Employment Opportunities

Head of Finance

Position: Head of Finance

Contract type: Full-time/Part-time,Permanent

Role Location: Hybrid (Home, VERTIC’s London office), Flexible working

Salary: c£60,000

Reports to: Executive Director

Summary: VERTIC is looking to appoint a Head of Finance. The role involves managing the full range of the organisation’s finances and administrative functions. This includes budgeting and forecasting at the project, programme and central level as well as running the day-to-day financial and other organisational operations. The role will also involve maintaining and developing robust and user-friendly, financial and operational systems to underpin our work.  This is a great opportunity to work with an established and growing NGO with activities reaching around the world and to help maintain and strengthen its finance, administrative and operational functions. 

The role requires having significant experience in charity and not for profit financial management, as well as in overseeing the life-cycle of grants and other contracts from governments, organisations and charitable foundations internationally. You should have substantial experience in accounting and resource management software, audit processes and HR matters. We are looking for someone with excellent communication skills who can work with and present to colleagues across the organisation and understand the needs of their programmes and projects. The organisation is dynamic and has been growing in terms of the size and number of grants it has internationally. The organisation is relatively small in terms of staff numbers. The successful candidate should therefore be prepared to be adaptable and flexible and be able to move from strategic activities to sleeves up work with ease.

About us: VERTIC (the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre) is an independent, non-profit making charitable organisation. Established in 1986, VERTIC supports the development, implementation and verification of international agreements to improve international peace, security, environment and development. Our activities cover international treaties and mechanisms preventing nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, measures promoting stabilisation between conventional forces, challenges and opportunities from new technologies, International Health Regulations and sustainable development. To support progress in these areas, VERTIC provides innovative research, capacity-building, and engagement with governmental, regulatory, diplomatic, scientific and non-governmental communities around the world. Our outputs include technical advice and planning materials, publications, presentations, information tools, databases, as well as events, workshops, training and exercises. We run projects solely and in partnerships with other organisations.

We carry out our activities across Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America, and the Pacific. Our staff is comprised of international legal experts, scientists and policy analysts from a range of nationalities and disciplines. VERTIC has an office in London and staff and consultants based in other countries. The organisation’s funding comes from governments, regional and international organisations such as the EU and United Nations and charitable foundations. Our role ranges from lead implementer coordinating other partners, to sub-contractor. VERTIC is governed by a Board of Trustees and regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. 

Functions and responsibilities

Organisation level

• Prepare annual, quarterly and monthly budgets and projections at the organisational and programme level along with management accounts and cash flow reports.
• Analyse forward cash and fundraising projections and needs.
• Brief and work with Executive Director on financial, HR and administrative matters including financial needs, staffing, projections, scenarios and planning, and risk monitoring.
• Prepare and present financial reports to Board of Trustees meetings.
• Ensure the Charity meets its statutory obligations to HMRC and Charity Commission and other relevant bodies as necessary, as well as insurance obligations.
• Keep the organisation compliant and up to date on law and best practices related to charity finance, governance, risk monitoring, HR and operations in UK and internationally.
• Prepare and submit annual statutory financial statements, prepare and facilitate the audit process.
• Help maintain, update and communicate VERTIC financial policies, procedures and controls.
• Maintain, develop and, where necessary, overhaul the organisation’s financial, HR and operational IT and physical infrastructure and records to ensure they are standardized and consistent, user-friendly, up to date, appropriately accessible and resilient.
• Ensure financial and related systems facilitate organisational stability, hand-over, and efficient knowledge-transfer including for financial management processes, software tools and records.
• Review and implement methodologies for calculating organisational financial needs and internal allocation approaches for full cost recovery, day charge out rates, overheads and reserves.
• Monitor restricted and unrestricted fund allocation
• Manage day-to-day finances, scheduling, tracking and fulfilling invoices and payments to suppliers, service providers in the UK and abroad.
• Manage bookkeeping activities, including transaction recording in the organisation’s books and reconciliation.  
• Manage bank and financial service provider accounts in various currencies, oversee fund transfers, process credit cards and charge card accounts.
• Address foreign exchange rates currency implications for the organisation. 
• For UK and international/non-UK staff: monitor staff time and leave records; ensure payroll and related employment payments are fulfilled and records kept; manage HR matters related to employment contracts, visas, salaries, time, leave, social security, pensions, benefits and expenses; assist with onboarding, offboarding, handovers.
• Support organisational level cyber security practices related to finance and operations.
• Review project contracts from funders, address due diligence and compliance matters, and keep VERTIC’s template contracts for consultants and organisations in line with best practice.
• Ensure new grants are recorded across VERTIC’s system including identifying funder rules and internal responsibilities.
• Oversee office management

