Head of Finance

About the organisation

The organisation is a small, thriving national charity supporting people in rural areas to set up and run successful businesses in community ownership. They do this to achieve their UK-wide vision for resilient, thriving and inclusive rural communities. The charity is based in Oxfordshire with around 25 staff and a turnover of around £1.2 million annually.

Community-owned businesses are owned and controlled by community members and range from village shops, pubs and cafes, through to woodlands, fisheries and farms. The charity has been promoting the community ownership model for over 100 years because of its track record for delivering better businesses for people, communities, the economy, and the environment.

The charity is in a sound financial position with strong reserves. The focus moving forward is to diversify income streams away from the traditional model of grants, trusts and foundations to increased self-generated income from projects, corporate sponsorship and placemaking initiatives with housing organisations. The new Head of Finance will be joining the organisation at an exciting time as they progress on this journey.

About the role

Reporting to the COO and managing 1 Finance Officer, the Head of Finance is the lead staff member for all matters relating to the Finance Team and is responsible for all areas of its strategic management and day-to-day operations. The Head of Finance makes up part of the Senior Leadership Team.

Typical finance duties include:

• the development and implementation of finance strategies and policies
• the production of financial reports and management accounts
• leading on the budgeting & forecasting process
• leading on the production of the annual statutory accounts
• supporting the Finance Officer with all elements of transactional finance such as reconciliations & VAT

The Head of Finance will also take an active role on the Senior Leadership Team including contributing to business plans, networking with partner organisations and contributing to the continued strategy to diversify the charity’s income. The charity uses Xero accounting software and has a December financial year-end. There is a current interim Head of Finance in post, and a handover with this person is likely.

The role would suit an experienced charity sector Head of Finance, seeking to work on a part-time basis. The role will be offered on a 3 day per week basis, and is a fully office based role, in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. In exceptional circumstances it may be possible to consider 2 days in the office with 1 day working from home, however the preference is for 3 days onsite.

The salary offered is £60,000 - £66,000 per annum FTE (pro-rata) and benefits include flexible working, an employee benefits programme, training opportunities, 6% employer pension contribution and a generous holiday entitlement of 27 days plus bank holidays (pro-rated for part-time staff).

Requirements

• Qualified or near qualified ACCA, CIMA, ACA, CIPFA or equivalent
• A strong understanding of UK charity accounting including fund accounting and SORP
• Prior experience managing the finances of a small to medium sized charity, and management of a finance team
• A proactive attitude and the ability to ‘muck in’ with a broad range of duties sometimes outside the scope of the role
• Excellent analytical skills, ability to identify financial trends and create a supportive narrative
• Experience with Xero and Salesforce would be advantageous

How to apply

Please reply to this advert with your CV or contact Jamie at Marble Mayne for a further discussion.

Key dates

• Closing date: Friday 30th May at 12 noon
• Interviews: 5th & 6th June - likely in person