Finance Business Partner

Finance Business Partner

£50,000 DOE 

Warrington, Cheshire 

About The Role

Reporting to the Director of Finance, the Business Partner is responsible for supporting the achievement of the organisations’ strategic objectives through the robust appraisal of new business and other commercial project proposals. 

In collaboration with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), the Business Partner is responsible for the production of timely, accurate, succinct and considered financial and non-financial reports and recommendations to support effective decision making and influence organisational performance.

The role involves a small amount of travel to sites in the UK.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Business Development Team to appraise and report the expected financial implications of new site acquisitions proposed to be acquired via permanent and / or expendable endowment funding, service charge or interim management and make recommendations thereon. 
• Working collaboratively with other members of the Finance team and working with staff across other functions, ensure that set up details for new sites are delivered in a timely manner, covering reporting structure, billing and contractual details and endowments.
• Jointly with the Technical lead within the Development Team, ownership of & control over the DCF Endowment Model used for project modelling by the Business Development Team and provide technical modelling support to the wider team.
• Appraise financials for new sites and projects, facilitating approval by the Director of Finance.
• Work closely with the Financial Accountant to ensure that obligations under the monthly reporting and annual budgeting timetable are met.
• Work closely with the Operations Team to appraise, interpret and optimise available commercial opportunities and make recommendations thereon. Appraisal includes responsibility for carrying out Financial Due Diligence on proposed commercial opportunities where appropriate.
• Develop appropriate financial systems & reports to optimise & support the financial management and outcomes of each such commercial opportunity.
• Responsibility for the raising of sales invoices and the completeness of relating income.
• Work closely with Fundraising Team to ensure the financial aspects of fundraising applications are effectively developed and subsequently reported on in the accounts.
• Support the Fundraising Team in the timely processing of funding claims, ensuring that funding project accounting systems & reports provide for the requirements of the funding bodies and credible & easily understood information. 
• As part of all processes, identify Primary Purpose, Ancillary & non Primary Purpose activities and make recommendations to mitigate the taxation implications of group commercial activities 
• Identify & impart best practice to non-financial colleagues, ensuring they are appropriately equipped & trained in financial matters.
• Any other duties as may be reasonably required.

About You 

Experience & Knowledge

• A recognised senior accountancy qualification – ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent.
• A background in the Land sector desirable but not essential.
• Strong understanding of margin, income accruals and cost accruals.
• Ability to understand and analyse out legal agreements.
• Experience of service charge desirable but not essential.
• Understanding of group structures and intercompany accounting desirable but not essential.
• Understanding of accounting practice as it relates to fundraising and charities desirable but not essential.

Skills & Attributes

• A team worker with strong collaborative skills, both with colleagues in the Finance function and across multi-disciplinary teams.
• Confident and mature enough to challenge senior colleagues and to establish strong credibility, trust and confidence.
• Strong commerciality, objectivity, pragmatism, attention to detail, an enquiring mind and know how to mitigate risks and maximise potential rewards are essential skills and attributes.
• A high level of motivation, personal organisation & professionalism
• Comfortable with a deadline driven environment.
• Able to make decisions based on appropriate analysis of the risks and opportunities involved, often involving unfamiliar or ground-breaking situations.
• Able to assimilate complex financial & non-financial information, identify salient facts, draw measured conclusions and communicate the outcome in a concise manner.
• Excellent IT skills & Excel spreadsheet skills 

About the Land Trust 

The Land Trust is a Registered Charity based in Warrington and operating nationally.  We are leading the way in establishing new, sustainable solutions for the management of open space, on behalf of, and in partnership with, local communities.  We are responsible for the management of around 60 sites across the UK, including urban parks, designated nature reserves and listed buildings.  We work with local partners, such as Wildlife Trusts and The Conservation Volunteers, to manage sites on the ground and engage communities.  

We help a wide range of public and private landowners: including housing developers, landfill operators, local authorities and mining companies, who, for a variety of reasons, want to pass on responsibility (or liability) for the management of sites, public open space or new green infrastructure to find bespoke long-term funding and, management solutions for land.  These can include service charges, section 106 or endowment, or a hybrid of funding sources.  Our current endowment portfolio of over £100m provides the financial resources to ensure that our endowed sites are managed to a good standard and contribute to the wellbeing of the communities by which they are surrounded.

Our primary aim is the delivery of our five charitable objectives: environment and biodiversity; community cohesion and volunteering; health and wellbeing; education and training; and economic benefits.

Interviews mid July 2017

**No Agencies Please**