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Location: Reading, Hybrid (at least once per month to Reading Office)
Hours: 21 hours per week
Salary: £30,124 pro rata £17,097.41 for 21 hours per week
Contract Type: Permanent, Part Time
Campaign Closes: 22nd June 2026
Interviews: First stage: 24th/25th June 2026,
Second stage: 30th June 2026
On occasion, we may close a vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We therefore encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible, as we will be shortlisting on a rolling basis.
Core Purpose
To deliver high quality, accurate, and responsive financial support that ensures the smooth operation of Make-A-Wish finance function. This role is central to maintaining the integrity of financial data through timely processing of transactions, effective communication with stakeholders, and diligent reconciliation of accounts. By supporting both internal teams and external partners, the role helps uphold financial compliance and operational efficiency, enabling Make-A-Wish to focus on granting life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses.
Key Responsibilities
Customer and Communication Support
- Monitor the finance mailbox daily, ensuring all emails are reviewed and responded to in a timely, professional, and accurate manner. Provide first-line support for internal and external customer queries, escalating complex or unresolved issues to the appropriate team member or manager.
- Handle incoming calls to the finance team, offering courteous and knowledgeable assistance. Accurately log call details and follow up on outstanding queries to ensure resolution and customer satisfaction.
Sales and Purchase Processing
- Process sales invoices accurately and efficiently in accordance with MAW’s financial procedures, ensuring correct coding, VAT treatment, and timely dispatch to customers.
- Set up new customers and suppliers on the finance system, verifying all required documentation and approvals are in place. Maintain accurate and up-to-date records to support compliance and audit readiness.
- Process purchase ledger invoices (approx. 360 per month), ensuring they are matched to purchase orders, coded correctly, and approved in line with internal controls. Resolve discrepancies promptly to avoid payment delays.
- Create payment runs and upload onto the bank for approval, ensuring approvals are obtained in a timely manner
Reconciliations and Debt Management
- Perform supplier statement reconciliations regularly, identifying and resolving aged or unmatched items. Liaise with suppliers and internal stakeholders to ensure accounts are accurate and up to date.
- Monitor outstanding sales invoices, escalating overdue items to the relevant ‘requestor’ or budget holder. Support the credit control process by providing timely updates and assisting with follow-up actions.
- Conduct income reconciliations on a regular basis, ensuring all income is accurately recorded and discrepancies are investigated and resolved.
- Reconcile balance sheet accounts as assigned, maintaining clear audit trails and supporting documentation for all entries.
Expense and Credit Card Management
- Process monthly credit card statements, ensuring all transactions are supported by receipts, correctly coded, and approved in line with company policy.
- Review and process employee expense claims, checking for accuracy, policy compliance, and appropriate authorisation before submission for payment.
Inventory and Stock Control
- Conduct stock takes at agreed intervals, working with relevant departments to ensure accurate counts and investigate variances. Support the maintenance of accurate stock records in the finance system.
Financial Recording and Reporting
- Post and process journal entries for accruals, prepayments, and other adjustments to ensure the general ledger reflects accurate and complete financial information. Maintain supporting documentation for all entries.
Continuous Improvement
- Identify process improvements and opportunities for automation, making recommendations to line manager and supporting implementation
General and Ad-Hoc Support
- Support with ad-hoc finance tasks as required, including data entry, reporting, and assisting with audits or internal reviews.
- Provide cover for team members during periods of absence, ensuring continuity of service and workload management. Take on additional duties as appropriate to the level of the role and contribute to team objectives.
Essential Criteria
- Proven experience in a finance or accounts role, with a solid understanding of financial processes such as invoicing, reconciliations, and ledger management.
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy in data entry and financial reporting.
- GCSE Maths or equivalent, grade 4/5 (C) or above.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to respond professionally to internal and external queries.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team, managing workload effectively and meeting deadlines.
- Proficient in using finance systems, particularly Xero and Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel.
- Demonstrated ability to handle confidential information with integrity and discretion.
- Strong organisational skills and a methodical approach to problem-solving.
- Willingness to learn
- Positive and ‘can do’ attitude
Desirable Criteria
- Experience working within a charity, non-profit, or mission-driven organisation.
- Experience with stock control or inventory management.
- Knowledge of VAT and basic accounting principles.
- AAT qualification or working towards a relevant finance qualification.
- Experience supporting audits or financial reviews.
- Willingness to take on additional responsibilities and support team members during absences.
- Proficiency in finance systems, Lightyear & JOIIN
Registered Charity
51 - 100
Together, we create joy, happiness and magical memories through life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
About Orbis UK
Orbis UK is an affiliate of Orbis International, an eye care charity that transforms lives through the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness and visual impairment.
Over 1.1 billion people live with vision loss in the world today. Yet for a staggering 90% of these people, visual impairment is treatable or could have been prevented.
At Orbis we work to change this injustice by providing treatment to thousands of people each year, training new generations of eye health-workers, and leading cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs that restore sight. Our vision is a world where communities strive together in the fight to save sight, and no-one is needlessly blind.
