84 Jobs for the Arts, Culture and Heritage sector

The Booker Prize Foundation is a registered charity, established in 2002, which is responsible for awarding the Booker Prize, the Bukhman International Booker Prize and the Children’s Booker Prize. It exists to inspire more people to read – and write – the world’s best fiction.

Other aspects of the Foundation’s work include: Books Unlocked, a long-standing reading initiative in prisons in partnership with the National Literacy Trust; the UEA Booker Prize Foundation Scholarship, awarded annually to a candidate for the Creative Writing MA at the University of East Anglia; the funding of Braille and audio editions of Booker Prizes books through the RNIB; PEN Presents x International Booker Prize, which supports and funds translators from the Global Majority, who are currently chronically underrepresented in the UK publishing landscape; and a Booker Prizes Quick Read, in partnership with The Reading Agency – a collection of stories by Booker-nominated authors, written in an accessible and easy-to-read style, aimed at people who are less confident readers or who have lost the reading habit.

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

The role

Reporting to the COO, the Finance Manager is responsible for leading key processes within the finance function including payments, core accounting processes, monthly management account production, VAT returns, audit support and some key elements of the budgeting process.

Key Responsibilities

• Monthly and other periodic finance processes (75%)

o Lead the management of finance operations: ledgers, payments, allocations, reconciliations, journals

o Work with the external payroll bureau to prepare monthly payroll and post journals.

o Run, validate and jointly present financial reports including monthly management accounts

o Discuss key financial questions and reports with our internal teams, including the digital, prizes and development teams. Input into strategic discussions

o Support production of the annual budget

o Maintain, and where applicable, enhance our core financial and related operational control processes

• Statutory, Tax and Annual processes (25%)

o Lead our audit process, providing support to the external audit team with reports, schedules and responses to queries

o Complete and submit our VAT returns and VAT booking model ensuring compliance with all regulations

o Provide support in updating Companies House and Charity Commission records.

Person Specification

Essential skills and experience

• Accountancy knowledge. Qualified or part qualified accountant – ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent. Would consider those highly qualified by significant, relevant, experience

• Strong understanding of and experience in running and improving core finance processes.

• Business partnering experience, including working with senior internal stakeholders

• Strong data analysis and insight skills, including a consistent attention to detail. Building, testing and monthly creation of reports within Microsoft Excel

• Experienced and knowledgeable of VAT, particularly for charities

• Experience of designing and implementing financial controls

• Ability to manage external supplier relationships.

• Proactive and with strong teamwork and communication skills.

Highly desirable

• Experience in the charity sector.

• Experience with QuickBooks ERP