Head Of Finance And Operations

Main Purpose

To ensure the strong financial standing of the charity, strategically aligning all services to deliver financial resilience and to sustain the financial health of the charity in the short, medium and long term. 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the continual development, implementation and governance of SOC’s financial and business services strategy.
• Overall financial management of SOC; taking responsibility for the production of budgets, management and statutory accounts, cash flow management, banking and all financial transactions.
• Ensure that the business of the charity is undertaken in line with legal and regulatory requirements, including those established by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and take overall responsibility for the health and safety of all employees, clients and visitors. Ensure that all statutory duties and financial targets are met.
• Advise the CEO and the Board (or its sub-committees) about matters which are considered to present risks, affect policy or on which further guidance is required.
• Accountable for the procurement of appropriate insurance cover across all areas of the organisation. To include, for example; property, vehicle, cyber and liability insurances.
• Review and develop systems and processes for the accurate and timely provision of financial information and accounts, including analysis of restricted and other funds, and full cost recovery.
• Oversee the production of the year-end accounts for the financial year, for the year end annual audit, and to liaise with the auditors. Submit accurate statutory returns to all relevant bodies. Main Purpose To ensure the strong financial standing of the charity, strategically aligning all services to deliver financial resilience and to sustain the financial health of the charity in the short, medium and long term. 
• Ensure that all levels of the organisation have access to regular and reliable management accounts and reports that identify the key issues for attention.
• Oversee the IT and Facilities Management teams to ensure Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are met and to ensure appropriate levels of support are available to the operational teams to deliver effectively. Lead:

Facilities

- Accountable for estate and facilities management including building rental and purchase, tenancy agreements, insurance policies & renewals and relationships with estate agents.

- Oversight of the assessment and management of risk related to procurement, lease management and building maintenance.

- Responsible for provision and management of pool cars.

IT

- Maintain the integrity and efficiency of organisational data in a format that supports decision making and service improvement.

- Oversight of the IT provision for the organisation including managing internal IT resource and developing relationships with outsourced providers to ensure best systems and procedures are implemented for the organisation.

• As a member of the organisation’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT), contribute fully to the overall leadership of SOC, including as an active member of our SLT committees.
• Provide visible leadership and active direction to ensure that the systems and processes that underpin all finance activity are robust, that decision-making is based on rigorous analysis and best practice, that integration and joint working ensures maximum benefit for all SOC departments, and that timely, accurate and relevant information on finances is in place.
• Work closely with the wider SLT and colleagues in other departments to ensure all finance activity aligns to and furthers the overall mission of the organisation. 
• Attend SOC Board Meetings as necessary

Essential 

• High level financial management skills, evidenced by qualifications (ACCA or CIMA); and experience.
• Analytical ability to quickly understand new or evolving situations and to develop strategies to deal with them.
• Commercially astute.
• Senior manager experience with financial responsibilities in a service delivery organisation.
• Experience of other central corporate services such as IT and facilities management.
• Experience of financial reporting and explaining / interpreting financial information for non-specialists.
• Experience of developing financial strategy/ business planning.
• Experience of, and confidence in, engaging at Board level.
• Experience of dealing with pensions and investment portfolios and property management.

Desirable 

• Charity experience. 
• Health and social care experience.

Skills

• Excellent people skills to be able to build a cohesive and high-performing team. 
• Proven ability to manage a large and varied workload, prioritise effectively and ensure that deadlines are met. 
• A dynamic, insightful and influential leader with the ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels. 
• High energy levels, resilience and tenacity.
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal. 

Confidentiality

The post holder will maintain appropriate confidentiality of information relating to Step One, individuals and service-user information. The post holder must comply with all aspects of the Data Protection Act.

Equality and Diversity

Step One is committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all staff and for those who access services. The post holder must work in accordance with equal opportunity policies and procedures and promote the equality and diversity agenda of Step One.