Programme and project level

• Support Programme Directors with financial monitoring and planning for time allocation needs across staff and consultants, project delivery capacity, billing, fundraising, and expenditure – over monthly, quarterly and annual timelines.
• Oversee financial management of grants and other types of contract from governments from multiple regions, international organisations and charitable foundations.
• Schedule, prepare, submit and track financial reports to funders and invoices to funders, including submitting invoices on government finance systems.
• Monitor payment of invoices.
• Prepare for and host project-level audits.
• Support staff with project and activity level finances and expenditure monitoring.
• Support Programmes in fundraising by assisting with project budgets (covering staffing, travel to meetings, workshop costs, research tools, sub-contractors in the UK and overseas).
• Ensure adherence to government and charitable foundation funder rules and requirements on finance-related matters (procurement, due diligence, exchange rate methodologies, transactions, anti-bribery, anti-corruption, sanctions, management quality assurance, ethics)
• Assist with the preparation and review of contracts for sub-contractors and consultants
• Oversee/support staff with travel, event and other expenditure.

Requirements

• Significant level of experience in finance, operations and administration including in a senior/leadership role with responsibility for a department or small to medium organisation.  
• Understanding of charity accounting requirements.
• Experience in managing charity / not for profit finances including management accounts, budgets, monitoring and planning, day-to-day operations on banking, income and payments.
• Experience in using common accounting and management software, including QuickBooks, knowledge of ERPs is desirable.
• Familiarity with HR and project management software and service provider web portals.
• Experience in contract management from government and charitable foundation funders in the UK and overseas.
• Experience with financial requirements in fundraising from governments and foundations.
• Experience in HR in the UK and internationally.
• Experience with organisational practices such as strong cyber security and compliance.
• Excellent communication skills, including to non-finance staff and partners.
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills, proactiveness, ability to work to tight deadlines.
• Ability to oversee and strengthen overall financial system as needed.
• Comfortable in hybrid and remote working environments.
• Familiarity with working with stakeholders from a variety of different cultures and regions.
• Ability to travel on occasion.
• Education and qualifications: at least a Bachelors level degree; Accountancy Qualification (e.g. ACA, ACCA or CIMA)

The organisation currently operates a hybrid working policy for staff based in and around London. At present, this role requires attendance in person on a number of days to be agreed and requires availability during office hours.  These factors can be further determined based on whether the agreement is for a full or part time position. You must have the right to work in the UK to apply for this post.

In return, we offer:

• A competitive salary commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications and experience.
• 25 days annual leave allowance.
• Flexible working practices (including working from home).
• Relocation support.
• Pension scheme.
• Life insurance.
• Opportunities for education and training support.

To apply, please submit a CV, covering letter, and details of two referees to vertic@vertic.org with the subject heading “Head of Finance Application” by the 24th June.

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Note: This Job Description reflects the current situation. It does not preclude change or development that might be required in the future.

VERTIC is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to ensuring the representation of people from all backgrounds regardless of their gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds to apply and would encourage you to let us know if there are steps we can take to ensure that your recruitment process enables you to present yourself in a way that makes you comfortable.