Senior Hr Advisor Jobs in Birmingham

Hours: Full-Time – 36 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Location: Remote (travel to London, Birmingham and Forests required monthly) 

This is the opportunity to play an influential and impactful role in one of the most important causes of our generation – the climate emergency.  Trees will enable 25% of the UK's 2050 net zero ambition and this role sits at the heart of this, supporting one of the UK’s largest woodland creation partnerships, England’s Community Forests.

The Community Forest Trust (CFT) is a charity that supports, enables and champions England’s Community Forests (ECFs).  Across England there are 15 Community Forests that deliver social, economic, and environmental impact through woodland creation and restoration.  In 2024/2025 they will plant over 2.5 million trees, most of which are funded through Defra’s national tree planting programme, the Nature for Climate Fund Programme.

The Managing Director will have the drive, rigour, and organisational and stakeholder management skills to develop and deliver a new CFT Business Plan.  The current Business Plan was developed in 2022 and runs to March 2025.  It has now been delivered.

The Managing Director will be responsible for providing the overall leadership and management of CFT and ensure effective governance and compliance with all legal requirements. To fulfil this aim, the Managing Director must ensure that robust structures and systems are in place to deliver CFT’s strategic priorities and CFT’s charitable aims and objectives.

A few key responsibilities of the role include:

• Take ownership of delivering the future direction and shape of CFT and deliver the CFT vision
• Provide organisational leadership for CFT, establishing and implementing business objectives through a business plan
• Work closely with the Chair of the Board, Trustees and staff, building positive working relationships in a constructive and consultative environment
• Manage the agreements (service delivery) with the ECFs with who CFT has a specific and formal arrangement
• Deliver the services and outcomes to the ECF Network, the Forests that CFT supports and those Forests that CFT runs
• Support project development work taking place at local level to support the Northern Forest programme
• Develop and lead funding strategies and write or assist with writing funding bids when required

This list is not exhaustive, please access the full job description for this role attached to this advertisment.

To be successful in the role, the postholder must have previous senior management and leadership experience gained at an organisation of comparable scale and complexity. A track record of developing and implementing Business Plans is also a must, along with experience of representing an organisation to external stakeholders and forming effective partnerships, working effectively with a board of trustees or equivalent, and managing contracts and service providers.

The postholder will have outstanding leadership skills with the ability to develop strategic plans and motivate and inspire others, knowledge of financial management, including budgets/cashflow, income generation and writing successful funding applications, and knowledge of community engagement and mobilisation.

In return, you will receive some great benefits which include:

• Competitive rates of pay
• Remote and flexible working
• 25 days annual leave per year, plus bank holidays
• An enhanced pension scheme
• Possible funded training opportunities

We welcome individuals with a general interest in the environment and its preservation.  We are also an equal opportunities employer who consider applications from all communities.

Should you be interested in this role we would be pleased to hear from you via a CV and a covering letter. Please submit this by the closing date of 18th April 2025.

Head Of Finance

Location: London with remote working in place
Salary: 65,000 - £74,000
Hours: 37.5
Job Type: Full time
Contract Type: Permanent

Who they are

Our client is the industry network with a mission to radically transform the built environment in the face of the climate, nature crises. They champion bold government action and convene the ambitious sections of industry to drive progress at pace and scale.  

This is an opportunity to play a role at the forefront of tackling the climate and nature crises and to protect communities. Nature is in collapse and our buildings and communities will not withstand the climate impacts they face without urgent action. The places they live, work and play in must, and can, be part of the solution, not the problem.  

They are multi-disciplinary team of 40 passionate, skilled people from across the UK with a London office hub. As a green charity, they prize their welcoming and inclusive work culture with wellbeing and professional development at its heart.  

The role

They are seeking an experienced and talented Head of Finance, with strong financial acumen, and the ability to translate complex themes into clear narratives, to contribute significantly to the strategic direction of the organisation.

This role is ideal for a mid – to – senior career professional looking for a Leadership role, and is keen to play a pivotal role in an increasingly vital and influential organisation.  The successful candidate will manage their finances; developing and maintaining financial models to support strategic decision-making, and providing high-quality financial data and analysis to senior management, all the while developing their own broad insight and knowledge of their mission and goals through working with a passionate and knowledgeable team of colleagues, and with businesses across the entire built environment value chain. 

They are an equal-opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any protected characteristic. They are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome and valued. Their commitment to inclusivity means they support flexible work arrangements, ensuring work-life balance for all. They prioritise accessibility and will gladly accommodate any needs upon request, as they believe in providing a barrier-free recruitment process.

