Head of Finance

Objectives:

• To oversee key stakeholder relationships and manage the financial transactions for twinning, retail, and community support projects, SVP trading and national fundraising.
• Ensure rigorous financial analysis and input to the strategic development of these areas as required.
• Ensure excellent customer service.
• To lead on the production and reporting of consolidated year end accounts Support and cover for Director of Finance as required.
• To assist in the overall management of the finance function helping to embed a high-performance culture.
• To be a business partner to managers, budget holders. projects and the Director of Finance.

Main Responsibilities:

• SVP Retail, Trading & Community Support Projects 
• Be a business partner to the Director of Retail, Trading and Social Enterprise 
• Support in the development and review of shops and ongoing retail strategy 
• Review monthly performance, discuss with regional managers as required 
• Monitor all shops and other transactions for potential financial irregularities and report suspected/potential issues in a timely manner 
• Perform internal audits and visit shops and projects to monitor where needed • Attend SVP Trading Board meetings and support the evolving strategy 
• Support the evolving Community Support project strategy, review business plans from a financial perspective 
• Lead the budget process in retail, trading and other areas as needed 
• Assist the Director of Finance in devising secure financial systems and processes ensuring these are appropriately implemented

Year end: 

• Lead in the development of financial schedules for consolidated year end accounts
• Liaise with external auditors and be a point of contact for queries and supplying of financial records and statements
• Review monthly trial balance and statutory account workings
• Work with the Director of Finance to produce quality year end accounts in a timely fashion meeting all legal obligations

Taxation:

Oversee the Retail Gift Aid scheme for all shops ensuring staff are properly trained and appropriate systems are in place

Oversee the gift aid between trading and the charity

Ensure completion of annual tax computations and returns

Ensure VAT compliance and full reporting including any actions from the VAT review with the auditors

Payroll:

• Have a thorough understanding of the payroll system
• Review all monthly payrolls on a sample basis
• Have oversight to run payroll when required e.g. when the Head of People, Payroll and Process is absent

Fundraising / Legacies:

• Be a business partner for the Fundraising and Communications team
• Oversee the new fundraising CRM ensuring Finance and Fundraising data matches
• Oversee recording and accounting of legacies

Accounting:

• Ensure that financial records maintained nationally are accurate, that financial transactions are processed promptly
• Assist in the overall management of the Finance function helping to embed a high-performance culture
• Review reconciliations and assist with balance sheet accounts monthly ensuring all discrepancies are identified and resolved
• Perform quarterly reconciliations of operational inter-Society balances ensuring all transactions are identified to enable account consolidations
• Ensure financial returns between projects are properly processed and reconciled

Reporting:

• Oversee the preparation of accurate, timely management information for the Society. Provide analysis and strategic insights at the whole Society level to explain significant variations from budgets and previous periods
• Provide management accounts by project to facilitate fundraising
• Be a lead on the year end account process
• Prepare statistical and trend analysis to assist decision making

Business partnering:

• Assist the Director of Finance in the preparation of budgets for projects across the Society
• Regularly review financial performance with budget holders and identify trends whilst assisting with analysis and planning
• Assist area managers and other stakeholders in the development of financial projects for new shops and other projects
• Manage a good, close working relationship with the National teams

Income and sales ledger:

• Review the work of the finance operations team in relation to income processing and ensure all KPIs are met
• Escalate breaches of policy and procedure to the Director of Finance Expenditure and purchase ledger
• Review accounts payable
• Assist with Society’s tendering procedures and develop systems to ensure value to money

Banking and cash:

• Review banking and cash

Other:

• Provide guidance, training and development opportunities to direct reports
• Deputise for the Director of Finance when appropriate
• Covering Senior Management Accountant and familiarisation of accounting journals and corrections where needed for month end routines
• Attend finance committee meetings and other meetings as required
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with colleagues, project leads and relevant members
• Manage emails to group and personal mailboxes
• Be the key contact for online returns with Office of National Statistics
• Retain lists and registers or relevant information for all projects, e.g. shop lease details, fixed assets, etc.

The above list is not exhaustive and duties relevant to the post or the individual’s experience may be required from time to time. Variation may also occur to the duties, responsibilities and place of work at the request of your line manager without changing the general character of the post. Any variation will always be discussed with the post holder and their line manager.