Finance & Administration Officer

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. We offer a host of other benefits too.

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. 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 45 staff. 

In 2023 the global charity raised $46 million for conservation projects in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Last year the UK charity contributed £2.7m of this, and we are confident there is significant potential to increase our income from donors here. So, we are looking for an experienced Finance and Administrative Officer to join our small UK team to help us manage an increasing number of donations.  

This is a varied role which will offer the successful candidate exposure to a wide range of tasks and responsibilities, including bank reconciliations, financial and performance reporting, some data upkeep and systems improvements. You will need to be good at juggling competing priorities, well-organised with excellent attention to detail and problem-solving skills.

Key Responsibilities (see attached job description for full list)

Finance (~80% of role)

• Carry out weekly bank reconciliations using Xero.

• Maintaining records of expenditure, processing monthly expenses, paying invoices.

• Prepare HMRC Gift Aid claims and maintain records of Gift Aid donations and payments.

• Assist with annual external financial audits.

• Import bank transactions onto CRM database and ensure donations are assigned to correct conservation projects.

• Assist in the preparation of monthly and annual management accounts and annual budgets.

Administration (~20% of role)

• Maintain all accounts on UK portals (Benevity, Charities Aid Foundation, etc) and process, track and reconcile all portal donations, soft crediting these where necessary.

• Suggest changes or improvements to both financial and administrative processes (including automations) to increase accuracy, efficiency and potential cost reductions, then implement where agreed.

• Support with HR administration - keeping personnel and Trustee files up to date, keeping records of sickness, holidays and other absences, drafting new policies.

Person Specification - see attached job description document

Working Arrangements and Travel Requirements

Rainforest Trust UK staff work remotely and the successful candidate will be expected to work primarily from home with an excellent internet connection. They may be based anywhere in the UK but will be expected to travel to work from a shared team space in London 1 day per month. We are also flexible as to when the Officer works the available hours across the week.

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.