Link workers jobs in sedbergh, cumbria

Head of Finance Business Partnering

£50,718 - £53,387

Location, based out of any of our offices with Hybrid working available

The WEA is the UK’s largest voluntary sector provider of adult education, a charity dedicated to bringing high quality, professional education into the heart of communities. We believe that all adults, regardless of their situation, should have access to education.

Job Description

WEA are looking for talented individuals to help us deliver our mission – to bring education within reach. If that sounds like you, then please read on.

As the Head of Finance Business Partnering, you will provide strategic financial partnership to the Director of Contract Relationship Management in order to support, challenge and influence performance against all contract deliverables.

Role model comprehensive and collaborative financial support including insight, risk identification, risk mitigation and business solutions to drive high performance, including an understanding of WEA MIS and Learning delivery.

Reporting to the Chief Finance Officer, the successful candidate will ensure the totality of contracts are accounted for accurately and provide robust financial forecasts to support the wider financial performance of the organisation through the development of a team of Financial Contract Delivery Partners.

We have attached the full role profile, that lists the key deliverables, performance measures and experience/qualifications needed for this role. Please take your time to read through this, and if you’d like to apply, hit that button!

We are working hard to create a workplace that reflects the communities we seek to serve and in which everyone feels empowered to be themselves and work together to drive positive change. We strongly encourage applicants from a diverse range of candidates and encourage everyone with the appropriate skills, experiences and potential to apply.

Should you need any support with your application, then please get in touch.  We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible

In our recent OFSTED inspection, we received a GOOD overall grade, with an OUTSTANDING rating for Behaviour and Attitudes and Personal Development.

You can read more about our benefits and what it’s like to work here, on our website.

St John Ambulance is partnering with Robertson Bell in their search for a Finance Business Partner (Volunteering) to join their high performing team on a permanent basis. St John Ambulance is England's leading, volunteer-powered first aid charity dedicated to first aid education and emergency response across England. They are committed to ensuring that everyone receives the help they need in a health crisis from those around them.

The Finance Business Partner in Volunteering is responsible for providing the first line of support and assistance with the development of financial plans, analysis of the financial performance and forecasts of the Volunteering businesses. They will be a key member of the Financial Planning and Insight team to ensure delivery of the annual three-year budgeting process, that is aligned to strategic operational plans.

The organisation:

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team of over 1,400 employees and over 30,000 volunteers, united by their goal of saving lives through essential first aid services, training and campaigning.  As a charity with rich heritage and a long history of serving humanity, they are proud of their past and excited about creating a healthier, safer, more resilient future. 

St John Ambulance works at the heart of communities, supporting and enabling them to access and receive physical and mental health first aid. They do this through developing and providing effective community response and outreach services and using our longstanding expertise to empower people with vital clinical skills and the confidence to use them. There is also a buoyant social enterprise network which delivers first aid training and supplies medical consumables to businesses and consumers.

The key duties of this Finance Business Partner will be as follows:

• Provide impactful and effective finance business partnering to St John Budget Holders, the Senior Management and Executive Teams.
• Deliver high quality business and financial analysis, with detailed outcomes and benefits, to identify and present coherent rationales for change, to support effective delivery of services.
• Work with the relevant stakeholders, to timetable in the production of the charity’s monthly management accounts, the annual budgeting and in-year forecasting process.
• Drive continuous improvement in St John’s financial management reporting, forecasting and analysis.
• Utilise technology and tools to continuously improve the presentation and content of the charity’s financial management reports.
• Provide clear and understandable narrative to stakeholders and the rest of the team, advocating good accounting principles.
• Identify and implement cost and efficiency savings, without compromising the quality of the service and accuracy of the reporting.
• Work with business partners to provide the financial analysis and appraisal for business cases.

