Service administration officer jobs in belfast

Join Mersey Rivers Trust and Help Make a Real Impact for Rivers, Wildlife and Communities! 

Are you a skilled finance and governance professional looking to use your expertise for good? Mersey Rivers Trust is seeking a Finance and Governance Manager to join our Senior Leadership Team and help shape the future of our environmental charity. 

We’re a passionate team working to protect and restore rivers across Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire — and we need someone like you to ensure our finances and governance are as strong as our mission. 

The Mersey Rivers Trust (MRT) is an environmental charity focussing on the protection and enhancement of rivers and waterbodies in the Mersey Catchment. It operates in an area covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire. We have an annual turnover of c£1m and employ 19 staff delivering up to 30 projects per year. The Trust works with partners, local communities, and volunteers to deliver a wide range of projects including river restoration, reduction of flood risk by Natural Flood Management techniques, river monitoring, volunteer events (eg river clean-ups/invasive species control and citizen science), community engagement and education events, farm advice/plans and biodiversity net gain. The Trust continues to evolve to meet the increasing challenges of protecting and enhancing rivers and waterbodies in the catchment.

We are seeking a Finance and Governance Manager to join our Senior Leadership Team and lead the Trust’s finance, governance, and back-office functions. This is a pivotal role focused on ensuring financial integrity, regulatory compliance, and effective charity governance. While not involved in field-based project delivery, the Finance Manager plays a strategic role in supporting the organisation’s mission by enabling robust financial planning, reporting, and operational support. You will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Trustees, and project teams to ensure the Trust remains financially resilient and well-governed.

As the Finance and Governance Manager, you should possess expertise in financial control and reporting, allowing you to effectively handle delegated responsibilities. Your numerical skills and critical thinking abilities will enable you to proactively address challenges and streamline processes. 

The role holder will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer and will be a member of the Senior Leadership Team. The role will also include direct line management responsibilities of the Administration Officer. 

If you are a motivated financial professional with a passion for driving organisational success, we invite you to apply and contribute to our team’s growth. 

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the management of the back-office function and Charity governance of MRT.
• Act as the Company Secretary to ensure compliance with financial and legal requirements, as well as maintaining high standards of Charity governance.
• Work with the Chief Executive Officer to prepare and manage budgets, provide input to the Trust’s business plan and strategic initiatives.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the Trust as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
• Provide financial insight and analysis to support strategic decision-making and long-term planning.
• Support the development and implementation of organisational policies and procedures to ensure good governance.
• Act as a key liaison with the Board of Trustees, preparing and presenting financial and governance reports to inform oversight and decision-making.
• Lead on the development of internal controls and risk management strategies to safeguard the Trust’s assets and reputation.
• Oversee all payments, manage cash flow, income and claims.
• Support financial planning for grant funding applications to support delivery of our objectives.
• Line management of the Administration Officer.
• Renew the annual insurance policy ensuring adequate cover and value for money.
• Maintain, oversee, and update all project management reporting systems on time and to budget (including timesheets, expenses and monthly reports).
• Complete all necessary reports and keep suitable records in line with the funding requirements and document retention policy.
• Highlight any new risks and issues identified whilst carrying out duties, and work with the team to manage and resolve them.
• Fulfil duties as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer.
• Any other reasonable duties as required by MRT.

The post holder will be home based with travel throughout the Mersey catchment. The applicant will need to live within or close to the Mersey catchment to facilitate regular travel to meetings. Remote working from other parts of the country cannot be considered for this role due to the need for regular face-to-face interactions. 

Candidate profile

Essential

• A financial control and reporting background, qualification or qualified by experience. 
• Experience of organisational governance, ideally with knowledge of UK General Accounting Practice and Charities regulations.
• Experience of financial and management reporting within a small to medium-sized organisation.
• Experience of liaising with accountants to prepare annual accounts and reports required by the Charity Commission.
• Experience of cash flow forecasting.
• Familiarity with Xero financial and project management software (or similar).
• A confident and clear communicator with the ability to communicate financial information in an appropriate manner for non-financial trustees and staff.
• Aptitude in problem-solving.
• Self-motivated and able to work effectively from home with strong communication skills and with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to work flexibly across the working week when necessary.
• Ability to prioritise and plan activities to meet strict deadlines.
• Excellent literacy, numeracy and report-writing skills.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
• Good computer literacy skills (e.g. with Excel, Word, PowerPoint and project reporting systems).
• A reliable team player with good attendance and work performance.
• Ability to set performance objectives and ensure these are achieved.
• Excellent organisational / admin skills and attention to detail.

Desirable

• Experience in financial planning for funding applications.
• Experience of working in the charity or not for profit sector.
• Understanding of small-scale charitable trading.
• Experience of commercial contract management.
• Experience of managing an IT service provider.
• Knowledge of the Mersey Catchment.
• Good network of contacts in the sector. 

General notes

• Some travel around the Mersey Catchment will be necessary therefore a current driving licence and access to a vehicle (insured for business use) is desirable or otherwise access to public transport networks. 
• This position will from time to time require work during some evenings, weekends and public holidays to meet the needs of the post. A time-off in lieu system is operated by the Trust.
• We will also require the successfully applicant to undergo a basic DBS check and provide satisfactory references from previous employers.

Together, the charities Sands and Tommy’s have formed a Joint Policy Unit (JPU) focussed on achieving policy change that will save more babies’ lives during pregnancy and the neonatal period and on tackling inequalities in loss, so that everyone can benefit from the best possible outcomes.

The JPU’s mission is to secure policy change that will reduce rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-term birth and neonatal death, and to work to eliminate inequalities in these outcomes.

While there is widespread agreement on the need for change to improve the safety of maternity and neonatal services, what that change looks like is not clear.  To save more babies’ lives we believe that a continued focus is required, and that governments should set new commitments to reduce perinatal mortality and preterm births, focused on matching the best-performing countries in Europe.

This role will be crucial to the continued success of the JPU unit; leading, shaping and coordinating all the unit’s work. 

We are looking for an independent and assertive problem-solver, a policy expert who can manage multiple priorities, take the initiative, lead the national conversation and is as excited as we are about taking the helm of this venture for both of our organisations.

The successful candidate will need to have a substantial track record of effectively leading and implementing national policy and influencing programmes, driving change and achieving the desired impact.

You will have considerable experience across research, data analysis, policy development, public affairs and communications.  Additionally, you will be well-versed in research and data management, including analysing complex data and evaluating policy developments.

Experience of being a member of a senior management team with successful, significant and relevant management and leadership experience is also essential.

Step into a transformative journey with Working Options

We're on a mission to empower young people aged 14-19 across England and Wales, and you can help make a real difference.

Following our successful Wales pilot supporting 15,000 young people since launching in 2024, we're scaling regionally. In 2025 we're focusing on Bedfordshire, and that is where we need you, while also responding to needs across England and Wales, aiming to reach 90,000+ young people in-person and 2.5 million+ online across both nations.

As a Project Coordinator you'll connect volunteers with schools and foster impactful relationships within our dynamic, entrepreneurial environment. We believe in inclusivity, trying new things, setting high expectations, and creating real opportunities for young people.

Working from home with occasional team meet-ups, events, and school visits, you'll join a dedicated team that values high expectations and individual contributions to help young people achieve positive outcomes.

If you're passionate, self-motivated, and eager to contribute to a great mission, this is your chance to join a team that's helping young people to transform their career and life chances.

Don't just take our word for it, here's what one of our young people had to say: "My personal experience has been exceptional. There is a collaborative atmosphere, and it is truly empowering to be part of a charity that values student input and involves us in decisions that directly affect our lives." – Working Options Alumnae.

Find out more about the role, and hear from our Chief Executive about our charity's ambitions, via the applicant pack linked below.

Person specification

We are looking for someone who:

• Has a genuine interest in our work and in the greater Bedfordshire area and/or South of England in easy reach of Bedfordshire.
• Is fully committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. 
• Is self-motivated.
• Has excellent attention to detail. 
• Can juggle multiple priorities, sticking to deadlines and flagging when priorities need reviewing. 
• Has a flair for developing great relationships, particularly with schools and colleges. 
• Is proactive and tenacious, able to seek out new opportunities and remain resilient. 
• Is creative and likes coming up with new ideas. 
• Is ambitious for themselves and for the charity. 
• Has high computer literacy.

While we don't specify this in our person specification, we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who have experienced some of the challenges that young people across England and Wales face today.

If you like the sound of this environment, we would love to hear from you.

Good luck with your application!

Early Years Advisor

We are looking for Early Years Advisors to join the team supporting the contract delivery of our Maths Champions programmes.

Maths Champions is an online professional development programme, enabling early years settings to access CPD from their setting without the need to release staff to attend external training. The programme provides a range of evidence based training, reflective tools, resources and support from an Early Years Advisor.

This role offers remote working and there are 8 positions available.

Position: Early Years Advisor (Champions Programme) x8 posts

Location: Homebased

Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: 30k increasing to £32k following probation

Contract: Fixed term contract until 31st July 2027 

Benefits: Include 26 days’ holiday, rising to 30 after service increments plus 8 bank holiday, Personal Pension Scheme, Healthcare Cash Plan, Employee Assistance Programme, Staff Awards Scheme, Company Sick Pay Scheme, flexible working patterns

Closing Date: 3rd October 2025. Interviews will be taking place on a rolling basis commencing from 15th September and if suitable candidates are found the role may close earlier than advertised.

