Head of Finance Operations

Finance: Head of Finance Operations

CAP celebrates the value of diversity and our aim is for our workforce to be as inclusive as possible as well as representing the communities we serve. With this in mind, we welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from candidates from black and ethnic minority backgrounds. We are committed to continue building an environment that embraces diversity and includes all.

Context:

CAP is a national charity that is driven to help release people from debt, poverty and their causes through partnering with local churches.  We do this by providing a variety of services: CAP Debt Help, CAP Job Clubs, CAP Release Groups and CAP Life Skills.  We also help churches teach basic budgeting and money management skills through our CAP Money course.  Our debt help service involves holding client assets. CAP is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The continued success of our work rests on a bedrock of vital background functions, which includes the finance department.

Purpose:

The finance department is going through an exciting period of transformation. Working alongside the Chief Financial Officer and the Head of Financial Planning & Analysis, this role will help shape the strategy and delivery of excellent forward-facing financial planning, statutory and regulatory reporting, costing and client asset management.

This role will be responsible for identifying opportunities for continuous improvement whilst driving efficiencies across the finance department. Taking ownership of providing potential solutions to enable us to strengthen our core financial processes, from both a systems and process perspective, whilst encouraging thought and challenge around our current ways of working.

This role will take accountability for the oversight and management control of the Finance Operations team, providing outstanding customer service to both our internal and external customers and stakeholders.

Personality:

We are dedicated, enthusiastic and take a professional approach to our work, within a relaxed, supportive environment. 

Reports to: Chief Financial Officer

Direct Reports: 1 x Assistant Financial Accountant, 5 x Finance Assistants

Passion:

We are extremely passionate about providing excellent service to our multitude of internal and external stakeholders. 

Role:

Accountabilities:

• Build and develop a strong finance operations function with robust internal and external controls through active line management and regular training
• Drive the annual statutory reporting process - developing a clear timeline, planning and negotiating with our internal communications team to deliver a high quality annual report for Trustee approval and sign off
• Lead the external audit process, negotiating fees, timetables and take the lead role in all meetings with the Audit Partner and their team. Use judgement to consider whether audit responses should be challenged or accepted. Prepare action plans and report audit findings to the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee.  
• Oversee the CASS annual audit process, which includes negotiating fees, timetables and take the lead role in all meetings with the Audit Partner and their team. Use judgement to consider whether audit responses should be challenged or accepted. Prepare action plans and report audit findings to the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee. 
• Develop and deliver comprehensive and insightful regular balance sheet reporting and forecasting (capital expenditure, cashflow, liabilities and reserves) to support the financial sustainability of CAP, highlighting risks or opportunities to enable informed decision making by Executive Team and the Board
• Identify and implement process and system improvements, shaping and improving the effectiveness of the finance operations team. 
• Take the leading role in the finance ledger system replacement procurement, design & implementation
• Provide support to ensure key operational and financial targets are delivered
• Develop, recommend and implement cash and capital management systems and reporting
• Provide assessments of capital expenditure business cases and strategic opportunities to support and influence decision making
• Support the month end and annual accounting processes to ensure accurate reporting of the financial performance
• Advise the Chief Financial Officer on technical areas of expertise, undertaking research as required, in particular financial reporting, VAT and tax.
• Provide financial accounting advice and support to the Head of Financial Planning & Analysis in the preparation of budgets
• Submission of all mandatory external surveys and reports as required by deadlines (ONS, FCA etc)

Manager accountabilities: 

• Manager is proactive in creating a culture of personal development in the team, including but not limited to conducting Annual Appraisals and Development Reviews (AADs), and coaching style catch ups for every direct report
• Manager is a secure and honest leader, able to acknowledge mistakes, lead with vulnerability and build a high trust team
• Manager has excellent written and verbal communication skills and can tailor these to the audience and situation as needed
• Consistently and professionally articulates the needs of the team to wider stakeholders, whether as part of specific projects or business-as-usual tasks
• Manager is able to balance team workloads, boundaries and health using appropriate and effective strategic methods such as LEAN, problem definition and ideation tools

