Head of Finance

A fantastic opportunity has become available for a qualified Finance Director to join a fast-growing environmental charity based in North London.

This award-winning organisation specialises in marine conservation which is vital to local cultures and economies, and they are committed to protecting marine biodiversity in ways that benefit coastal people. They have had a lot of success so far, but are ambitious and they aim to reach at least three million people across the world's tropical coastal regions by 2020.

Their revenue has doubled over the past two years and is forecasted to grow by at least a further 40% over the next financial year.

The Finance Director is a key member of the senior management team with responsibility for all of financial reporting and planning within the charity and company. The Finance Director oversees a wide range of the organisation's administration including governance, risk, compliance and facilities, and acts as Company Secretary. Working in an innovative and fast-moving charity, the role requires an individual capable of thinking strategically and being hands-on.

Finance Responsibilities

• Take ownership of all aspects of financial management
• Develop and ensure financial procedures and systems are fit-for-purpose in the UK and across all international operations
• Oversee timely delivery of accurate and insightful financial and management information for the organisation
• Lead on the annual strategic and financial planning, budgeting and forecasting process
• Lead on the annual staff appraisal and pay review process
• Manage all tax matters and planning
• Manage all organisation assets, facilities and resources
• Oversee the statutory accounts preparation and the annual financial audit
• Monitor donor budgets and work closely with the Conservation Director on donor reporting
• Manage periodic project audits
• Manage relations with external parties such as banks and auditors

Strategic and Organisational Responsibilities

• Play an active role in the planning and implementation of the organisation's growth strategy
• Empower, train and enable teams in country head offices and field sites to be effective and efficient by continuously improving the finance and operations processes
• Lead on finance staff performance management, training and professional development, mentoring key talent to be promoted within the organisation
• Support the fundraising team to strengthen the business cases on funding bids and periodic reporting
• Review and improve the organisation's financial policies to ensure they are adequate and followed by staff

Person Specification

• Experience of leading and managing an international finance team or function with geographically dispersed employees
• The role would suit a senior finance professional with experience working at Finance Director level within an international NGO or from a Finance and Strategy Consulting background looking for a career change
• Experience of operating at a senior management level and contributing to an organisation's strategic direction
• Experience of planning and implementation of financial and accounting process and systems improvement and international change management programmes
• Experience establishing and/or running financial operations, compliance and governance in developing nations
• An entrepreneurial mind-set naturally focused on raising the team's performance to reach the organisation's strategic targets
• Ability and willingness to undertake "hands-on" tasks e. project reporting, monthly management accounts
• A detailed understanding of charity accounting, regulatory compliance, risk management and donor reporting
• A relevant professional chartered accounting qualification, preferably ACA or ACCA
• Fluency in French would be desirable

This is a great role for a passionate individual who has a genuine interest in environmental conservation. The successful candidate will need to demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to inspire and engage with all levels within the organisation.