Finance and Operations Manager

Escape The City Ltd.; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Earthed is seeking a Finance & Governance Manager to lead financial management, budgeting, reporting and governance for a growing start‑up charity. You will implement robust financial controls and provide strategic financial insights to support decision‑making.

You will also oversee HR and administration, legal compliance, payroll, Gift Aid, and reporting to the Board, collaborating with Directors and department leads to ensure effective budgeting and operational management.

Qualifications

• Experience managing financial processes of a member-based organisation.
• Strong budgeting, statutory reporting and management accounts.
• Charity compliance knowledge and charity banking requirements.
• Proactive, initiative-taking and able to support strategic planning.
• Experience with CRMs.
• Excellent communication and organisation skills.
• Experience working in a start-up environment.
• Good working knowledge of Xero.
• Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Collaborative, hands-on style with strong interpersonal skills.
• Passion for ecosystem restoration and agroecology.

Responsibilities

• Ensure financial control policy applied across the organisation.
• Maintain accurate accounting records and timely reporting (Xero).
• Keep records of invoices, receipts and payroll schedules.
• Cash reporting and weekly reconciliations with clear reporting.
• Lead monthly cash flow meetings with Directors and Treasurer.
• Prepare monthly management accounts for Directors and Treasurer.
• Prepare quarterly reports for the Board with trend analysis.
• Coordinate payroll with agency and HMRC filings.
• Manage Gift Aid on UK donations.
• Oversee accounting for trading subsidiary and charity working finances.
• Oversee pension scheme for staff.
• Manage data platform inputs/outputs (Chargebee, GoCardless).
• Prepare annual report for the Charities Commission.
• Oversee donor and partner schedules and funds receipt.
• Ensure staff budgets are understood and spend is approved.

Skills

Accounting

Financial management

Budgeting

Statutory reporting

Management accounts

Charity compliance

Xero

CRM systems

Communication

IT skills

Organisation

Start-up experience

Team collaboration

Equity and inclusion

Interpersonal skills

Policy development

Alternative finance

Tools

Chargebee

GoCardless

Job description

Join Earthed, an innovative start-up charity, and drive financial and operational excellence to support global ecosystem restoration

Location

London/ Remote

Expires

Expires 25-4-24 - Applications reviewed after this date

Full job description

Earthed is looking for a Finance & Governance Manager to support the growth and consolidation of an exciting start-up Charity.

The core responsibility of this role is the organisation’s financial management, budgeting and reporting. You will lead on the development and maintenance of effective financial controls, procedures and systems, collaborate on timely and insightful forecasting, and inform strategic planning from a financial perspective.

You will also be responsible for matters concerning HR and administration and have oversight over legal and compliance, reviewing policies and practices to support the smooth running of the organisation.

You will work closely with the Directors, Head of Fundraising and the Treasurer, and be in contact with Heads of Department across the team to ensure effective budgeting and operational management.

Objectives of this Role:

Provide the financial management for a small but growing organisation, ensuring that accurate accounting records are maintained, appropriate reporting is in place, and that the finance function is able to contribute to strategic and operational decisions. Daily and Monthly Responsibilities:

• Ensure application across the organisation of the Financial Control policy.
• Ensure accurate accounting records are maintained and updated in a timely fashion (Xero).
• Keep clear records of all invoices, receipts, pay schedules for records and reporting across all organisational activities.
• Ensure cash reporting and reconciliations are up to date on a weekly basis, reporting is accurate and clear.
• Lead monthly cash flow meetings with Directors and reporting to the Treasurer.
• Prepare monthly management accounts for delivery to the Directors and Treasurer.
• Prepare quarterly reports for the Board and present on the previous quarter from a financial perspective, analysing trends and insights.
• Work with the payroll agency, manage payroll payments to staff and HMRC, and ensure all appropriate filings and returns take place.
• Manage Gift Aid on UK donations ensuring relevant claims are made and funds received.
• Efficiently and seamlessly manage the relationship between the trading subsidiary and Charity, ensuring correct use of each for different purpose, and correct transfer and use of funds.
• Oversee pension scheme for the organisation staff.
• Manage accounting for payments in line with Financial Controls.
• Manage and oversee the financial inputs and outputs for data platforms used, including Chargebee and GoCardless.
• Manage reporting to The Charities Commission by overseeing the annual report on the Charities activities, supported by the Board of Trustees and core team.
• Accounting and reporting against one off donations, membership payments, RPI management, data tracking, communication and support on payments and members’ finances.
• Oversee donor and partner schedules and ensure correct receipt of funds, liaising with Fundraising lead and Directors as required.
• Ensuring relevant staff are aware, up to date and confident on the allocated budget they have for their work area. Signing off on some spend areas in line with the Controls Policy, managing activity specific budgets and supporting staff on managing these in line with cash flow and forecast requirements

Governance

• Data protection
• Bi-annual review of the risk register
• Annual review and update of policies as required
• Liaise with legal partners and consultants to ensure compliance at all times from financial and Charity perspective
• Support the creation and dissemination of Board papers
• Ensure the organisation is preparing reports at the right times

HR:

• Ensure correct contracts are in place and filed for both salaried and freelance team>

Admin

• Manage office spaces and equipment
• Ensure correct filing of all official documents with Charity Commission, Companies House and other bodies
• Ensure correct archiving within organisational systems of all key documentation, including but not limited to contracts, MOUs, agreements, policies, Board minutes, financial data, personal data, reports, decks, etc.
• Liaise with department leads to ensure efficient and consistent archiving and storage systems are in place across the team

Person Specification

Knowledge and skills (essential)

• Accounting expertise in a growth environment. (membership, course leader remuneration, increase in donations, grants, potential investments etc).
• Financial management and accounting experience including, budgeting, statutory reporting, management accounts.
• Experience managing the financial processes of a member-based organisation.
• Understanding of Charity compliance and experience working with a charitable organisation, including Charity banking requirements and processes.
• Proactive, able to take initiative, solve problems, support decision-making, contribute to strategic planning, and be comfortable rolling up your sleeves and engaging in transaction-level work.
• Experience using CRMs systems.
• Excellent communication, IT, systems and organisation skills with the ability to lead projects, manage changing demands, and prioritise deadlines.
• Experience working well in a start-up team.
• Good working knowledge of Xero.
• Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• An excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills.
• The ability to work on a range of projects.
• Collaborative and hands-on style of working.
• A passion for ecosystem restoration and agroecology.

Knowledge and skills (desirable):

• Direct experience of policy development.
• Experience with alternative finance, PGM, crowdfunding.