Back Finance Manager (UK)

This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified accountant with good technical skills and a ‘can-do’ attitude who is seeking to develop their management skills. The primary focus of this role is to manage the UK office (Kingston) finance operations team, responsible for supplier, volunteer and staff payments and ensuring compliance with accurate and timely external reporting, accounting regulations and UK tax requirements.

Responsibilities

Financial management

· Manage the team responsible for day-to-day accounting operations in the UK office, including income and invoice processing, staff and volunteer expenses, and payroll

· Complete timely financial month end close processes for the UK

· Manage/prepare UK prepayments and accruals workings monthly

· Complete/review UK balance sheet reconciliations for all accounts each month

· Review UK payroll and approve journals; posting timesheet allocations for UK staff

· Ensure maintenance of the UK fixed asset register and depreciation recorded monthly

· Primary contact for UK banks, maintain updated mandates, administer changes as needed, ensure bank/cash/credit card accounts reconciled

· Oversight for recording of public fundraising income, related gift aid and reconciliations

· Oversight for timely receipting/journals of UK incoming funds against donor debtors (alignment with programme finance teams as needed to clarify)

· Responsible for monthly/quarterly allocation of central costs (eg IT recharges, travel, Organisational Development training costs)

UK Statutory

· Prepare and file quarterly UK VAT returns, accurately and timely

· Ensure VSO complies with all HMRC current and future tax regulations and maximises tax opportunities, including VAT and GiftAid

· Complete all HMRC or other UK returns accurately and on time.

· Review and advise Fundraising teams on GiftAid claims, reconciliations and ensure recorded appropriately

· Drive continuous improvement of processes and systems to manage UK compliance and efficiency of VAT/Tax reporting

· Lead/key point of contact for on-going education of VSO staff to ensure understanding of the tax implications of various streams of income and related expenditure

People management

· Coach and support the team to ensure they perform to a high standard and deliver a consistent, customer-focused approach:**

• behaviours are in line with VSO values and comply with legal and organisational requirements**
• responds positively to change**
• achieve their objectives**

Payment authorisation

· Maintain UK authorisation guidelines and timetable, to ensure clear responsibilities and balance work assignments

· Approve UK payments in line with VSO policy

Finance business partnering

· Improve and develop appropriate and effective controls with the Global and UK finance staff.

· Provide business partnering support to non-Finance colleagues.

· Provide training on VSO’s financial procedures and good practice as required.

· Identify and implement improvement of processes, systems and policies for areas of responsibility, and contribute to ongoing improvements in Finance more widely.

· Maintain up-to-date process guides and training materials for areas of responsibility.

· Advise Global teams (such as Travel) on UK compliance requirements and policies **

Competence required

Essential

· A fully qualified accountant with a recognised qualification (ACCA, ACA, CIMA, CPA)

· Technical accounting skills, especially in relation to statutory accounting.

· Sound knowledge of Charity specific accounting, VAT, taxation and other compliance requirements.

· Strong analytical skills and highly numerate.

· Strong IT skills, including accounting and reporting packages and especially Excel.

· Experience of identifying and implementing process, system and control improvements.

· Hands-on, pro-active approach to working; proven to be detail-oriented.

· Experience of effectively managing and developing staff (directly preferred)

· Experience of building relationships with and managing internal and external stakeholders.

· Experience of business partnering non-finance colleagues.

· Strong verbal and written communication skills.

· Effective influencing and networking skills.

· Ability to adapt communication style (e.g. to explain financial information to non-financial staff in a clear and concise way).

· Commitment to VSO’s mission and values.

· Experience of the not for profit sector.

Desirable

· Experience of administering/calculating UK payroll.

· Relevant technical experience of tax compliance and reporting.

· SUN systems / Q&A XL experience.

Experience in the International Development sector.

VSO Benefits

In return VSO offers:
• A friendly and supportive office environment
• Opportunities for flexible working and working from home
• Generous annual leave of 37 days (inclusive of public holidays)
• Competitive pension with Scottish Widows (matched at 5%)
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free parking
• Professional development
• Employee and Volunteer Assistance Programme offering free, confidential support and guidance on a wide range of topics from money matters to legal issues, as well as counselling and a helpline.