Vacancy: Finance Manager (maternity cover, 15 months)

Vacancy: Finance Manager (maternity cover, 15 months)

ISEAL is looking for an experienced and motivated 15-month maternity cover for the position of Finance Manager. The role encompasses all responsibilities for managing the day-to-day finance function in an international charity. This includes managing a small finance team, quarterly management accounting and support on multiple donor-funded projects.

ISEAL is the global membership organisation for sustainability systems and includes many of the most respected sustainability schemes worldwide, such as Rainforest Alliance and the Marine Stewardship Council. ISEAL members cover social and environmental sustainability issues – from labour rights and sustainable livelihoods to biodiversity conservation – and are active across a diverse range of sectors. Find out more on our website www.iseal.org.

The Finance Manager will lead on all aspects of work of a finance team of 4, under the oversight of the Director, Finance & Operations.  In addition to financial accounting and reporting, a substantial part of the role is concerned with overseeing the capturing and processing of financial data, as well as analysing and presenting the resulting financial data in Excel to enable budget holders to control their projects and make well-informed decisions. The position also has ongoing responsibility for donor reporting, donor auditing, proposal budgets and other finance related organisational requirements.

The ideal candidate will bring strong experience of leading a finance team, managing financial systems and procedures, overseeing delivery of related accounting functions and providing financial information to budget holders to assist in decision-making. This experience should, ideally, have been gained in an international not-for-profit or charitable donor-funded setting, but candidates with transferrable experience (e.g. in project related budget management/reporting in a corporate setting) will also be considered. A flexible and pro-active approach to work, strong interpersonal skills and an ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, both in person and remotely are required.

This is an excellent opportunity for a well-rounded finance professional with leadership strong skills and a preference for working collaboratively with colleagues in a busy and evolving environment.

In return, ISEAL offers involvement in all aspects of the financial management of an international NGO environment, an inspiring insight into the world of sustainability initiatives and a supportive organisational culture.

Key Responsibilities

Financial accounting

  • Oversee and coordinate work of other finance staff on financial data capture, transaction processing, procedures and controls, acting as back up when required. Facilitate finance team meetings and work planning
  • Manage and carry out or oversee all tasks for day-to-day delivery of the financial accounting function
  • Oversee or perform month/quarter-end closing procedures, fixed assets, prepayments, nominal reconciliations
  • Prepare quarterly and annual financial statements and other ad hoc reports for the senior management and ISEAL’s finance committee
  • Manage day-to-day banking relationships, cash flow planning and foreign currency movements and processes
  • Lead on preparation of annual SORP compliant statutory accounts and prepare for and manage annual organisational audit
  • Model key financial figures (reserves, indirect costs, financial indicators)
  • Fulfil requirements of VAT and other tax reporting and compliance
  • Ensure compliance with the financial requirements of the Charity Commission, the Charity Act, the Charity SORP and the Companies Act
  • Deliver financial due diligence checks for new major grantees, member applications and new significant suppliers

Management and donor accounting

  • Lead on preparation of quarterly management accounts and reforecasting process including liaison with budget holders and presenting to senior management team
  • Support programme and project managers with financial information and with staff time management processes
  • Manipulate and reconcile financial data in Excel
  • Prepare financial donor reports, in liaison with budget holders and our Partnerships Manager. Support Partnerships Manager with grant proposal budgets and grant income tracking
  • Provide financial evidence for donor audits, in liaison with programme teams
  • Lead on coordination and preparation of annual draft and final budgets for approval

Other

  • Supervise and line manage Finance Coordinator and Finance Assistant
  • Manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders
  • Work closely with Director, Finance & Operations to manage priorities
  • Other tasks as advised by line manager

Experience, knowledge and attributes

  • Finance/accounting qualification and/or relevant equivalent work experience
  • Extensive professional work experience in overseeing finance function, ideally in an international setting using multiple currencies
  • Solid experience with donor reporting and/or financial project reporting
  • Experience in donor/project auditing
  • Strong proficiency with Excel and ability to analyse, manipulate and present data to non-finance colleagues
  • Ability to respond flexibly to demands of the role and work collaboratively within a small finance team
  • High level of accuracy in own work and ability to effectively check and support work done by others
  • Ability to sensitively manage and motivate others 
  • Ability to build and maintain relationships with colleagues, including remotely based individuals, where most interaction will be virtual
  • Well-honed interpersonal skills, displaying professionalism, tact and awareness of others, including sensitivity to cultural differences
  • Excellent organisational and time management skills, with ability to establish priorities for self and others
  • Excellent written and spoken English

Additionally desirable

  • Experience of using Sage 50 software
  • Experience in finance in charity and not for profit sector
  • Interest in sustainability, social justice and environmental issues

 

Other relevant information

Term:                               This is a maternity cover with a 15-month contract

Salary:                             £50 - £60k depending on experience

Working hours:             Full time 37.5 hours per week

Location:                        Based in ISEAL’s London head office at least 4 days per month and the rest of the time from home. Full time office working is possible, if preferred.

 Applicants will need to provide evidence that they are entitled to work in the UK

Annual leave:                25 days / year (including office closure between Christmas and New Year)

Ideal start date:            October/November 2022

How to apply

Interested candidates should complete the application form by clicking on the link below:

APPLY HERE 

Specific enquiries about this role and the application process can be sent to recruitment@isealalliance.org

Deadline for applications: Initial deadline of 18 September 2022, with applications reviewed on a rolling basis before this date.

We encourage early application, as we will start to interview at the earliest opportunity.