Chief Operating Officer in Warwick

This is a unique opportunity to join one of the oldest charities in the UK in a flexible, part-time general managerial capacity, supporting the Trustees. The ideal candidate will have a professional qualification in accounting, property or the law and is comfortable working with professional advisers across all these disciplines. The appointment of this senior role arises by the retirement of the current incumbent, and the role offers a competitive rate which will depend on qualifications and experience.

The King Henry VIII Endowed Trust, founded in 1545, holds a portfolio of c. £80m in Equities, Bonds, Land and Commercial Property, part of the Total Return from which (£2.5m in 2025) is distributed in Warwick in accordance with its Charity Commission Scheme, as follows:

• 50% Anglican churches in Warwick and Budbrooke
• 30% Warwick Schools Foundation - means tested bursaries and community activities
• 20% as grants for the benefit of the inhabitants of Warwick

The Trust has up to 12 trustees (4 nominated, 8 co-opted), who meet quarterly. At present, there is a Clerk & Receiver (role being renamed to COO), a deputy Clerk (who deals mainly with grants and organising meetings) and an accountant, all part-time and self-employed. The current Clerk is retiring and is a Chartered Accountant who has held the role for 16 years, during which time the Trust has gone through a period of change. The Trust is now in a stable stage, where the priorities are managing our financial, land and property assets in order to maintain our distribution. The role is being renamed to Chief Operating Officer to better reflect the role, and would ideally remain a self-employed role.

The typical workload is likely to require about 10-15 hours per week, which fluctuates and is focused around the quarterly meeting and annual accounts. There is potential for 2 areas of land to be included in the local plan which will create additional opportunities.

Role specifics

• Financial Investments
  • Liaise with the investment managers (Currently: CCLA, Navera, Savills, Royal London)
  • Manage any short-term deposits with HSBC
• Property
  • Liaise with property advisers (Margetts and Cushman & Wakefield) to manage the Trust's property (currently an office block, a pub, a shooting range and 3 blocks of farmland)
  • Oversee St Marys Rectory. This is owned by the Trust and is provided free of charge to the incumbent at St Marys, through an agreement with the Coventry Diocese.
  • Ensure any property sales or leases operate within charity law. Where land is in the Local Plan, work with advisers and/or promoters to obtain the best commercial deal.
• Accounting
  • Banking administration. We use HSBCnet, which needs management of users and payees.
  • Processing of payments for Trustees to authorise.
  • Work with the accountant to produce management accounts for Finance & Investment meetings.
  • Work with accountant to produce the annual statutory accounts for the Trust and its subsidiary, KH8 Ltd.
  • Liaise with auditors.
• Charity Commission
  • Manage any changes required to the Trust's Charity Commission Schemes and Orders.
  • Ensure that the Trust operates within the limitations of these Schemes and Orders.
• Annual Returns
  • Manage information on Charity Commission website
• Beneficiaries
  • Quarterly distributions calculation and payment
  • Liaise with beneficiaries as necessary
  • Prepare reports for Trustees as required (e.g. Annual Grants Report, which will include analysis of other Warwick charities and Annual review of Church accounts)
• General
  • Deal with all correspondence
  • Keep Trustees up to date
  • Liaise with professional advisers
  • Manage the overall office activity
  • Organise meetings including reports for meeting and minutes
  • Maintain website
  • Maintain records

Skill set & Experience

The role requires someone with experience of dealing with financial, legal and property issues. Coupled with good administration skills, the role requires someone who:

• Is self-reliant and used to working under their own management
• Is competent in Microsoft Office
• Has good written communication skills
• Has good interpersonal skills, to work with Trustees, other staff, advisers and beneficiaries.

Experience in the following would be beneficial, but a candidate who is keen to learn would quickly pick these up:

• Charities, including dealing with the Charity Commission
• Knowledge of Warwick and its historical heritage

The successful candidate is likely to have a professional qualification in accounting, property or the law and is comfortable working with professional advisers across all these disciplines. The Trust's office is currently based on the top floor of Margetts (the Trust's agricultural advisers), where all its records are kept. Some home working would be practical. The role has some flexibility in hours, but there will be certain times, such as Trustee meetings that are fixed. A candidate who is able to be available for some time each day would be beneficial, as often matters need to be progressed without too much delay.

Applicants should apply in writing enclosing their CV and accompanying letter to either: Chair, The King Henry VIII Endowed Trust, 12 High Street, Warwick, CV34 4AP, or through the Total Job online application process.