The Association for Cultural Enterprises (AfCE) supports over 500 member organisations across the UK and internationally, helping the cultural sector generate earned income through commercial activity. As an Arts Council England-funded organisation, AfCE delivers sector-leading training, benchmarking, data-led insights, events, and advocacy to drive financial resilience in arts, heritage, and culture.
AfCE runs a year-round programme of live training events around the UK and Europe, as well as its signature annual Cultural Enterprises Conference and Trade Show. We have ambitions to grow attendance at these events, as well as growing our membership.
The Association is a charitable organisation, which also has a trading company, Cultural Enterprises (Trading) Limited (CET).
We are looking for a new Finance Manager to join a small, friendly, and ambitious team, to review the day-to-day processes and policies and identify opportunities to improve reporting and make operational efficiencies. The Association is growing, so now is an exciting time to join our team and work with our members across the cultural sector.
Job Summary
The purpose of this role is to provide sound financial management for the Association and CET through:
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Statutory financial reporting in line with Charity SORP/UK GAAP, including annual returns to Companies House and the Charity Commission
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Management accounting, reporting and analysis to funders, management, staff, and Trustees/Directors
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Preparation and maintenance of budgets, forecasts and plans, including cashflows and project budgets
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Supervision and control of day-to-day accounting transactions, including oversight of the finance aspects of the Apprentice role
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Oversight and implementation of robust financial systems, policies, and procedures
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Responsible for financial queries, working with the Apprentice as first point of contact for external contacts
Main Duties
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Supervise day-to-day accounting operations and ensure accurate financial record keeping, including coding, allocations, reconciliations, and tax accounting
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Oversee invoice generation and debt recovery processes
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Process payments and staff expenses for authorisation
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Produce regular management accounts on an accruals basis, providing interpretation and advice to the Executive Team, Finance & Risk Committee, Trustees/Directors, and funders
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Lead on budget preparation and forecasting, including project-specific budgets; monitor and reforecast as needed
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Prepare statutory accounts in compliance with charity SORP and liaise with external auditors and the Treasurer
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Manage contracts with financial services providers, including bookkeepers, auditors, banks, and investment managers
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Attend AfCE and CET Board meetings
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Fulfil company secretarial duties, including:
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Filing confirmation statements and annual accounts for ACE and CET with Companies House and Charity Commission
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Filing changes in Trustees/Directors
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Complete Arts Council England (ACE) returns, including provision of financial information for quarterly payment processes when required
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Negotiate and implement insurance policies including:
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General insurance
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Cyber security
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Life assurance
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Staff sickness policy
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Trustees’ liability
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Conference insurance
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Oversee monthly payroll, including statutory payments to HMRC and pension providers, and liaise with bookkeepers for payroll updates or changes
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Review VAT returns for accuracy before submission to HMRC
Note on External Bookkeepers
External bookkeepers currently provide support limited to payroll and VAT processing.
Person Specification
Personal Qualities
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Self-disciplined, organised, proactive and self-motivating
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Logical and methodical approach to finance and administration
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Trustworthy, honest, reliable and conscientious
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Confident, professional, and personable, able to communicate easily within a small team and with external stakeholders
Professional Competencies
Essential
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Professional accounting qualification such as ACA, ACCA, or CIMA
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Strong knowledge of charity SORP and charity finance regulations, including VAT and Gift Aid
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Experience with Xero or equivalent cloud-based accounting systems
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Strong reporting skills
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Team player with excellent interpersonal skills
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High level of accuracy and attention to detail
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Experience producing management accounts and supporting senior leadership and boards
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Ability to interpret financial data for non-financial colleagues
Desirable
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Experience working in a small charity or business
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Understanding of the cultural or charitable sector
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Experience of remote working
Benefits
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Unlimited holiday policy
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5% employer pension contribution
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Life insurance
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Flexible working arrangements by agreement with the CEO
We are an inclusive, equal opportunity employer and value diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of experience, merit and organisational need.
Please note that interviews for this role will take place online on Thursday 31st July.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Sense has a fantastic opportunity for someone to join our Brand and Content team as our Video Content Creator. This is a permanent, hybrid, full-time position working 37.5 hours per week, based between home and our office either in Kings Cross, London or Selly Oak, Birmingham.
The Brand and Content Team nurture and develop the Sense brand, putting it at the heart of everything we do and ensuring it is consistently represented throughout every touchpoint. We are also responsible for creating engaging and stand out content for departments across the organisation, whilst also creating content to meet our own strategic goals.