The Role

You will support the contract delivery of the Maths Champions programmes, ensuring contract milestones are met. The Champions programmes are online professional development programmes designed to support early years settings to drive continuous improvement and increase high standards in early education for children from birth to five years, in line with the Organisation’s mission to promote quality in early years for UK and international customers.

Working closely with other early years advisors, delivery partners, managers and cross teams, you will be responsible for the delivery of Champions programmes.

You will work with the private, voluntary, maintained and independent sectors, and school provision providing advice and support relating to Champions programmes that enable practitioners within nursery settings with practice improvement resulting in better outcomes for children.

About You

You will have experience of working in early years, leading practice specifically in maths language, literacy and communication as an early years professional or an early years teacher

Successful candidates will have experience of:

• Coaching and mentoring early years practitioners to support practice improvement
• Customer service or related experience
• Multi-agency partnership working
• Developing and securing strong partnerships
• Involvement with early year’s networks or groups
• Product development and review

To apply please submit your CV along with a covering letter detailing how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the role.

About the Organisation

The organisation is a national charity and membership association specifically for nurseries. They work in partnership with nurseries, local authorities, national government and a range of partners to develop an environment in which early learning and care can flourish.

The organisation is committed to a policy of equal opportunities and is actively opposed to discrimination in society.

You may also have experience in areas such as Early Years, Early Years Advisor, Early Years  Practitioner, Early Years  Teacher, Programmes, Programme Officer, Maths, Teacher, Teaching, Coaching, Customer Service, Education, Schools.  #INDNFP

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.

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.

Why work for Kids Matter?

• Generous annual leave – 25 days (plus bank holidays) per year pro rata, with time off between Christmas and New Year's additional to this allowance.
• Remote working contribution – receive £26/month pro rata towards the costs of working from home and/or using a co-working space.
• Access to coaching sessions, training opportunities and our Employee Assistance Programme (a confidential support service for staff).
• Flexible working across weekdays to suit your schedule.

About us

Kids Matter is one of the UK’s fastest growing children’s charities.

Our vision is to see every child in need raised in a strong family. Our mission is to reduce the impact of poverty on children through community-based parenting programmes.

Research shows that group-based early intervention parenting groups are the most effective way to support children in need. We train peer facilitators in local churches - the largest voluntary body in the country - to run our affordable, accessible and highly effective parenting programmes, written by Clinical Psychologists. They come alongside parents and carers, building long-lasting community in addition to encouraging confidence and learning positive parenting skills.

We value difference and diversity, and we want our workplace to be built on shared values of equality and mutual trust, with team members representing the wide range of backgrounds and experiences that exist within the UK. We therefore actively encourage applications from people of diverse backgrounds and varied experiences, particularly those who are African, Afro-Caribbean, Asian or part of other minority ethnic communities, who have lived experience of the impact of low-income/low-support circumstances, and who are living with a disability or identify as being neurodivergent.

About the role

The Research and Programmes Coordinator role involves:

• Overseeing administrative tasks for all research projects
• Supporting the Programme Development Team Lead in management of all research projects
• Liaising with the Support Coach team to connect with facilitators/parents for data collection e.g. supporting with the running of focus groups
• Using Kids Matter’s CRM to confidently record communication with consultants and Research Assistants
• Supporting the data gathering process for all our evaluation data including maintaining data integrity by performing regular data audits and cleaning parent data ready for the Research Assistants to analyse

About you

Are you organised with good attention to detail? Do you enjoy supporting others and having a varied workload? Can you prioritise and manage your time effectively? Are you a Christian with an active faith in Jesus? Do you have a passion for Kids Matter’s vision of seeing every child in need raised in a strong family?

Then we would love to hear from you!

How to apply

You can apply for the Research and Programmes Coordinator position by clicking ‘Apply via Website’ and completing a copy of our online application form.

The deadline for applications is 4pm on Monday 29th September 2025. All successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email.

We also ask for all applicants to submit an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, which will be sent to you to complete following the submission of your application. This form will be used for anonymous analysis to ensure our overall recruitment procedures are fair and transparent. It will never be viewed or used as part of the selection process. It is optional to submit this form.

If you would like any application/interview support or you need any reasonable adjustments throughout the application process, or if you would like an informal phone call to ask questions or discuss the role, please contact Katie Washington (HR & Systems Manager).

Please see the job pack for more details on the role and application process.