JOB SPECIFICATION

Finance and Administration Manager

Job title: Finance and Administration Manager
Reporting to: Chief Executive
Location: The Sarah Duffen Centre, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK
Travel: Occasional UK and overseas
Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week)
Holiday: 20 days + statutory holidays
Salary range: £30,000 - £35,000 p.a.

Purpose

To manage all areas of the financial record keeping and reporting, administration, payroll and human resources to ensure efficient and effective administrative and financial support for the charity's operations.

Description

Reporting to the Chief Executive, you will lead a small and very busy team working at the heart of the charity's publishing, fundraising and education activities. The charity receives charitable income from donors in over 30 countries and supplies specialist publications and services to customers in over 50 countries. The charity handles transactions in UK sterling, US dollars and Euros and is expanding its overseas activities.

You will ensure the timely and accurate provision of financial reports, including management accounts, project accounts, annual statutory accounts in accordance with prevailing company and charity regulations and standards. You will support the work of external auditors, and respond accurately to enquiries from donors, customers, suppliers, colleague, Trustees and other stakeholders.

You will attend meetings of the Board of Trustees of the charity and the Board of Directors of the subsidiary company, presenting and explaining financial statements, forecasts and budgets and responding to questions.

You will maintain the highest standards of honesty and confidentiality in all aspects of your work.

Duties and responsibilities

  • Managing and supporting bookkeeping functions, including sales orders, deliveries and invoicing, banking, reconciliation, purchase orders and invoices, credit control, fixed asset register, journal entries, accruals and prepayments
  • Processing monthly payrolls for the charity and its subsidiary company, maintaining payroll records and completing annual HMRC returns, completing quarterly VAT returns and maintaining appropriate VAT records
  • Project budgeting and accounting and fund accounting
  • Preparation of monthly management accounts and annual statutory reports for the charity and its subsidiary company, including consolidated financial statements
  • Preparation of regular financial forecasts and operating budgets (income/expenditure, cash flow and balance sheets)
  • Ensuring company and charity administrative requirements are complied with, including Companies House and Charity Commission Annual Returns and maintaining records of Board meetings
  • General operational management, including overseeing property maintenance, health and safety and security
  • Supporting strategy formulation and project planning

Knowledge and skills

Essential

  • Empathy and support for the charity's mission
  • Honesty and openness
  • CIMA Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting or equivalent
  • Excellent mathematical and analytical abilities
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word and PowerPoint
  • Skilled and effective use of Microsoft Excel, including Pivot Tables and external data sources
  • Experience of computerised accounting systems and record keeping
  • A thorough understanding of the legal and regulatory issues and recognised best practice standards relevant to corporate and charity accounting, international trade, income and sales tax, payroll processing and employment, health and safety, and data protection
  • Good interpersonal and communication skills
  • Excellent time management and self organisation skills

Desirable

  • CIMA Member or Chartered Accountant
  • Experience of US non-profit accounting and 501(c)(3) reporting
  • Experience or other involvement in research, disability and/or mental health issues
  • Experience of SAP Business One
  • Familiarity with databases and reporting systems

Further information

For further information, please email jobs@downsed.org

Application

To apply, please send a detailed CV to jobs@downsed.org to arrive by 17:00 GMT on Friday 14 December 2007. Interviews will be held between 7 and 18 January 2008.