Operations manager jobs in Belfast

*** IMPORTANT: HDF will only consider applicants with the existing right to reside and work in the UK. ***

Background

Human Dignity Foundation (HDF) is a private, philanthropic foundation which was established to enable children to live with dignity. In recent years, we have focussed on funding organisations who help protect and safeguard children from sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). HDF is a spend down foundation which expects to complete the funding of its international partner projects by the end of 2033.

In 2023, HDF updated its strategy to drive the expansion of our portfolio of projects and maximise the foundation’s future impact – to support more children affected by or at risk of CSEA. To support this strategy, HDF is in the process of setting a UK registered charity, which is expected to be operational by end of Q1 2026.

Job Purpose

The Finance and Operations Manager will oversee and support the operations of the UK charity, working closely with the HDF team based in Dublin, to ensure its smooth running and compliance with UK laws and charity regulations.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

The Finance and Operations Manager role will be dynamic and diverse given the small nature of HDF’s team. The role will be expected to build on the processes, policies and tools already in existence within HDF Switzerland and adapt them to the UK context. Core responsibilities of this role will include:

Finance

•  Process and record payments and other transactions in the accounting system;
• Maintain financial records and prepare monthly management accounts, reconciliations, etc. for review by the Director of Finance and Operations;
• Support payroll processes and liaise with external providers;
• Manage required filings with HMRC as required (expected to be minimal);
• Prepare annual financial statements and coordinate/ support the annual audit/ financial verification of the charity;
• Prepare the annual budget and produce quarterly cashflow forecasts, ensuring timely drawdowns of funds from HDF Switzerland as needed.

Operations & Administration

• Produce and oversee the submission of reports and/or required filings to the Charities Commission and ensure broader compliance with its requirements;
• Produce reports and filings to Companies House as needed, and coordinate with the Company Secretary for their timely submission;
• Maintain the charity’s risk register to ensure risks are appropriately understood and mitigated;
• Produce and update internal policies, procedures and tools (templates to be provided where available);
• Set up and oversee the UK pension scheme, life assurance/ health insurance schemes as required with the relevant providers;
• Support the planning and delivery of meetings of the Board of Trustees and other internal and external meetings as needed;
• Organise travel arrangements for UK based staff(s) and Trustees as needed;
• In time the role may take over Company Secretary duties from our external provider;
• Conduct procurement, liaise with suppliers and manage their contracts as needed;
• Conduct other administrative tasks to support the running of the charity as needed, including but not limited to IT and HR;
• Support the charity’s Executive Chair of Trustees with tasks as may be reasonably required.

Grant Administration

• Support the development and amendment of grant agreements with partners as needed;
• Track and reconcile grant payments against agreements and perform required follow up with grantees as needed;
• Update and maintain HDF’s grant management information and filing system to ensure HDF’s records are accurate and up to date.

Person Specification

Experience

• 5 years’ experience in finance, accounting, office management
• Minimum 2 years’ experience working for a charity/NGO sector

Qualifications and skills

• Part-qualified ACA/ ACCA/ CIMA, or other bookkeeping/ accounting qualification
• Accurate worker with strong numerical skills
• Excellent written, verbal communication and interpersonal skills
• Computer literate – strong Excel, Word skills
• Proficient use of accounting software (e.g. Xero, Sage)
• Good organisational skills, ability to prioritise and meet deadlines
• Ability to work independently and on own initiative

Qualities

• Flexible
• Self-starter and pro-active
• Team player who enjoys working in small team environments

Common values

• Accountability to HDF’s Board and partners
• Innovative, entrepreneurial, and dynamic in our approach
• Openness to admitting our mistakes and learning from them
• Excellence in all that we do
• Passion for our work and mission

Terms & Conditions

• Part-time 3 days a week
• Between £40,000 - £50,000 per annum pro-rata, salary is commensurate with experience
• 25 days of annual leave pro-rata
• Remote, travel to London, Dublin and within Europe may be required
• Pension, provision of health cash plan or equivalent, life assurance, bike scheme

Our partner, an established UK charity with a focus on fighting poverty by transforming access to health care services in lower- and middle-income countries in Africa seeks a highly dynamic individual for a one-year fixed-term contract, with the possibility of an extension. The position is part of the management team, and the post holder will be expected to lead on the financial accounting, management accounting, and budgeting for the organisation as well as taking forward some strategic finance and operations projects as we expand our programmes in existing countries. The individual will also be expected to support the Co-CEOs with administrative, compliance and IT related tasks.

Finance
•Maintain a strong control environment, ensuring accounting records are complete and accurate.
Financial accounting
•Prepare annual statutory accounts in accordance with SORP 2015.
•Prepare for the annual external audit and host auditors ensuring the audit process runs smoothly. This includes supporting  country offices in hosting their respective audits.
•Ensure annual statutory accounts are finalised and submitted to Companies House and the Charity Commission by the appropriate deadlines.

Management accounting
•Coordinate the month-end process with the Finance Officer (UK) and Programme Finance Lead, and review transaction postings.
•Prepare monthly management accounts with cash flow forecasts, modifying the format as needed to suit the preferences of senior management and the Board of Trustees.
•Prepare the annual organisational budget and mid-year reforecast.
•Improve existing budget templates to enable straightforward and transparent budgeting for donors.
Support to country offices
•Collaborate with the Programme Finance Lead on a monthly basis to reconcile intercompany accounts, ensuring that reconciling items are cleared promptly.
•Support country office teams in fulfilling any reporting and financial compliance requirements.
•Conduct internal process reviews (internal audits) of country offices where required.
•Review the bi-weekly payment runs for the UK office and the monthly country office fund requests, ensuring cash flow planning is in place for these payments.
•Ensure asset registers are maintained appropriately.

Administration
•Support staff in conducting procurement in line with our procurement policy.
•Assist with preparation for quarterly Board meetings.
•Support office management tasks.

Other
Review and develop existing policies and procedures (e.g. the Finance Manual).

Please note: Salary of £40k offered for 4 days per week ie £50,000 pro rata.