Orbis UK (Orbis Charitable Trust) is a registered charity in the UK and raises income from funders across the UK, Europe and the Middle East, towards our global commitment to eliminate avoidable blindness. In 2025, the UK team raised £10m. These funds supported 18 projects across 8 countries. With these funds we delivered 9,908 training sessions for health workers, enabled 469,287 eye screenings, 37,378 treatments and delivered 2.5m doses of antibiotics to tackle trachoma.
Our ambition is to grow our income consistently over £10 million per year within the next five years.
About the role
Orbis UK is offering the role of Senior Finance Officer, as the organisation seeks to grow and build on past successes to reach its target of achieving £10m income in the next 5 years.
This role is vital in order to support a highly performing group of staff as we seek to transform lives through the prevention and treatment of blindness. This role will sit within the Finance Team, which is responsible for the day-to-day finance operations of the organisation supporting both the Finance Manager and the Director of Finance and Operations in processing payments, payroll, journals, bank reconciliations and other key financial tasks needed for the successful running of a small international charity.
This is an ideal role for someone who has an appetite for growth in their skills and knowledge and who has an aptitude for process and structure, which is critical when helping to manage the resources of an organisation, ensuring financial discipline and effective controls are maintained throughout. This role would be perfect for any candidate looking to further their career in finance and accountancy and you will be supported by a team of experienced accountants to guide and train you as well as provide you with plenty of development and learning opportunities, especially in pursuit of an accountancy qualification.
Working within a team where new ideas are promoted and encouraged under an experienced Finance Manager, this role provides the perfect opportunity for the postholder to take ownership and make demonstrable change within a thriving international NGO.
We are looking for someone who has excellent, demonstrable financial acumen and experience, excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, who can demonstrate an ability to learn with a thirst for new ideas. A high degree of IT proficiency is important as the organisation seeks to use technology, including Artificial Intelligence, to work more effectively for the achievement of growth in the organisation. Knowledge of the NGO sector is desirable, but we are open to applications from across disciplines and expertise if you can demonstrate your aptitude for the role with a hunger to learn. Applications from candidates seeking to work part time (30 hours per week) will be considered for the right candidate, which can be worked flexibly.
The main responsibilities of this role are:
- To provide effective financial support to the Finance team and the wider organisation to ensure the smooth running of the charity.
- To ensure business continuity is maintained through the management of the purchase ledger function, including BACS, online banking payments and the review of expenses and credit card payments, payroll, income and bank reconciliations and other key tasks needed to ensure financial reporting can be made on schedule and in line with statutory, audit and trustee deadlines.
- To be organised, have excellent attention to detail and the ability to prioritise and manage a changing workload.
Benefits of working for Orbis UK
Before completion of probation:
- Competitive Salary benchmarked annually
- Minimum 25 days holiday pro-rated increasing with length of service
- Life Assurance Policy (4 x salary)
- Employee Assistance Programme
- E-learning Courses
- Social Activities
- Flexitime
- Free Sight test
After completion of probation:
- Matched employer pension contribution up to a maximum of 10% of basic salary
- Interest free season ticket loan
- Cycle to work scheme
- Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice scheme
- Contribution to cost of new prescription glasses
- Possibility of an overseas project visit after 3 years’ service
Application and interviews
Closing Date: 11th June 2026
First Interviews: 19th and 22nd June 2026
Second Interviews: TBC
Start Date: ASAP
All applicants must have the legal right to live and work in the UK. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to reply to all applications, so if you haven’t heard from us by June 18th 2026, your application has not been successful. We reserve the right to close applications early, if we receive enough applications that meet the criteria for the role so we would encourage interested applicants to apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Our Values
At Orbis we look to attract inspiring and motivated people to help fight blindness in communities around the world. Experience is vital to any application but over and above this we are looking for individuals who share our values. Our values of Accountability, Commitment, Innovation, Integrity and Equity are the thread that connect our global team across geographies, languages, job functions, and time zones. The Orbis values reflect the way we - as an organisation and as individuals - approach problems and communicate with each other.
Our Vision
To transform lives through the prevention and treatment of blindness
Our Mission
With out network of partners, we mentor, train and inspire local teams so they can save sight in their communities.
Equal opportunities
Orbis UK is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from any suitably qualified persons. We operate an anonymised recruitment procedure so that no job applicant receives less favourable treatment either directly or indirectly, on the grounds of age, gender reassignment, being married or in a civil partnership, being pregnant or on maternity leave, disability, race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. This aims to ensure all applicants are assessed solely on the strength of their application and not be affected by unconscious bias or confirmation bias. Orbis UK acknowledges and recognises the disadvantages and barriers people from underrepresented and socially diverse groups face in the workforce. Orbis UK is committed to addressing this issue and we strongly encourage those from underrepresented and socially diverse groups (Black and Ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ and candidates with disabilities) to apply.
Safeguarding
Orbis UK is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and criminal records checks. Orbis UK is also a member of the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme
Application is via curriculum vitae and covering letter, via the Charity Jobs Website where applications will be kept anonymous to ensure a fair selection process. Enquiries about the role can be made by contacting us via our website.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.