Senior Leadership accountabilities: 

• Strategy. Understands the organisation and industry context, knows how to set strategic plans and execute them well.
• Operational oversight. Delivers on the department’s goals and strategic priorities, knows how to lead the department through change and is constantly looking to improve processes.
• Developing and leading people. Able to lead managers and develop them to deliver on accountabilities. Highly skilled at appraisals and setting targets.
• Promoting healthy culture. Ensuring department work and behaviour exemplifies CAP’s values.
• Collaboration (across departments). Strong in organisational awareness and passionate about cross-collaborative working.

Measurable outputs:

• Budgets (capital and other items)  delivered on time and within budget
• Objectives agreed annually delivered as planned
• Monthly reporting pack delivered to the agreed timetable
• Finance transformation programme delivered successfully
• Successful completion of the annual statutory audit process
• Identification of further improvements needed to financial processes and controls as appropriate
• Delivery of new chart of accounts structure 
• Balance sheet & Cash Flow - annual, monthly and quarterly - including forecasts
• Statutory returns completed on time
• Effective regular 1:1 meetings held with direct reports

Culture:

• Clearly live out and embrace the cultural values of CAP.
• Clearly demonstrate a heart and passion for the charity.
• Sincere acceptance, understanding and practice of the Christian ethos and purpose of the charity.

Other responsibilities include:

• Being willing to pray with staff and fully engaged with our Christ-centred  culture.
• Encouraging friends, family and other contacts to support the charity through the Life Changer program, and other fundraising initiatives.
• Attendance at annual CAP staff conferences.
• Completing all compulsory CAP training within given timescales.
• This role falls within the scope of the FCA’s conduct rules, and you will be provided with training as to how these apply to the role.  It is your responsibility to ensure that you follow these conduct rules.

The above job profile is a guide to the work you may be required to undertake but does not form part of your contract of employment. It may change from time to time to reflect changing circumstances.

Person:

Education:

• Qualified Accountant (CCAB) with Post Qualification Experience
• Degree or professional level education

Experience:

Essential

• At least 3 years experience at a senior level within a finance/accountancy environment
• Senior level financial accounting experience
• Experience of reviewing controls & processes
• Experience of leading the annual accounts & audit process
• Experience of leading teams to meet key objectives or targets

Desirable

• Senior level financial accounting experience in a not-for-profit organisation
• Experience of installing/upgrading accounting systems
• Prior experience of working in a CASS 11 environment 

Skills/abilities:

• A strategic thinker, able to plan and forecast with an exceptional level of organisational awareness.
• Ability to interpret technical accounting regulations into everyday language
• Demonstrable effective influencing skills at a senior level
• Significant understanding of financial control and risk
• Excellent technical finance and accounting knowledge
• Demonstrate strong understanding of business needs and relevant application of accounting standards
• Good strategic insight and understanding of organisational aims.
• Possess a problem solving, analytical mindset with a high level of attention to detail
• Excellent communicator and presentation skills, both verbally and in writing
• Strong excel skills and use of data manipulation tools
• Ability to prioritise and manage own workloads, be organised, have a flexible working style and enjoy working to tight deadlines
• Ability to lead a team in actively promoting the cultural values of CAP

Christian commitment:

• The candidate must be able to give both verbal assent to and practical demonstration of Christians Against Poverty’s Statement of Faith and Core Values.
• Must be able to actively participate in prayer and worship, whether individual, small group or corporately, as an expression of their own personal faith and in line with CAP’s Statement of Faith.

All adults working in or on behalf of CAP have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults. This includes: 

• A responsibility to ensure a safe environment in which CAP services can be delivered. 
• Identifying children and adults where there may be safeguarding concerns.

Following the CAP Safeguarding policy in addressing any concerns appropriately.