Procurement administrator jobs in birmingham

About Vision Action

Vision Action, formally Vision Aid Overseas, is a UK-based charity, with a focus on fighting poverty by transforming access to eye care services in lower- and middle-income countries in Africa. The charity was established in 1985. Our work focuses on the development of services for uncorrected refractive error and primary eye health. Uncorrected refractive error is the world’s leading cause of avoidable visual impairment, with an estimated 670 million people affected worldwide. We develop programmes that integrate training, primary eye care, school eye health and facility developments into national and regional eye care plans, seeking always to be responsive to local need. In this way, we help children to learn and adults to earn so that they can provide for their families. Currently, the organisation has programmes operating in Ethiopia, Ghana, Zambia, and Sierra Leone.

We need great people to help us on this journey. You do not need to have a public health, eye care or charity sector background to work with us. We need our people to be self-starters, innovators and able to get on and work with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Job Purpose

Vision Action 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.

The position holder is required to comply with all of Vision Action’s policies and procedures, including Vision Action’s Safeguarding policy.

The successful applicant must have the right to work in the UK.

Functions / Key Responsibilities:

1. 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 Vision Action’s 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.

2. Administration

• Support staff in conducting procurement in line with Vision Action’s procurement policy.
• Assist with preparation for quarterly Board meetings.
• Support office management tasks.

3. Other

• Review and develop existing policies and procedures (e.g. the Finance Manual).
• Conduct staff training on relevant policies and procedures.
• Any other task reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person Specification

Competencies
Essential

• Delivering Results: Dynamic self-starter able to work independently within a small entrepreneurial team.
• Process improvements: Continual review financial processes and identifying areas for improvement.
• Time Management: Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Collaborative: Able to work closely within a small team in the UK and overseas.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Adaptable and sensitive to working patterns and styles in diverse cultural contexts.
• Accuracy: Excellent attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.
• Leadership and Management: Lead by example and support colleagues.

Qualifications and experience
Essential

• CCAB fully qualified accountant or finalist, proficient at using MS Office (Advanced Excel)
• Minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience in a finance role.
• Preparation of financial accounts.
• Preparation of financial information for senior leadership.
• Preparation of information for and hosting of external auditors.
• Organisational budgeting.
• Budgeting for and reporting to donors.
• Setting up reporting systems to ensure accurate and transparent financial reporting to donors.
• Establishing financial controls and systems.
• Using accounting packages.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Right to work in the UK.

Desirable

• Experience of working in an international charity.
• Preparing charity accounts in accordance with SORP 2015.
• Preparing financial information for Board members.
• Involvement in a financial systems upgrade.
• Conducting internal audits.
• Using QuickBooks.
• Experience of working in international development.