Finance Manager (Research) - 2 year Fixed-term Contract

Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is one of the world's leading independent policy institutes with a reputation for tackling the hardest problems of international relations that stretches back more than a century. Based in London with a global outreach, we aim to help build a secure, sustainable, prosperous and just world. After years of rapid growth, we need to consolidate and simplify our internal organisation and take a clear, strategic look at our priorities and the balance between costs and income (which includes donations, grants and memberships) and modernise our financial systems and business process. To support this, we are looking for Finance Managers who will act as valuable business partners to our research centres and collaborate closely with the central finance team. In this position, you will be part of a research centre, collaborating with budget holders and research colleagues to provide an effective and efficient finance service. We are an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics. We encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Main Responsibilities

• Reports to: Assistant Director of a research centre with a dotted line to central finance.
• The Finance Manager will attend regular finance meetings and work closely with both research and finance teams.
• Contribute to the production of Chatham House’s regular quarterly forecasts and the annual budget by taking responsibility for ensuring the production of accurate research centre budgets and forecasts.
• Support and input into the preparation of the annual statutory accounts by taking responsibility for producing certain disclosures and analyses.
• Oversee the auditing processes for centre related funding, as well as the specific auditing processes for individual projects.
• Work closely with the Finance team on the production of management accounts.
• Ensure project reporting and due diligence procedures in line with funding requirements.
• Continually seek to improve processes and procedures to support more effective budgeting and financial management.
• Support ‘Project Eagle’, the organisation's project to improve financial ways of working and implement a new finance system.
• Oversee the accurate and timely submission of financial reporting on large projects, especially where there are more complex reporting requirements.
• Ensure this project accounting feeds into management accounts, reforecast and year-end.
• Collaborate with the Contracts Manager and Research Partnerships team to ensure the best contract terms and the legal and financial elements are complied with.
• Ensure all reporting and invoicing to funders are in line with contractual terms.

People:

• Act as a key Business Partner to the research centre colleagues including budget holders. This involves assisting them in analysing and interpreting their numbers, advising on financial reporting, producing accurate forecasts and budgets and responding to ad-hoc queries.
• Build and maintain relations with key partners and work collaboratively with colleagues across the Institute.
• Actively contribute to the delivery of the Chatham House EDI strategy.

Person Specification

• ACA/CA/ACCA/CIMA qualified accountant.
• Experience as a business partner, financial project management and setting budgets and forecasts.
• Experience of working in the charity / not-for-profit sector.
• Ability to present financial information in a clear, concise, and accessible way for diverse audiences.
• Able to balance multiple deadlines and tight deadlines.
• A proactive, self-motivating approach to work, with a collegiate, collaborative, and consistent approach.
• Able to work autonomously, accurately and continuously maintain high standards.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with an ability to build relationships at all levels.
• You will be an effective business partner, demonstrating a commercial outlook, an inquisitive nature, as well as integrity and trust.
• Knowledge of different funders, philanthropic foundations, government departments, international organisations, businesses and NGOs is an advantage.

Benefits

• Benefits include approximately 37 days annual leave (including public holidays and Chatham House closure days), pension salary exchange, employee assistance programme, parental leave, flexible working and other benefits designed to suit your lifestyle.
• All of this, in a professional, engaging and intellectually stimulating environment.
• Salary: £55,000 - £60,000 per year. (Dependent on experience)
• Contract: Full-time, 2-year fixed-term contract.
• Location: Hybrid (Office/Home), minimum 2 days in the office per week.
• Closing Date: Sunday 23 March 2025, 23:59 GMT.
• You will be notified of the status of your application within 4 weeks of the role closing.