Director of Finance and Operations

Salary Pro rata dependent on hours based on Band A (£65,222 – £73,357 full time)
Hours We would consider applicants looking to work between 3.5 to 4.5 days per week (24.5 – 31.5 hours). We come together as an SMT on Mondays and as a full-staff team on Tuesdays so ask that you are available to work on those days. We will consider applications for jobshares if candidates apply with a jobshare partner
Location Our office is based in Angel, London, but we welcome applicants from further afield. For this post, there is an expectation to come into the London office on 1-2 days per week
Contract Permanent

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Overall purpose

Young Women’s Trust champions young women aged 18 to 30 on low or no pay. We’re here to create a more equal world of work and raise young women’s incomes.

We offer young women free coaching, feedback on job applications and information to help them get where they want to be. We bring together a network of thousands of young women to support each other, build their self-belief, and have their voices heard. We work with young women to campaign for equality in the workplace. And our research provides insight into what young women’s lives are really like, fuelling our campaigns for change.

The purpose of this role is to lead the Finance and Operations team to provide an effective, efficient and business-focussed support function for the Young Women’s Trust.

This position arises following a year in which we had an interim Director of Finance and Operations to support the organisation to set a long-term financial strategy, business plan, and move into new tailored premises. It is therefore an exciting time to be joining the organisation in this post – with a clear and inspiring strategy and plan in place, but with considerable scope for the new post-holder to contribute their vision as to how this is delivered.

Key activities

Leadership and Governance

As a member of the Senior Management Team, contribute to the leadership
and delivery of the Young Women’s Trust strategic and operational goals;
Provide expert support and guidance to the Chief Executive on the legal and
governance duties of a charity;
Work with the Chief Executive and Treasurer on the agenda setting, and lead
on production of papers for the quarterly Finance and General Purposes
Committee of trustees; and to contribute towards papers for the Board of
Trustees;
Oversee the annual business planning and reporting cycle;
Act as lead advisor for legal compliance, including client and commissioner of
external legal advice as needed;
Provide line management, support and development for the members of the
Finance and Operations Team.

Finance

Working primarily through the Finance Officer, ensure the consistent delivery
and quality of standard finance routines of transactions processing, monthly
management accounts, and annual budgets and closure of accounts
processes;
Assisted by our outsourced investment advisors, ensure oversight of the
charity’s endowment and investments; including managing investment
manager performance and providing regular and timely advice to the Board
on investment management strategy and delivery;
Lead on (with some support from the Finance Officer) the financial aspects of
funder bidding, management and reporting. Support contract management
and negotiation with funders and suppliers as required, development of
commercial partnerships in support of fundraising and service delivery
objectives, and providing technical accounting support on reports and
analysis for funders;
Lead on the annual production and audit of the organisation’s statutory
accounts, including preparation and completion of the statutory accounts in
accordance with charity and accounting standards, and submission of annual
returns to the Charity Commission and Companies House;
Ensure that systems of internal control exist and function to protect the
organisation’s assets, to guard against fraud and error, and to ensure levels
of cover and business continuity for critical processes.

Human Resources and Working Practices

Oversee HR practices and policies, working with other members of SMT, our
staff led Working Practices Group and external consultants as necessary;
Using external experts as required, co-ordinate and interpret advice on any
human resources issue arising;
Oversee the Office Manager to ensure the consistent delivery and quality of
standard human resources processes including staff recruitment, induction
and development, monthly payroll and pensions, annual objectives and
appraisals, and annual staff survey;
Lead on delivery of our Equity Diversity and Inclusion workplan, working
closely with other members of SMT and our EDI Working Group.
IT Facilities and Business Support
Oversee the charity’s information management strategy, incorporating legal
and regulatory requirements (GDPR), data security, and use of data and
insight to deliver the objectives of the trust;
Working primarily through the Office Manager and our outsourced IT
providers, ensure the quality, performance, and modernity of IT hardware,
software and connectivity used by the Young Women’s Trust;
Working primarily through the Office Manager, ensure the pro-active and reactive management of the charity’s office;
Manage the charity’s two investment properties’ leases and ultimate disposal;
Working primarily through the Office Manager, ensure active management
and periodic quality and best value refresh of support contracts across HR, IT
and Facilities.

Person specification

Qualifications and training

Recognised full qualification in accounting.

Experience

Essential

A track record of delivering organisational plans as part of a management
team
Significant experience of management and development of staff
Previous experience of effectively managing and monitoring budgets
(£2million+ desirable)
A strong track record of efficient and effective delivery of objectives, both
personally and by managing a team

Desirable

Experience of working in a similar role in a charity or not-for-profit
environment
Experience in and understanding of good charity governance
Experience in investment management
Experience in charity funding bidding, managing and reporting
Experience of managing an HR function

Skills & attributes

A strategic thinker with the ability to see the bigger picture and make
decisions in line with the charity’s needs as part of a team
Advanced skills in MS Excel and MS Word and finance software (experience
with Xero desirable)
Collaborative working style
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
A flexible, creative and solutions-focused approach to problem-solving
An understanding of the issues facing young women, especially those facing
the greatest inequalities in relation to finances, employment and unpaid work
The commitment to working in line with and as a senior member of staff
providing a consistent model for the Young Women’s Trust values
A well-developed and up-to-date understanding of themes within equity
diversity and inclusion and the roles a support function plays in this.

At Young Women’s Trust, we value and celebrate diversity, and welcome applications regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. We particularly encourage applications from communities under-represented in our sector including racially minoritised people, people with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

You’ll be joining a team that will embrace your ideas and support and encourage you to bring your whole self to work.

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How to apply

Please complete a job application form and return to: recruitment@youngwomenstrust.org

We would be grateful if you could also complete our anonymous online equal opportunities monitoring form.

Deadline to apply Sunday 9 April, 5pm

Interviews First interview 20 April 2023, Second interview 25 April 2023

If you would like to talk about the role before applying, please email recruitment@youngwomenstrust.org to arrange a discussion.

You must have the right to work in the UK to apply for this role. We are not able to sponsor work visas for non-British applicants.