Senior office administrator jobs in Manchester

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About Parenting for Lifelong Health:

Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) aims to empower parents to improve child development, reduce family violence, and promote mental health. We give parents the support they need, the skills that work, and trusted advice they can count on to protect and support their children’s health, safety and development. Our parenting courses are developed with families, powered by low-cost and accessible technology, backed by rigorous evidence, and delivered within systems. Originally founded as an initiative in 2012 in collaboration with UNICEF and the WHO, Parenting for Lifelong Health was established as a UK charity in 2022 and since then has reached over 8 million families in more than 35 countries. 

PLH Values  

• Courage We have the courage to design for the big picture and complex problems with a commitment to creating sustainable solutions that last.
• Evidence We believe our work transforms the lives of children, families, and communities. Evidence of impact guides every decision, and we are relentless in pursuing the greatest impact with the least investment of time and resources required for parents and providers.
• Playfulness Parenting and child wellbeing thrives on play — and so do we. We experiment, learn from each other, as well as from parents and children, and create playful and engaging products and programmes that inspire joy, curiosity, and connection.
• Respect Everyone brings something essential. We show kindness in our team, honesty with our partners, and deep respect and empathy for parents and children, and those who are on the frontline of providing services for them.

PLH has a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity in how we work, who we work with, and what we do. Candidates from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

PLH also has a strong commitment to the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). All candidates considered for the role will be subject to background and reference checks in their country of residence.

Benefits: Flexible remote-working, home office set-up, unlimited annual leave, professional development opportunities, enhanced pension contributions, enhanced statutory leave provisions including maternity and paternity leave.

About the role:

The Finance Manager is responsible for PLH’s financial systems, controls, and compliance. The role is responsible for ensuring smooth financial operations, accurate and timely reporting, and full compliance with UK Charity Commission requirements and donor regulations.

The position acts as:

• the primary point of contact between PLH and its outsourced accounting firm;
• the operational counterpart to a strategic Senior Director of Finance; and
• the primary source of financial support for programme teams. 

Responsibilities:

Financial Operations

• Act as the primary organisational contact for the outsourced accounting firm, setting expectations, reviewing performance, and ensuring service quality.
• Oversee the monthly financial close process, reviewing outputs from the outsourced accounting firm and producing management reports and key financial insights, including:

○ Cash flow and liquidity position

○ Income recognition

○ Restricted vs unrestricted funds

○ Project-level budget variance and cost recovery

• Maintain and update PLH’s Financial Model to reflect actuals, updated revenue and expense projections, and key variances against the approved annual budget, highlighting any significant issues or risks to the Senior Director of Finance.
• Regularly update forecasts based on actual performance and current assumptions within PLH’s Financial Model.
• Manage PLH’s project budgets and work closely with project managers, enforcing consistent standards of budget management, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Oversee the monthly payroll process, ensuring accuracy, compliance with local regulations, and timely coordination with external providers.
• Manage internal accounts payable and receivable processes, ensuring appropriate controls, approvals, and segregation of duties.
• Manage and maintain PLH’s expense management and banking systems.
• Oversee PLH’s donation processing systems, with a strong focus on fraud prevention, anti-money laundering, and donor due diligence. 

Financial Compliance

• Review accounting records and supporting documentation prepared by the outsourced accounting firm.
• Ensure compliance across all donor-funded projects, in line with donor regulations and PLH’s internal financial policies.
• Enforce and evaluate strong financial policies and internal controls, regularly reviewing and aligning these systems with UK Charity Commission guidance and reporting requirements.
• Lead audit preparation, coordinate internal inputs, and act as primary day-to-day contact for external auditors.
• Organise the completion and submission of PLH’s annual return and HMRC corporate tax return.
• Monitor exchange rate fluctuations and advise the Executive and Operations teams on mitigation measures (including approved salary adjustments) to buffer sharp decreases in currency value, in line with organisational policy. 

Essential criteria:

• Fully or part-qualified professional accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA, CPA, or equivalent), or demonstrably equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of five years’ experience in a finance role, including at least two years in a finance management or senior finance position.
• Demonstrable experience overseeing monthly close processes and producing high-quality management accounts and financial reports.
• Strong experience monitoring budgets, maintaining rolling forecasts, and updating financial models based on actuals and revised assumptions.
• Experience preparing for, coordinating, and supporting audits, including liaison with external auditors.
• Advanced Excel or Google Sheets skills, including complex formulas, linked models, and scenario-based inputs and assumptions.
• Strong experience working with cloud-based accounting systems and the ability to rapidly become fully proficient in PLH’s finance systems.
• Strong understanding of internal financial controls, segregation of duties, and financial policy compliance in a regulated environment.
• Ability to work with outsourced accounting or payroll providers, ensuring accuracy, quality control, and timeliness.
• High attention to detail, analytical rigour, and ability to interpret financial data to support evidence-informed decision-making.
• Ability to communicate financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues and support budget-holder capacity-building. 

Preferred criteria:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, economics, business administration, or a closely related quantitative discipline.
• Experience working within a UK-registered charity and familiarity with Charity Commission guidance and reporting requirements.
• Experience implementing or maintaining financial policies and procedures aligned with UK charity governance standards.
• Experience managing multi-currency transactions and foreign exchange exposure, ideally using Xero or comparable systems.
• International donor compliance experience, particularly with institutional or multilateral funders (e.g. UNICEF, UN agencies, WHO, major foundations). 
• Demonstrated success working in early-stage or scaling organisations, with the ability to operate both independently and collaboratively.
• Experience working with globally distributed teams and multiple country contexts.
• Confidence delivering financial guidance or training to project managers and non-finance staff.
• High level of proficiency in written and spoken English. 