They recognise that people of colour, those from different socio-economic backgrounds, and those from minoritised groups are currently underrepresented at all levels within the industry. They're on the lookout for talented individuals with a wide range of skills and experiences and are eager to welcome candidates from underrepresented groups.

Key responsibilities

Financial Management

• Co-ordinate and drive the Budget process, in tandem with the Annual Operating Planning process.
• Monthly re-forecasting and reporting, including explanation of variances in language which is useful to non-finance specialists
• Provide narratives explaining financial performance
• Identification of alternative courses of action
• Analysis and planning to support decision making 
• Preparing financial papers for the Risk and Audit committee and the Board of Trustees
• Provide input to Funding applications, commercial decisions and opportunities.

 

 

Financial Control

• Maintaining control of and make improvements to financial systems.
• Maintain internal controls
• Responsibility for the integrity of their balance sheet.
• Updating and enforcing of their authorisation matrix.
• Ensure accuracy of transactions within Quickbooks and the mirroring of Salesforce records.
• Responsible for (via overseeing the Finance Manager) Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, VAT, expenses.  
• Oversee the payroll process, company pensions, tax and NI 
• Identification and reporting of risks, maintenance of the risk register, potential mitigation and insurance. 
• Drive continual improvement of processes

 

 

Cashflow forecasting

• Working with the team to understand timetable of activities, challenging cost assumptions and reclaiming  budget where appropriate; identifying changes in and drivers of performance including reduction in surplus/increases in deficit, evaluating and suggesting alternative courses of action.

 

 

Financial Reporting

• Oversee the annual audit
• Documentation of processes and policies
• Statutory reporting and keeping company policies up to date in accordance with SORP and UK GAAP, for both the charity and dormant trading entity

 

 

Governance

• Liaise with auditors in delivery of audited accounts
• Maintaining all records at Companies House, The Charities Commission, HMRC and other official bodies (familiarity with The Charities Statement of Recommended Practice)

 

 

Legal support

• Reviewing and supporting on contracts / agreements

 

 

Treasury 

• Manage and maintain their investment strategy, and securely deposit funds with appropriate organisations, to achieve an acceptable return with minimal risk. 
• Maintain key controls of third-party banking software (including investments and credit cards)
• Provide and update a cashflow forecast
• Ensure adequate cashflows between working capital and investments

 

 

Leadership and Personnel

• Consistent and collaborative communication and engagement to help drive the finance team’s, and the wider organisation’s, success. The Head of Finance has one direct report, the Finance Manager, and the Finance Officer reports to the Finance Manager
• Engage in, and occasionally lead aspects of regular organisational wide meetings, related to the culture and operations and/or projects and workstreams. Communicate and explain financial matters to the wider team when called upon. 
• Take a proactive approach to your own learning and professional development

 

 

Other

• Leading their carbon reporting and reduction as part of the Race to Zero 
• Maintain the organisations’ key professional administrative relationships including Auditors, Banks, Insurers, HR advisors , Legal services, pension providers, IT providers etc. 

 

 

People requirements: 

Key qualities, competencies, experience, and qualifications

• Mission: A passion for tackling the climate, nature and cost of living crises, and a commitment to their mission. 
• Integrity: An inclusive approach that conveys and embeds honesty and transparency as standard
• Attitude: A positive, proactive, problem-solving approach with demonstrable agility to perform duties that may be outside core accountabilities 
• Teamwork and Leadership: Demonstratable ability to effectively lead a small finance team, with leadership skills that motivate others and create a positive working environment
• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills, with ability to share complex ideas, thoughts and concepts in a consistently clear manner. Good analytical and influencing skills.
• Project management: Efficient planning, organisational, and time management skills 
• Administration: Strong administrative and computer literacy skills (standard software packages, mainly Microsoft Office), Advanced Excel skills

 

 

Strategic thinking:

• Good experience in strategy setting and horizon scanning, with aptitude in decision-making and problem-solving.
• Impact oriented with a focus on delivering outcomes and impact; agile in how to achieve them
• Critical thinking: supported by good research skills

 

 

Knowledge:

• CIMA / ACCA /ACA qualification or equivalent
• Extensive knowledge of financial procedures, budgeting, forecasting and reporting
• Ability to interpret data, identify trends, and make recommendations
• Financial best practices across charity and built environment organisations, including dual financial reporting (for example by project as well as by discipline / department)
• Preparing management accounts, and financial information in various formats to aid decision making
• Requirements of Company’s House and the Charity Commission, and familiarity with The Charities Statement of Recommended Practice
• Office / premises management, including building management liaison and IT / tech management
• Reporting on environmental footprint
• Stakeholder engagement: Proven experience of people management and collaboration

 

 

REF-220493