Finance Manager

Our client is a young organisation with a social purpose at the heart of what they do – “for everyone to be able to live the life they choose in a home they love”. The Group specialises in property development, care and support, and housing supporting adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs to live independent lives.

Their housing association is partnering with Robertson Bell in search of a new Finance Manager who is looking to roll up their sleeves, manage business as usual and get involved in helping put in place a change programme to meet the agreed actions and roadmap with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). The role reports directly to the Group Finance Director in the delivery of a high-quality Housing Finance Function.

The housing association is aCommunity Benefit Society (CBS) and Registered Provider (RP) for specialist supported housing, using a lease-based model. Managing ~1,000 units, with Gross Housing income ~£15m p/a. The role will officially be based at their office in Watford, with 1-2 days hybrid working on offer.

The Role:

• The core purpose is the management of the team and self in the preparation and delivery of the Housing Associations transactions, management accounts, budgets and forecasts, consistent Board level reporting suite and appendices.
• Produce ad hoc senior management team reports for various Group and partner businesses including landlord requirements on a timely basis to the required standard which includes both financial and written Board level reporting packs.
• The preparation of the statutory accounts and manage the Audit of the Housing Association CBS for submission to the Regulator on a timely basis and to the required standard.
• Support the wider management teams within the various companies in the Group, via a programme of Business partnering, interaction and query resolution.
• Key person in supporting improvements in controls, capabilities, systems, and culture within the Finance Function and to champion the use of tools and technology and the development and upskilling of direct reports and peers within the team.
• Managing and mentoring finance staff to ensure day to day transactional and balance sheet management is first class. Being able to roll up your sleeves and undertake this work when needed, as we are smaller in nature and everyone is hands on.
• Business partnering with all teams to provide support, decision making and deliver outcomes both internally and externally.

The Successful Candidate will have:

• A qualified accountant.
• Demonstrable experience of running, closing and preparing management accounts for a housing association including multi-entities, and embedding improvements.
• Proven advanced MS Excel/template building skills, including long term models covering scenarios, SOCI, balance sheet and cashflows.
• Excellence in double entry, journals, managing detailed transaction processing at all levels, and able to train and mentor staff in the team.
• Process and procedure documentation and improvements and business workflow mapping.
• Experience of setting rents, ideally ‘Exempt’ GHB income for specialist supporting housing.
• Excellent communication skills written and oral.
• Commercial and Contractual acumen.
• Experience of producing or contributing to Board Packs.

This role may be ideal for someone who has the dexterity for detail, complexity and problem solving, and may be stepping up into a more senior role or looking for a more complete role in a smaller housing association.  This is most definitely a hands-on role, requiring someone who can deliver independently with day-to-day support and mentoring from the Group Finance Director.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 21st January, with first stage interviews due to take place the week commencing 29th January 2024. Applications will be under continuous review before the closing date so please submit your CV to avoid disappointment!