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The Society of Authors (SoA) is the UK's largest trade union for all types of writers, illustrators and literary translators. We’ve been advising authors and speaking out for the profession since 1884. 

We’re currently looking to welcome a Finance Manager to our team.

The role

The Finance Manager leads on the operational management of the finance function to ensure there are robust financial controls, effective reporting and efficient day-to-day financial operations across the organisation, including our ancillary charities and literary estates. The postholder is expected to foster excellent working relationships across the organisation with all staff, member volunteers, senior colleagues, board members and charity trustees.

Reporting directly to the Chief Operations Officer, the Finance Manager has significant responsibility for:

· Management accounts and reporting

· Budgeting and forecasting

· Cashflow oversight

· Audit and compliance

· Financial controls and process improvement

· Operational financial analysis

Responsibilities

Day-to-day financial management 

• Manage the day-to-day finances for the organisation. Ensuring all aspects of the financial systems are accurate and kept updated including banking and sales and purchase ledgers.
• Manage the finances for our 14 charities. Ensure all aspects of the financial systems are kept updated.
• Undertake monthly reconciliations ensuring all transactions are properly and efficiently recorded.
• Prepare quarterly VAT returns for the organisation including the partial VAT exemption calculation.
• Oversee the management and appropriate allocation of any restricted funds for the charities ensuring that monies are allocated as per donor wishes or grant specifications.
• Prepare any ad hoc budget request and figures for other departments or the management.
• Regularly review and maintain financial policies and procedures.
• Support with funding bids and reports for donors and grant-making bodies.

Budget process management

• Work closely with the Chief Operating Officer on preparing the annual budgets for the organisation and our ancillary charities.
• Prepare quarterly figures for review, explaining any variation from budgeted figures.
• Monitor the actual spend against budgets for all the charities.

· Ensure adequate cash flow to meet the needs of the organisation and our charities in consultation with the Chief Operating Officer and Head of Charities.

• Work closely with all Departmental Heads to ensure they fully understand their budgets and ongoing organisational performance against budget. 

Statutory reporting

• Assist the Chief Operating Officer with the preparation of the organisation’s accounts.
• One of the main points of liaison with the external auditors, ensuring all supporting papers are collated for an efficient and effective annual audit to take place.
• Maintain fixed asset register and inventory of all equipment contracts and agreements.
• Ensure adequate controls are in place to safeguard the financial assets of the organisation.
• Lead on preparing all our charity accounts.
• Assist the COO to ensure the organisation and its ancillary charities are compliant with statutory bodies and external institutions including:

o Companies House

o Certification office

o Charity Commission

o HMRC

o  All banks and payment processors

Financial risk management

• Work with the Chief Operating Officer to ensure that the appropriate processes are in place for the long-term financial viability of the organisation.
• Develop, update and produce long-term cashflow forecasts for both the organisation and our ancillary charities.

· Ensure appropriate financial risk management techniques and controls are in place at strategic and operational levels. 

Governance support to the Finance Sub-Committee and Charity Trustees

• Assist in the preparation of all associated papers and minutes for the Finance Sub- Committee.
• Assist the Chief Operating Officer in preparing papers for Board and Charity Trustees.

 The duties above outline the broad areas of responsibility. The SoA reserves the right to vary these duties to suit the requirements of the business.

 Person specification

Essential

• Minimum part-qualified accountant or qualified by experience with strong financial management experience, with an ability to understand the practical impact of finance decisions and processes across the organisation.

· Strong IT skills including the Microsoft Office suite, in particular Excel, and experience of using databases. 

• Experience of using Sage 50 Cloud Accounts.
• Significant experience and confidence in managing a full range of finance operations in a small or medium sized organisation in the not-for-profit sector.
• Confident presenting financial information to non-financial audiences.
• Demonstrates excellent attention to detail, organisation and communication skills.

· Resilience in working under pressure, ability, and willingness to both give and take constructive feedback. 

· Bring ideas for improvements and is open and honest in all communications where relevant and appropriate. 

• Ability to work with the Chief Operating Officer to develop the formulation of long-term financial plans and strategies for the society and its ancillary charities.

Desirable Skills

· Specialist knowledge of Charities, including Charity SORP guidance and procedures, underpinned by strong theoretical knowledge and practical experience. 

· Experience of working for a trade onion or a membership organisation.

· Tax and charities law, including a good understanding of partially exempt VAT status.