The successful candidate will join our fast-paced and motivated team to deliver highly engaging short form video content for social media, digital adverts, website and events. Your content will build and push the Sense brand, increase understanding of the challenges faced by disabled people with complex needs, help those affected to live full and meaningful lives, inspire people to fundraise and take action, and communicate the impact of Sense’s work through engaging and compelling storytelling. In this hands-on role you will be responsible for all aspects of video production, including creative development, logistics and planning, directing, filming, conducting interviews and all elements of post-production, requiring strong organisation and project management skills with the ability to juggle multiple projects at the same time.
You’ll spend a lot of time out on location capturing authentic moments and voices, translating them into compelling and engaging video content. One day you might be at our services meeting the people we support, and another you might be at a fundraising or campaigning event.
Please supply a link to your video content portfolio (that you have shot and edited yourself) as part of your application.
Key Responsibilities
- Deliver a consistent pipeline of engaging short form video in platform-native formats and related assets.
- Interview storytellers on camera, who may have sensitive stories, to create compelling and engaging storytelling video content.
- Attend events and activities with the people we support to capture video content.
- Act as a representative of Sense’s workforce in campaigning or information videos when appropriate.
- Work with internal teams to identify and plan the role that video plays in the wider communications mix.
- Ensure videos are optimized for different platforms, including using trending sounds, adding engaging text overlays, and incorporating relevant hashtags.
- Develop creative concepts and present ideas to internal stakeholders.
- Proactively identify opportunities, contribute ideas, share skills and help drive quality by working closely with teammates and services, collaborating on projects where required.
- Run and deliver all areas of video production, including planning, organising and running video shoots (including responsibility for filming), and all elements of post-production from social media editing, to grading, captioning, exporting for social platforms, creating accessible transcripts and publishing on Sense's YouTube channels. .
- Help to maintain our asset library, ensuring assets are uploaded, described and tagged correctly, and helping colleagues to use it when required.
- Manage agencies, freelancers, volunteers and beneficiaries to produce video content as required.
Key skills and experience
- Experience in all aspects of shooting and producing a high standard of digital first short form video content for external audiences either in an agency or in-house.
- Strong experience in creating video edits for social media (including TikTok), with demonstrable understanding and knowledge of optimal formats and tactics for different channels and platforms.
- Experience in fast-paced short (and medium-length) content, aiming for a fast turnaround.
- Experience in developing strong creative content ideas to deliver against content strategies.
- A strong understanding of and experience in crafting engaging and impactful storytelling video content.
- Working with case studies or interviewees with experience in planning and conducting interviews and drawing out compelling stories.
- Skilled experience in producing, directing, lighting, audio recording and shooting short form digital first video.
- Editing (Adobe Premiere Pro), including colour grading, audio, and exporting to required formats.
- Familiarity working with imagery and graphics as part of video projects (Adobe Photoshop).
- Mobile videography and editing skills (as well professional camera and editing skills).
- Originating and storyboarding video content with skilled use of visual storytelling techniques.
- Strong organisation and project management skills, including an ability to plan work effectively and juggle multiple projects at the same time.
- Proactivity in seeking out content opportunities and making things happen.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to present engagingly about creative concepts and ideas.
For a full job description and person specification, please see the link below
About Sense
At Sense we believe that every disabled person should have the opportunity to connect with others and be included in the world. We use our knowledge and expertise to deliver personalised, creative and flexible support at every stage of life.
Sense is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. Working at Sense can be incredibly rewarding; we offer the opportunity to work in a large, diverse and successful charity where people can develop their skills, knowledge and careers in a supportive and flexible environment. In addition, we have excellent training and development, the opportunity for you to join our Group Personal Pension scheme and a generous annual leave entitlement.
To apply
Please use the link below to complete your application. Managers will use your application to shortlist candidates for interview; in relation to the Personal Specification. Therefore, it is very important you complete this section thoroughly. We would recommend that you read the job description and person specification before applying.
Please note to avoid disappointment, we advise you to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close posts at any time.
No agency submissions please: any submissions without prior authorisation from the Sense Recruitment Team will be treated as our own and as such no fee will be payable.
Sense is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. Therefore, all offers of employment, where appropriate, are subject to a DBS check; level dependent on the nature of the role.
For this role we particularly welcome applications from candidates from underrepresented ethnic minority backgrounds and candidates with disabilities. Sense is committed to equality of opportunity, and to promoting and celebrating the diversity of staff, volunteers and the people we work with. Everyone's contribution is valued and we ensure they're given the opportunity to realise their potential. We welcome applications from talented people from all sections of the community who share our values and belief that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential.