Finance And Operations Associate, Ocean Energy Pathway

Salary: £45-60,000 depending on experience.

Location: UK (Hybrid position, 1 day a week in London preferred, fully remote can be considered. Right to work in the UK for a minimum of the next two years is required for this role, we do not currently offer visa sponsorship.

Ocean Energy Pathway (OEP) is a not-for-profit organisation on a mission to accelerate the global clean energy transition by unlocking the immense potential of offshore wind power. We do that by delivering programmes in new markets that build effective collaboration, engage and educate key stakeholders, and offer structured technical assistance to support governments, industry, and civil society to fast-track the deployment of sustainable offshore wind projects.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a fast-growing, impact-driven organisation playing a pivotal role in the continued growth of offshore wind and the global energy transition. The role is also a fantastic opportunity to add to your financial management skills and broaden your operational skillset by working on wider operational projects as we scale our organisation to 10 countries. 

You will be responsible for a diverse portfolio encompassing financial record-keeping, compliance and reporting, budgeting and financial planning, financial systems and processes development, and operational projects. The Finance and Operations Associate will be primarily responsible for managing our book-keeping and accounting processes in XERO. They will be managing our finance processes including expense management and payments, liaising with our outsourced accounting team on payroll and statutory reporting and preparing monthly financial reports and management accounts for the management team.

This role requires a detail-oriented individual with excellent analytical skills and demonstrable experience of managing grant income and expenditure and reporting at a not for profit within XERO accounting software.

The successful individual will be highly organised and reliable with a passion for finding and improving processes and a desire to grow their career in finance operations and Operations more generally. The individual will thrive in a predominantly remote-working environment, with some in-person face-to-face in London. 

The ideal candidate will have a passion for renewable energy and sustainability, even if they haven’t worked in the sector before. 

Reports to: The role will report into the OEP’s Operations Director and will play an important part in ensuring that finance processes are implemented, managed and adhered to, and that grant income expenditure is tracked and reported on. 

●Maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records for OEP in XERO accounting software ensuring all transactions are properly recorded and documented

●Reconcile bank accounts, credit card statements, and other financial accounts, identifying and resolving discrepancies

●Process accounts payable and receivable

●Prepare monthly management accounts and accurate financial statements and key financial metrics

●Work with external tax advisors to assist in the preparation and submission of tax filings including maintaining accurate records and documentation

●Prepare and submit ad hoc financial reports, including income and expenditure statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements 

●Work closely with the Operations Director to develop and manage annual budgets, working closely with other OEP departments to ensure alignment with strategic objectives

●Contribute to the formulation of comprehensive financial plans and forecasts, identifying opportunities for efficiency and growth.

●Collaborate with the team to identify opportunities for process improvements

●Assist in the development and implementation of financial policies, procedures, and controls to improve efficiency and accuracy

●Implement and update systems as needed to support growth and/or change in our wider organisation

 

●  Work closely with the Operational Director on operational projects as OEP scales. This could include leading projects to assess new suppliers or software or acting as a sounding board on policies and procedures and organisational design

You’ll be a motivated individual with a demonstrable track record of managing financial record-keeping and processes in the not-for-profit sector. You will have a broad remit at OEP in finance operations and will be looking for the opportunity to develop your finance career by taking on responsibilities and growing your role as the organisation scales.

You’ll enjoy the challenge of a fast-paced environment and enjoy having a varied workload with exposure in lots of different areas in a dynamic environment.

You’ll possess good stakeholder management skills and enjoy looking for process improvements and ensuring that information is accurate and reliable. You’ll also be passionate about how technology can help drive efficiencies and “quality of life” improvements for the wider OEP team.

●Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in Finance, Accounting, or related field

●Demonstrable experience using XERO accountancy software and spreadsheet applications to maintain financial accounts for a not-for-profit or charitable organisation and experience of managing grant income and expenditure.

●Understanding of UK accounting principles, financial statements, and bookkeeping practices to accurately maintain financial records and analyse financial data.

●Strong attention to detail and the ability to identify and resolve discrepancies in financial records, ensuring accuracy and compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

●Good time management and the ability to efficiently manage multiple tasks and deadlines, prioritising work to ensure timely completion of financial reports, tax filings, and other responsibilities.

●Strong written and verbal communication skills to effectively collaborate with team members, provide guidance to colleagues, and interact with other departments as needed.

●Ability to analyse financial data, identify potential issues, and develop solutions to maintain accuracy and compliance in financial records.

●Operational experience working in Human Resources or on Human Resources issues, contract and external service provider management or general organisation scaling challenges

●Experience of interacting with fundraising strategies  

●Project management experience (or exposure to it)

●Experience in the renewable energy sector (private or not-for-profit)

●A collaborative and inclusive work environment

●Flexible working with a remote-first ethos

●Competitive salary

●Pension with The People’s Pension 

●Professional development opportunities with specific budget allocated towards employee skills and career development

●Potential for work travel

Application Process: Send your resume to hello@oceanenergypathway.org with the title of the role you are applying for in the subject line of your email.

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