Camphill Village Trust Limited (”CVT”)

Job Description

POSITION / Charity Financial Controller
REPORTS TO / Finance Director
DIRECT REPORTS / Community finance officers
LOCATION / Stourbridge/home/ CVT Communities

OVERVIEW

This new role will be to take on responsibility for the development and maintenance of charity wide financial management accounting and budgeting systems and the production of aggregated Charity wide management accounts; prepare annual financial statements (in charity SORP format) from local community management accounts and develop robust cash reporting and forecasting disciplines.

The job will include the following elements:-

Ø  supporting community finance officers and processing teams, to refine and improve local accounting systems and controls;

Ø  reviewing management accounts submissions from community finance officers for accuracy and consistency;

Ø  driving reporting timetables and disciplines to ensure monthly charitywide management accounts aggregations are completed;

Ø  improving the quality and format of the trustee management accounts pack;

Ø  driving and supporting the introduction of consistent monthly management accounting disciplines across all communities, including budget variance commentary and key trend narrative for the board;

Ø  developing and introducing new accounting controls across all communities to ensure consistency;

Ø  recording and developing a financial procedures and controls manual for the Charity;

Ø  development and improvement of fixed asset registers;

Ø  administration and reconciliation of key central bank accounts;

Ø  preparation of annual financial statements and audit files and co-ordination of annual audit, including day to day liaison with the auditors;

Ø  development of cash management and reporting systems;

Ø  co-ordination of community cash flow reporting and production of rolling cash flow forecasts for the charity as a whole;

Ø  assistance with annual budget preparation including reviews of local community budgets and business plans and aggregation thereof;

Ø  Various ad hoc projects to support the overall development of the finance function.

The central financial controller will work closely with the Finance director and Community managers to provide necessary support for all of the charity’s activities, particularly in the development and improvement of timely, accurate and quality management information.

KEY RESPONSIBILITY AREAS

·  Production of timely month end aggregated management accounts;

·  development and improvement of systems and processes used to produce monthly management accounts including enhancements to include balance sheets, cash flow, dash board, commentary for the Trustees etc. Developing the format of the Trustees reporting pack;

·  provision of support and guidance to local community finance officers to assist them in improving local use of SAGE to improve effectiveness, achieve consistent ways of working and improved quality;

·  close liaison with local community finance officers to identify and help implement systems and control improvements which will improve management accounting disciplines and expand management information reporting;

·  preparation of annual financial statements from the local accounts submissions including full SORP reporting. Preparation of an annual audit file and supporting local finance officers in their year-end accounts and audit file production.

·  co-ordination and liaison with Charity’s auditors and ensuring audit timetables are adhered to;

·  Reviewing and recording all key financial systems across the charity and then developing a comprehensive controls, procedures and policies manual, including all matters which have taxation implications and ensuring other supporting mechanisms are in place (e.g. improved fixed asset register);

·  maintaining and reconciling central bank accounts monitoring the overall cash position for the charity. Supporting the finance director in the introduction of new treasury management systems and streamlining banking provision. Developing regular and systematic cash flow forecasting at community level to enable overall cash management to be improved and rolling cash flow forecast information is available;

·  support the Finance and Operations director in improving the budgetary control systems. Including, inter alia, supporting the annual budgeting process and reviewing local submissions before producing the charity wide aggregations. Assisting local finance officers to improve budget phasing and local managers with subsequent monitoring and variance reporting;

·  to act as a central resource generally, supporting local finance officers with their queries, supporting the Finance Director and other senior management team members with any projects or initiatives which work across the charity.

SUCCESS CRITERIA

ü  improved timeliness and format of management accounting information;

ü  greater effectiveness and consistency of communities’ use of SAGE;

ü  regular and co-ordinated cash flow monitoring and reporting;

ü  improved systems of control across the charity;

ü  improved budget monitoring and reporting across the charity.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & TRAINING REQUIRED TO PERFORM THE ROLE

Essential
Professional
Ø  Recognised CCAB accounting qualification.
Ø  Knowledge & experience of Charity accounts
SORP.
Ø  Experience of preparation of consolidated/
aggregated management accounts.
Ø  Experience of preparing, reviewing &
aggregating cash flow forecasts & other
accounting information.
Ø  Knowledge & understanding of internal controls core accounting systems and processes.
Ø  Past exposure to budget preparation & monitoring.
Ø  Good organisation skills & methodical with good time management skills, used to delivering to tight timetables.
Ø  Excellent communicator with proven ability to persuade others in a change management environment & influence behaviours (e.g. to improve reporting timescales).
Ø  Able to build relationships at all levels within the charity, including finance professionals, care provider colleagues, senior management & trustees.
Ø  Able to evidence effective use of own judgement, & ability to work proactively while unsupervised, with limited administrative support.
Ø  Prepared to roll up sleeves & pitch in to carry other administrative tasks (e.g. central cash book authorisation etc.)
Ø  Enthusiastic, energetic & able to travel regularly to the various communities within the charity.
Ø  Experience of dealing expertly with external stakeholders, e.g. funders, professional advisers & bankers, regulators etc.
Ø  Excellent Excel spreadsheet modelling skills.
Other
Ø  Supportive of underlying Camphill ethos
Ø  Satisfactory standard disclosure / Desirable ( but not essential)
ü  Detailed working knowledge of SAGE accounting systems in a multi company/cost centre environment.
ü  Wider knowledge of modern database type accounting packages & ICT generally.
ü  Experience of costing.
ü  Preparation of financial models to support business plans, tenders, funding body requests etc.
ü  Experience of coaching & mentoring.
ü  Experience of managing other staff.
ü  Knowledge of tax compliance issues ( PAYE and VAT)

TO PERFORM THE ROLE SUCCESSFULLY, COMMUNICATION & INTERFACE IS, OR MAY BE, REQUIRED WITH:

INTERNAL
-  Community finance teams
-  Community management teams (including co-workers)
-  Senior Management team
-  Audit committee
-  Trustees generally / EXTERNAL
-  Funders /Local authorities
-  Regulators
-  Professional advisers ( incl’ bankers)
-  Suppliers

COMPETENCIES

Personal
F  Planning and control
F  Stress tolerance
F  Energy
F  Perseverance / Professional
F  Judgement
F  Decision making
F  Integrity
F  Problem analysis
Inter-personal
F  Written and oral communication
F  Persuasiveness
F  Listening / Managerial
F  Leadership
F  Change Management
F  Initiative