanding and experience of funding conditions of key funders, such as the European Commission
• Grant/contract management

 

Skills

Essential

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel
• Highly motivated and autonomous
• Sympathetic to the aims of Feedback.

 

 

How to Apply

Please submit a CV and cover letter (no longer than 1 side of A4) explaining how you meet the person specification and why you would like to work at Feedback.

 

Please note that we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, and as such may close the recruitment round prior to the application deadline. Due to the high level of applications we receive we regret that we cannot respond to unsuccessful applications.

 

Deadline to receive applications: 22nd November 2015

Interviews will be held w/c 23rd and 30th November 2015