Payroll And Hr Officer Jobs in Newcastle

EduSpots is an innovative, dynamic, and community-driven UK and Ghanaian registered charity which connects, trains, and equips voluntary community educators to drive community-led change through education spaces named ‘Spots’. Our vision is of our world where communities unite to create the futures they want to see, through education.

Since 2016, through collaborating with over 300 local volunteers, who take a central leadership role in the development of the network, we have supported 50 communities in creating and running community-led and owned education spaces named ‘Spots’’. Together, we are developing a model for a community-led education space with accompanying network engagement that could have global relevance. Read our model of change document here. 

Our Ghanaian-based team creates collaborative learning opportunities through three leadership programmes for volunteers: the Ignite, Catalyse and Inspire Mentoring Programmes. These enable the Catalysts to lead DigLit, EduSTEM, EduKidz and Ignite Equity clubs, alongside locally designed education projects, reaching over 10,000 students of all ages annually. Read our 2023 Impact Report here.

We are in an exciting period of our development, having more than doubled our income, programme breadth and reach in the last year. We have been recently selected for two accelerator programmes, who are supporting us as we consider the scaling potential of our model. 

We won the Tes International Award in 2018 and the Big Give Supporters’ Choice Award in 2022, and we were recently selected as a finalist for the Their World Scale-Up Innovation Prize. In 2021, our Founder was a Finalist in UNESCO-backed The Varkey Foundation’s $1 million Global Teacher Prize.

We are excited by our future. 

About this role

Following the significant development of EduSpots’ income and activities in the last year, we are looking for an experienced finance and operations professional to provide exceptional support to the Chief Executive Officer, Head of Development, and Head of Operations (Ghana-based) to ensure the development of robust financial and operational systems, policies and processes. 

The candidate can work from any location, but will have a strong knowledge of UK law and charity accounting in an international development charity context. You will be a self-starter, able to work independently on tasks assigned, whilst proactively suggesting improvements to our systems, policies and wider strategic development. 

We are looking for a team player with a genuine desire to contribute to greater educational equity, with a strong personal alignment to our organizational values of teamwork, care, play, passion, community leadership and sustainable impact. 

Main duties and responsibilities 

• Work with the UK Finance Officer (volunteer) and Ghana based Finance Manager and Head of Operations to oversee global finances, so that consolidated management accounts and donor financial reports can be produced.
• Support with the roll-out of new accounting software and reviewing intercompany financial processes to ensure accountability and compliance with recognised accounting standards.
• Support with bank account management and reviewing funds transfers.
• In future, possibly manage staff payroll, including tax and pension contributions.
• Oversee the onboarding and screening of new staff, contractors or volunteers in the UK and other locations outside Ghana, including reference checks, criminal records checks, preparing contracts, etc.
• Review and keep organisational policies and procedures (including staff handbook) up to date, staying abreast of any changes in the wider external legal and operating environment. 
• Monitor compliance to organizational policies and escalate compliance and operational risks to the CEO. 
• Monitor and renew insurance cover.
• Support with other tasks related to finance and operations as time permits.

Personal Specification 

Knowledge & Experience

• Qualification in accounting, or working towards one.
• Experience working on finance within an international NGO.
• Knowledge of governance requirements within a UK charity, and of working in compliance with the Charity Commission of England and Wales.
• Experience developing organisational policies and procedures.
• Experience in recruitment and some knowledge of good HR practice.

Personal Qualities & Skills

• A genuine commitment to educational equity and community-driven change.
• Outstanding organisational and time management skills.
• Proactive and able to work to maintain a high standard of performance with minimum supervision in an impact-driven environment.
• Excellent numeracy and analytical skills, able to manage complex spreadsheets, systems and databases.
• Strong communication skills, with an ability to build strong working relationships with people from diverse backgrounds, with an openness to new ways of working.
• A team player with a belief in the value of collaborative approaches to learning.

Please send a tailored covering letter and updated CV addressed to the CEO by Sunday 18th August with a hope to meet shortlisted candidates for a first-round interview shortly afterwards, with a planned start date in September. 

This job description will be reviewed annually and may be subject to amendment or modification at any time in consultation with the post holder.  It is not a comprehensive statement of procedures and tasks but sets out the main expectations of the role.

EduSpots is committed to the safeguarding of children. Appointment will be subject to child protection screening appropriate to the post.