- Job Title: Director of Finance & Operations
- Location: Flexible but at least one day per week in Access’s offices in central London
- Reporting To: CEO
- Salary: £78,263 - £78,263 per annum
- Contract: Permanent (4 days preferred - salary will be pro rata number of days)
- Date Closes: Fri 28 Jun 2024
Role Purpose
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced finance and operations leader to join the senior management team of Access – The Foundation for Social Investment at a critical stage of our work. With a refreshed strategy, expanded team and extended life we are looking for someone to continue to lead our efficient finance and treasury function, as well as lead a range of enhancements to respond to the growth of the organisation across operations, HR, IT and Governance support.
About Access – The Foundation for Social Investment
We want to see a social investment ecosystem that works for all charities and social enterprises and through our programmes and our advocacy work, we ensure that charities and social enterprises can access the finance they need to sustain or grow their impact.
We target those most in need of patient and flexible investment through:
- Funding enterprise development and blended finance programmes in England.
- Sharing knowledge and data and translating it into practical insight that others can use.
- Mobilising others who share our goal of making capital work for communities.
Since 2015 Access has been tasked with distributing over £160m from the Dormant Assets scheme, Government and the National Lottery Community Fund. As a wholesaler we work with several dozen partners to deliver programmes around England, including social investment funds, social enterprise support organisations, network organisations, and grant management bodies. We expect to make grants of over £30m this year.
We are a relatively small team of 13.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Strategic Vision:
- As part of the four strong senior leadership team (which also includes the CEO, Director of Partnerships and Advocacy and Director of Programmes), contribute to the overall direction and strategy of Access, and deliver on relevant areas of the organisation’s operational plan.
- Lead in the strategic planning and successful delivery of Access’s financial and operational management functions.
- Lead on projects to drive forward the internal aspects of Access’s equity, diversity and inclusion strategy.
- Represent Access at various events, promoting our influencing and advocacy aims.
Finance:
- Responsible for the financial planning of the organisation, including the development of annual budgets and long-term forecasts. Work with budget holders across the organisation to ensure the ongoing adherence and management to these budgets/forecasts across all programmes.
- Oversee financial systems that record and report on financial activities and provide information and projections to allow strategic and operational decision -making.
- Working with the Head of Finance to oversee payment, invoicing, bookkeeping and banking activities, maintaining up to date computerised records and maximising use of the accounting system (Twinfield).
- Oversee the relationship with Access’ external and group auditors and support the Head of Finance with the year-end process, external audit, preparation of annual financial statements and sign-off from relevant stakeholders.
Treasury Management:
- Manage the relationship with Access’ asset manager and ensure the endowment investment policy/strategy is being implemented, including in particular, adherence to Access’s stated impact goals for the endowment,
- Ensure high quality reporting on the performance of the portfolio from the asset manager.
- Oversee Access’s multiple banking relationships and the performance of our extensive cash deposits to balance the requirements of return, impact and liquidity.
- Support the advocacy and communication of the “total impact approach” taken by Access, sharing learning and influencing others in the development of their investment strategies.
Governance:
- Take overall responsibility for the Governance support processes and cycles at Access, including plans for regular business at board and committee meetings, members’ terms of office and recruitment of trustees and committee members.
- Ensure Access complies with statutory and legal requirements, including returns to Companies House and the Charity Commission.
- Oversee the management of up-to-date registers of interest for all board and committee members and senior staff.
- Provide advice to the Board and CEO of any legal responsibilities prevailing upon the organisation.
- Co-ordinate the agenda and content for the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee (ARCC), and the Endowment Investment Committee (EIC), and contribute to meetings as appropriate.
- Support the CEO and Chair in reporting to Access’s sole corporate member, the Oversight Trust, and providing assurance that Access remains in compliance with our Governance Agreement.
- Working closely with senior colleagues, oversee and manage the establishment of the risk appetite and risk management framework for regular review by the ARCC and board.
- Ensure appropriate and up to date policies are in place across all areas of Access’s operations, reflecting legal requirements as well as best practice, and that these are clearly communicated and are being adhered to.
HR & Supporting Team Development:
- Lead on the development and implementation of HR policies and processes including ED&I, recruitment, annual salary reviews, and individual performance and development plans.
- In collaboration with line managers, ensure that appropriate training and development opportunities are in place to ensure all team members are given the best opportunity to succeed in their roles.
- Oversee relationships with key outsourced service providers including payroll, pensions, benefits etc.
- Leadership of the three strong finance team including line management of the Head of Finance and support to Business Support Officer.
- Be responsible person for the Sponsorship management System.
Operations & Programme Support:
- Ensure Access’s IT infrastructure and systems are effective, including managing the relationship with Access’s IT provider.
- Oversee the management of IT Risk, Business Continuity Planning and the maintenance of IT security.
- Manage the relationship with Access’s landlord (Better Society Capital, from whom we sub-let office space).
- Oversee key financial reporting requirements, including those as specified in the contracts with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and National Lottery Community Fund, as well as to the Board and relevant committees.
- Together with the Business Support Officer, manage papers for a variety of committee and board meetings.
- Manage key procurement processes from advertising through to contracting and the production of grant agreements.
- Ensure Access has appropriate insurance policies in place.
Person Specification
Essential skills and key personal attributes include:
- Extensive knowledge of accounting principles and systems with relevant accounting qualification (ACCA, ACA).
- Knowledge of statutory and legal requirements, ideally relating to a charitable organisation.
- Substantial experience of working at a similar level, demonstrating involvement in setting direction, policy, processes and controls and in providing professional expertise, advice, and guidance.
- Substantial experience of effectively supporting and working with boards and governance committees.
- Demonstrable experience of leading change and the successful development and implementation of systems and processes across different organisational functions.
- Experience of managing across a range of functions/discipline.
- Able to balance the strategic and operational aspects of the role and to easily switch between them when required.
- An understanding of the importance of and evidence of the ability to communicate financial and other complex information in a way that is easy to understand to non-financial users.
The role is based in Access’s offices in Central London and with some dedicated time together as a team each week (currently Tuesdays). Outside of this shared time, Access anticipates a significant degree of day-to-day flexibility in terms of where team members will work, depending on both personal preference and the needs of their role.
How to Apply
Please submit your CV and Cover Letter (up to one page A4) to Careers4Change – see below.