Finance Manager

Want a chance to help shape the future of a busy education charity through ensuring strong financial processes and systems for the team? Passionate about supporting a charity that empowers our young citizens, schools and communities?

Young Citizens is a UK citizenship education charity on a mission to empower young people to actively engage in society. For over 35 years, we’ve been giving young people the tools to understand society’s institutions and tackle its biggest issues. We are a national charity with small central team and networks of volunteers that makes big impact for schools and young people, from running the Mock Trials programme to the Make a Difference Challenge and Experts in Schools.

As Finance Manager at the charity, you will lead on our financial planning and processes. You will have significant experience managing finances and financial processes, ensuring strong systems, reporting, policies and governance.

You will provide financial advice and support to the Chief Executive and the Board of Trustees as well as having a hands-on role executing payments, resolving invoices and signing off on payroll.

The role will require an accomplished financial executive who has accountancy qualifications, is partially qualified or has strong equivalent experience. Translating financial information into strategic insights, ensuring effective processes and project management of technical systems development will be key to success in this role.

Ideally candidates would have experience of accounting in a similar sized charity (our annual turnover is c£850k) or relatable business and leading a small team.

Role snapshot:

• Act as key financial manager for the organisation, ensuring due diligence, day-to-day management and regular financial reporting as well as preparation of management accounts
• Manage a small team and any outsourced financial support, regularly assessing their service and division of tasks to ensure an effective finance function
• Oversee and ensure accurate accounting, including finalising the annual accounts, managing the annual audit and audit process
• Work with management and the Board to develop and manage the organisational budget, forecasts and multi-year finance plans, ensuring that all budget holders understand their budgets and how to effectively manage them
• Ensure proper processing of invoices, expenses and financial records
• Be responsible for our day-to-day cash management, processing and banking relationships, acting as a main signatory for banking and contracts and ensuring funding is received in a timely manner in line with agreed terms
• Advise on and implement improvements to the charity’s financial processes and controls to ensure fit-for-purpose and fully compliant financial management
• Act as Company Secretary for the charity, ensuring compliant filing and reporting to regulatory bodies
• Act as the primary contributor to Finance and Audit Committee meetings and maintain regular liaison with the Treasurer
• Support the governance of the charity by ensuring the organisation complies with all relevant statutory legislation
• Work across teams to support the development of project business cases to apply for additional resources.

Essential skills and experience

• Professional accounting qualification - either part or fully qualified, or equivalent experience
• Extensive experience as internal financial manager and overseeing functions of financial reporting systems and software/platforms
• Experience in roles that have had responsibility for directly producing briefings and reports to guide strategic decisions by leadership
• Experience managing, maintaining and reviewing contracts, including suppliers, preferably with some experience of funding or partnership agreements
• Experience line managing and supporting staff
• Excellent project management skills
• Proactive, collegiate and visible manager good at developing relationships and pushing forward practicable solutions during times of change
• Resilient and enjoys overcoming challenges, keeping a positive outlook
• An understanding of, and empathy with, the charity sector

Please note candidates should be based within a reasonable commute to London (office is near Aldgate East Station) for office visits if required.

For the full information about this role please visit our website at Young Citizens to see the Recruitment Pack.

Benefits of working at Young Citizens
In addition to joining a small friendly, dynamic and supportive staff team, Young Citizens offers:

• 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and even your birthday off!
• Hybrid working options fit to role
• Enhanced pension contribution
• Enhanced pension contribution
• Employee assistance programme
• Enhanced sickness and maternity policies
• Volunteering days
• An opportunity to make a real difference to help children and young people benefit from quality, inspiring citizenship education!

How to Apply

Please ensure to follow our application requirements:

• Visit our website at Young Citizens to view the Job Pack before submitting your application via Reed
• Applications submitted without a covering letter that address interest in this specific job role with our charity will not be considered
• Please note we will be actively reviewing applications ahead of the closing date. We encourage early applications
• Candidates must have the existing right to work in the UK
• As we receive a high volume of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted
• Young Citizens is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young people that we work with, and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
• This job offer is subject to satisfactory references.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 19th March at 12pm.

If you have any questions about this role, please do not hesitate to contact our HR team as detailed in the recruitment pack on our website at Young Citizens. We look forward to hearing from you.