The successful candidate will have:

• A full professional accountancy qualification (CCAB or CIMA).
• Ideally, experience in the charity sector and working in large complex organisations.
• Significant experience in management accounting processes.
• Demonstrable, previous, extensive experience in a finance business partner role.
• Track record of supporting the end-to-end processes for in-year forecasts and annual budgets.
• Experience in dealing with a stakeholders at all levels, internal and external.
• Excellent influencing skills, with confidence and gravitas to respectfully challenge.

This role is being offered Nationwide within the UK, with only occasional travel required to an office for key in-person meetings. Applicants must be willing and able to attend occasional meetings in the evenings, via Teams. TOIL and flexible working arrangements facilitate this.

The closing date for applications is on Sunday 7^th September, with first stage interview due to take place the week commencing 15^th September. Applications will be under continuous review in advance of this date so please do not delay in applying to make sure you don’t miss out!

You will be joining us at a time that holds the greatest potential for fundraising in our history, following the launch of the UK Government’s Delivery Plan for ME and initial findings of the DecodeME genetics study (co-led by Action for ME) in Summer 2025. 

Building on our charity’s already established level of support from major donors, you will provide exceptional relationship management to existing donors alongside growing our network of high value supporters.

Working closely with the CEO, alongside managing a portfolio of donors and prospects ensuring excellent stewardship, you will support our Breakthrough-ME Group (a group of high net worth and highly networked individuals). There is an established level of support from major donors at Action for ME so this is a role that will require exceptional relationship management to retain our current valued supporters while growing this crucial area of fundraising. 

This would be an ideal role for an experienced philanthropy professional seeking to work for a small but ambitious charity, helping us to achieve our mission to improve the lives of all people affected by ME – better meeting their needs today while taking action to secure change for tomorrow.

Key duties

Major Donor Fundraising

• Successfully develop and implement the philanthropy strategy to secure and maximise funds from high value individuals for Action for ME achieving annual income of £250k+

• Set plans and budgets which will deliver income through major gift fundraising and philanthropic giving through family trusts and foundations, including quarterly forecasting.

• Manage a portfolio of prospects and donors at the £5k to £100k level, to develop and maintain strong and long-standing partnerships

• Work closely with the Director of Fundraising and Development and other colleagues to ensure that plans and activities for fundraising from high value individuals are integrated into the overall fundraising strategy and plan for significant growth.

• Be responsible for our Breakthrough-ME Group with high quality proposition development.  Contribution to Group fundraising activities with a specific focus on ensuring their networks support pipeline growth for future fundraising.

• Lead the delivery of our biennial fundraising gala dinner, maximising income and new opportunities from attendees.

• Develop engaging and inspiring opportunities to steward and cultivate support creating a calendar of activities including events, presentations, approaches, networking and meetings.

• Utilise the CRM database (Raisers Edge) to provide the data required to strategise your approach to philanthropy, monitor progress and provide a high-quality donor experience.

• Ensure utilisation of insight & data, producing management information data to inform planning and strategy development.

• With the Director of Fundraising & Development, create inspiring cases for support and resulting propositions with clear budgets and outcomes.

• Create adequate systems and processes to support the major donor programme.

• Undertake and manage research into prospects and major donors, preparing for approaches and presentations and briefing senior leadership and trustees for donor meetings and events.

• Develop and maintain relationships with donors, a wide range of staff and volunteers from trustee level down.

• Provide regular feedback and internal reporting to line management.

• Work with other fundraisers to ensure that all fundraising opportunities and leads are followed up – particularly in corporate, community and trust fundraising.

• Work with Trustees, the Chief Executive and members of the Leadership Team to develop relationships with major donors.

• Self-administrate including managing your own diary and meetings, keeping accurate and up to date records of activity

• Occasional travel to London, Bristol & events

Other duties

• To positively promote the work and activities of Action for M.E. at all times.

• To contribute to the team’s overall, ongoing and annual planning and budgeting.

• To undertake any other reasonable activity in line with the responsibilities of the post as requested by the Director of Fundraising and Development, Chief Executive or any other senior Action for ME management.

• Act as an advocate for the Charity and its work.

• To work in accordance with Action for ME’s values of collaboration, equity and empathy.