Great opportunity to lead and support our charity's team through the next phase of development to drive One Medicine forward. 

Job Purpose

To lead the operational delivery of Humanimal Trust’s charitable aims and strategic objectives, as set by the Board of Trustees, ensuring that plans are translated into clear priorities, well-managed programmes and effective day-to-day operations. The postholder will line manage the operational team, oversee the finances and the fundraising activities, and maintain strong governance and compliance within Charity Commission requirements, at all times representing the Trust’s One Medicine purpose with professionalism and integrity.

Dimensions

· Line management responsibility for the operational team

· Budget responsibility: manage agreed operational budgets and monitor expenditure against plan

· Oversee delivery of the annual business plan and operational work programme

· Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, supporters, partners and suppliers

· Oversee the fundraising activities

Main Responsibilities and Role

· Provide visible operational leadership for Humanimal Trust, championing One Medicine and role-modelling the Trust’s values

· Translate Board-approved strategy into clear operational priorities, delivery plans and measurable outcomes

· Line-manage the operational team: allocate work, set objectives, provide coaching, and manage performance and wellbeing

· Maintain and improve operational policies, procedures and controls in line with charity regulation, GDPR/data protection and recognised good practice

· Ensure effective delivery of core operational functions (administration, supporter care, governance support, data management and supplier coordination)

· Protect the Trust’s reputation by maintaining high standards of quality, confidentiality, safeguarding and risk management

· Monitor progress against the operational plan, tracking risks, issues and dependencies and reporting regularly to the Chair/Trustees

· Lead on team resourcing and capability: recruitment planning (where applicable), induction, training and continuous improvement

· Work closely with the Chair and Trustees to support good governance, prepare papers, and ensure actions and decisions are implemented

· Attend and present at Board meetings

Finance

· Manage day-to-day financial processes for the Trust, ensuring appropriate approvals, controls and timely processing

· Oversee expense claims and supplier payments in line with policy; ensure accurate records are maintained for audit and reporting

· Track and report on income/expenditure and operational costs, highlighting variances and supporting budget planning with Trustees and finance support (where in place)

· Maintain a clear audit trail for key financial decisions, contracts and delegated approvals

Planning and Organising

· Develop and implement operational plans that translate Trustee priorities into clear workstreams, milestones and accountabilities

· Plan, organise and prioritise team workload and resources to deliver objectives, balancing immediate operational needs with longer-term planning

· Maintain and review the organisational risk register, escalating issues and ensuring proportionate mitigations are in place

· Maintain and review the Trust’s policies and guidance documents

· Monitor and report delivery, performance and compliance (e.g., quarterly/annually as agreed), supporting effective governance and continuous improvement

Decision Making

· Make operational decisions to deliver the Trust’s agreed plans within delegated authority, escalating strategic or high-risk matters to the Chair/Trustees

· Lead and line-manage the operational team, including recruitment planning (where applicable), workload allocation and resource deployment

· Liaise with external partners, supporters, volunteers, suppliers and professional advisers to support delivery and maintain effective relationships

· Liaise with the Chair of Trustees and the Trustees on a regular basis.

· Evaluate and improve processes, systems and ways of working to enhance quality, efficiency, supporter experience and internal control

· Identify learning and development needs for the team and support continuous improvement and professional development

· Manage operational capacity and prioritisation, ensuring resources are aligned to the Trust’s delivery commitments

· Approve expenditure, contracts and commitments within delegated authority and in line with policy

Internal and External Relationships

Internal

· Chair of Trustees and Board of Trustees (including sub-committees), providing timely updates, papers and delivery reporting

· Operational team and volunteers, providing leadership, coordination and support

External

Supporters, donors, partner organisations, volunteers, suppliers and professional advisers (e.g., finance, HR, legal), acting as an operational point of contact as required

Knowledge, Experience, Skills and Style Required

Essential

· Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience), with strong digital/IT capability (MS Office and CRM/databases) and a clear understanding of GDPR/data protection.

· Proven experience in an operational leadership/management role, delivering organisational plans, improving processes and achieving measurable outcomes.

· Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively with Trustees, colleagues, volunteers and external stakeholders.

· Strong people management skills, supporting staff through change, setting clear expectations and creating an inclusive, high-performing team culture.

· Demonstrable experience working in or with a charity/not-for-profit, with a good understanding of governance, compliance and supporter-facing operations (experience in human health, animal health or science an advantage).

· Strong judgement and analytical skills, able to manage competing priorities, budgets and risks and to deliver reliably in a small-organisation environment.

Desirable

· Understanding of the UK charity regulatory environment and good governance practice.

· Experience working with Boards/Trustees, including preparing papers, reporting on delivery and supporting effective decision-making.

· Knowledge and experience of fundraising operations and supporter care.

· Demonstrable understanding of, and commitment to, One Medicine.

Job Context and Special Features

This role is a key senior management position within Humanimal Trust, with responsibility for ensuring that strategy is translated into effective delivery, that the operational team is supported to perform at its best, and that the Trust operates with strong governance, compliance and financial control.

This is a one-year fixed term appointment for a 28-hour (3.5 day) working week, starting at the earliest opportunity.  The role is home-based in the UK, with occasional travel to other locations in the country.