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Job description

Job Title: Head of Finance & Business Services

Reports to: Chief Executive

Direct Reports: Finance and Business Administrator

Location: Hybrid – mainly home based working with a requirement to regularly attend meetings and events (mainly in London but also other project areas elsewhere in the UK) and with occasional visits to the Charity’s offices. 

Salary: £46,542 Pro Rata

Hours: 3 Days per week

About Alexandra Rose Charity 

Founded by Queen Alexandra in 1912, Alexandra Rose Charity (ARC) has a long history of supporting people experiencing poverty in the UK. Our vision is for everyone to have access to healthy and affordable food, and our mission is to give families on low incomes access to fresh fruit and vegetables in their local communities whilst advocating for systemic change to address food insecurity and health inequalities.  

Since 2014, ARC has pioneered the use of financial incentives to improve access to healthy food and combat food insecurity through our Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg projects. To date, we have supported over 11,000 families, including over 20,000 children, to access £3.5 million of fresh fruit and vegetables in their local communities.  

To deliver this scale, we work with 73 children and family centres and community organisations, 69 market traders and independent retailers, two fruit and vegetable vans and one fruit and vegetable delivery box scheme. We estimate that our projects have generated a total economic value added of almost £9 million for the local economies of the eight locations where we work: five London Boroughs, Barnsley, Liverpool and Glasgow.  

As part of our new five-year strategy, we want to grow our reach and impact as part of a national movement where Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg projects are embedded in local and national policies and seen as a key intervention for transforming the diets of communities across the UK.  

About the role  

We are looking for an experienced Head of Finance & Business Services to help deliver our mission and support the growth and consolidation of the charity. As a member of the Senior Management Team, you will play a key role in implementing our new strategy as well as managing risk.

Working closely with the Chief Executive and the Treasurer, you will take overall responsibility for the organisation’s financial management, as well as provide effective finance business partner support to other functions within the charity to support its fundraising, operations and development.

You will also be responsible for the line management of the Finance & Business Administrator, working with the Chief Executive to both oversee and support the business services function of the charity.

Key Responsibilities

Line Management

• Line manage the Finance & Business Administrator

Financial Management

• Manage the maintenance of the financial accounting system (Xero) and accounting processes
• Ensure appropriate systems and internal financial controls are implemented and maintained
• Prepare quarterly management accounts
• Produce report packs for Board and Finance Sub Group meetings of the Board of Trustees.
• Review the management accounts and balance sheets and investigate variances in conjunction with other Senior Management Team members
• Produce forecasts and other projections as necessary throughout the year
• Monitor expenditure against individual funding streams to ensure the charity complies with Restricted and Unrestricted Funding reporting obligations
• Manage the annual budget process
• Lead on the creation of annual accounts
• Assist the auditors in carrying out year end reviews/audits as required
• Oversee the preparation of quarterly VAT returns including analysis of VAT recovery
• Follow current policies and good efficient practices so that the charity can effectively meet its charitable and financial objectives

Business Partnering

• Provide financial input for the development of funding bids and reports to funders
• Provide financial information and analysis to support the operations function of the charity in its work with local authority and public health commissioners and other stakeholders, including assessing the financial feasibility of potential new projects
• Support and advise budget holders in matters relating to the financial management of their departments

Governance

• Ensure that the organisation and services complies with relevant financial legislative and regulatory requirements
• Manage reporting to Companies House, the Charities Commission and Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
• Attend Board, Finance Sub Group and Senior Management Team meetings as an active member of the Senior Management Team
• Lead on the review and development of key finance-related governance policies in areas such as Investment, Reserves and Financial Controls

Business Services and Human Resources

• Manage the insurance function
• Support the Finance and Business Administrator in the process of policy development and review
• Work with the Chief Executive and the Senior Management Team to ensure a consistent approach to staff development and management of HR issues
• Support staff teams with onboarding new staff and induction
• Support the wider aims of the charity and, from time to time, carry out other general duties as may reasonably be required by the Chief Executive Officer.

 

Application information

We want our organisation to reflect the diversity of the communities we work in and we welcome applications from people from all backgrounds.

Please apply via CharityJob with your CV which must be accompanied by a cover letter clearly demonstrating how you meet the requirements of the role as detailed in the job pack.

Please mention Roots to Work when applying for these jobs