 What we offer

As a progressive and ethical not-for-profit organisation, we offer a range of benefits to support your physical, mental, and financial wellbeing. We are a London Living Wage and a Disability Confident – Committed employer.

Benefits include:

• Competitive salary
• Cycle-to-work scheme.
• Death-in-service benefit (8 x salary)
• Employee assistance programme
• Flexible, hybrid working practices.
• Family-friendly, disability-confident inclusive culture
• Generous annual leave, including all bank holidays.
• Salary exchange pension scheme
• Interest-free annual travel card loan
• *Office closure over Christmas
• Private healthcare

*Colleagues can work over the Christmas period, although the building is closed. For those who wish to take additional time off, colleagues take these days from their annual leave allowance.

As an employer, we nurture a working environment in which staff can grow and develop. We recognise the value of flexibility in the way we work with a positive culture of hybrid working practices.

Inclusion, diversity, and representation are at the core of our values, and we work to tackle structural discrimination and prejudice. Part of this commitment means that we are looking to increase diversity in our organisation at all levels. We strongly encourage applications from a broad range of social, cultural, educational, and underrepresented backgrounds

Dignity in Dying and Compassion in Dying are partnering with Robertson Bell to recruit a Head of Finance on a permanent basis.

This is an exciting opportunity to join two sister organisations working at the centre of an important and evolving area of public policy and individual choice. Operating with a shared vision and strong collaborative culture, both organisations are committed to supporting people through high-quality information and support services, advocacy and campaigns.

Reporting to the Deputy CEO, the Head of Finance will play a key role in supporting the organisations’ ongoing work by providing integrity and efficiency across financial processes, systems, controls and reporting. This role offers the opportunity to join a collaborative and values-led organisation with a supportive leadership team, flexible hybrid working and the chance to contribute meaningfully within a small but highly impactful environment.

The role:

• Provide integrity and efficiency in the financial processes, systems, controls and reporting across both organisations.
• Prepare statutory annual accounts in accordance with Charity and Company law.
• Work with the Senior Management Team (SMT) to prepare, present and implement annual budgets.
• Monitor and manage financial performance including production of quarterly management accounts, finance reports and ongoing cash flow forecasts.
• Reconcile major balance sheet accounts and revenue reporting between systems.
• Oversee transactional input of income and expenditure transactions, and all payroll procedures.
• Support the Finance and Audit Sub Committees, preparing relevant papers and attending meetings.
• Work closely with auditors and maintain relationships with professional advisors, insurance brokers and bankers.
• Ensure compliance with all statutory reporting and filing requirements, including the Charity Commission and Companies House.
• Provide support and advice to the SMT on financial and relevant matters as they arise.
• Monitor and manage organisational funds on cash deposit platforms.
• Manage partial VAT exemption and VAT reporting requirements.
• Develop and implement financial systems and procedures to ensure best practice and adherence to applicable accounting standards.
• Identify opportunities to improve reporting, operational efficiency and financial processes.
• Line manage and support the development of the Finance Officer.

The organisations:

Dignity in Dying and Compassion in Dying share the aim of improve dying in the UK by putting people in charge of decisions about the end of their life. Dignity in Dying campaigns to change the law to allow the option of assisted dying for terminally ill, mentally competent adults in the UK. It is a not-for-profit membership organisation. Compassion in Dying is a registered charity which provides information and support to people to be in control of their end-of-life decisions, alongside gathering evidence to improve culture and policy.

Operating within a collaborative and supportive culture, this role offers the opportunity to work alongside committed and passionate colleagues within a flat organisational structure. The successful candidate will join a team that values initiative, accountability and strong working relationships, while offering the autonomy to take ownership of the finance function and contribute to future improvements.

Essential criteria:

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Experience in a managerial finance role, ideally within a charity or not for profit organisation.
• Strong understanding of charity accounting and Charity SORP.
• Experience preparing management accounts, budgets, forecasts and statutory accounts.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, governance and compliance requirements.
• Experience supporting audit processes and working with external auditors.
• Knowledge of VAT reporting and partial VAT exemption.
• Ability to explain financial concepts to non-financial colleagues and managers.
• Self-starter with the ability to manage responsibility within a small team environment.
• Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to quickly establish credibility internally and externally.

If you are a qualified finance professional looking to join a collaborative and mission-led organisation where you can contribute both strategically and operationally, we would love to hear from you. Apply before the 7^th June to be considered!

This role is based in London with hybrid working and an expectation of a minimum of two days per week in the office at Oxford Street.