Financial Controller Jobs

Job Title: Finance and Operations Manager

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 35 hours per week (however, we will consider part-time 28 hours per week)

Salary: £38,000 - £45,000 per annum 

Location: The successful candidate will either be posted at our office in London or Colchester: Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AZ or Colchester Wellington House, 4th Floor, 90-92 Butt Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3DA

About Coram

Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity founded by Thomas Coram in London helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.

One of the nine members of the Coram group, Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC) is the UK’s specialist centre for children’s rights in education, immigration, community care and family law, and provides significant international legal systems consultancy. The centre is located on the Coram Campus in central London with bases in Colchester and Leeds. We champion access to justice through information and advice, legal practice and representation, policy and strategic litigation. Our Legal Practice Unit provides advice and representation primarily under legal aid contract. Our Migrant Children’s Project promotes the rights of refugee and migrant children, young people and families through the delivery of advice, practice change through training and capacity building to professionals and systems change through research, policy and advocacy.

About the role

This role will provide financial and operational leadership and management for CCLC particularly focussed on the Legal Practice Unit and the Migrant Children’s Project but with support for the Child Law Advice Service and Coram International where required. Managing a small finance team, the role will hold primary responsibility for core financial functions within CCLC including legal aid billing and management and tracking of grant and other charitable funding. Through systematic and efficient financial management, the post holder will play a pivotal role in CCLC’s financial sustainability. The role will act as a key point of contact with Coram’s central finance team and a range of internal and external stakeholders on financial matters.

The role will also oversee the smooth running of the London and Colchester offices through line management of operations and administrative staff.

The role would suit a high organised and efficient business support professional with experience of financial management within the legal or charity sector. In particular, candidates with experience of legal billing and more specifically, civil legal aid billing, would be welcomed.

This is a largely office-based role in order to fully provide support to the finance and operations team. However, some remote / hybrid working may be possible depending the experience of the candidate after the initial settling in period (to be negotiated with the successful candidate).The finance team are split between the London and Colchester offices and the post holder should expect some travel to both locations. The large majority of the legal and policy team are based in London and as such regular (at least twice weekly) presence in our London office will be expected. However, on other days the candidate could be based in the London or Colchester office.

Whilst this is a full-time position, we will consider requests for part-time working (28 hours per week minimum) and we will endeavour to offer some flexibility with days and hours to be agreed.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application.

Closing date: Wednesday 24th April 2024 at 23:59

Test and Interview date: Week commencing Monday 29th April 2024

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from, Asian, African, Caribbean and other minority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram.

If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience in their personal statement as part of their application.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.

To provide strategic and operational leadership for the development and delivery of services and evidence their positive impact for people using the services and other stakeholders. To assist the Trustees with overall governance, policy, strategy and financial management of the organisation and to ensure compliance with legal and contractual requirements. To be responsible for the reputation and continuing success of Aim Up.

Strategic Planning/Implementation and Review • Work with the Trustees to create a business plan and annual strategy to work towards achieving key organisational goals, reviewing, updating and reporting progress regularly

. • Together with the Charity Accountant agree an annual operational budget with Trustees, monitor and report financial position and support production of annual accounts

. • Negotiate contracts and identify appropriate sources of funding to maintain and develop services

. • Oversee the delivery of existing services; introduce new and enhanced services in line with strategic aims and as gaps in services are identified

. • Ensure the organisation has all necessary and appropriate policies in place

. • Oversee responsibility for Fundraising, Marketing and Training strategies. 

External Relations • Act as principal spokesperson and advocate for the Charity, working with key stakeholders, partners and funders to maintain and enhance its reputation. • Promote collaborative work with other relevant statutory, charitable/voluntary and corporate bodies to offer the best possible services   • Establish links and build relationships with key people of influence within Gloucestershire County Council, Integrated Care Board and NHS services. • When necessary ensure Framework documentation and associated contracts are in place to support work undertaken and appropriate tenders are submitted • Lead in negotiations for core funding,service specifications, and contracts. • Maintain links with other relevant organisations • Form and sustain links with relevant community links   • Support national campaigns that champion the issues faced by the vulnerable people the Charity supports e.g. Mencap campaigns, 

Management • Responsible for ensuring that best practice is followed in all aspects of people management from recruitment onwards in respect of employees and volunteers including regular training and supervision. • Be directly responsible for supervising members of the senior management team and other key staff as appropriate • Responsible for ensuring the requirements of the sponsorship scheme are met • Ensure tasks and individual objectives are fairly allocated to ensure delivery against the business plan. • Be accountable for quality, including with Trustees the risk management of all operational aspects of the charity business and for the accurate capture of data for reporting, record keeping and invoicing. • Oversee the development of systems, documents and procedures to support the smooth running of services.

Responsible for financial management of the charity including payroll instructions and pension administration. • Develop and produce relevant information for the monthly board of Trustee meetings. • Obtain all necessary resources and equipment. • Ensure the regular monitoring and evaluation of services, with a drive for continuous improvement. • Maintain any accreditations that have been agreed by the Board e.g. IiP

General • Ensure that the board of Trustees are appraised of opportunities and risks • Assist in keeping properties in a suitable state of order • Undertake any other duties that may be reasonably required