ETHICAL PROPERTY COMPANY

Finance Assistant, Oxford

Application Pack - July 2015

Contents / Action required / Page
About our company and Job description / For information only / 2
Application Form / Candidates to complete / 5
Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form / Candidates to complete / 9

Finance Assistant, Oxford -Application Pack - July 2015

Finance Assistant – Job Description

Salary: £19,500 – £23,500 a year, depending skills and experience

Working Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours a week, Monday to Friday

Location: Oxford (The Old Music Hall, 106-108 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JE)

Closing date: 9am on Tuesday, 21st July 2015

Interview date: Thursday, 30thJuly 2015, held at The Old Music Hall, 106-108 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JE

The Ethical Property Company

Ethical Property is one of the UK’s leading social businesses. We aim to ensure that commercial property supports the creation of a better world, through the provision of office and meeting space to charities and voluntary groups, retail space that supports small businesses and social enterprises and workshops for organisations in creative industries.

We own and manage 23 centres across the UK. We currently employ over 80 staff and support over 1000 organisations working in a wide variety of sectors.

Our centres are managed to minimise energy use, waste, car travel and the use of harmful materials while offering tenants modern, affordable and flexible space managed in a transparent and supportive way.

Whilst social and environmental values drive everything that we do, making a profit is an essential element of our model. Paying a dividend regularly and managing our properties so as to increase the long-term value of our shareholders’ investment is necessary to attract the capital we need to put our principles into practice.

Above all however, we are focused on providing space that facilitates the sharing of resources and the creation of a communal working environment, while removing the complexity and bureaucracy that often exists when renting property.

Plans for the future

Ethical Property has successfully come through the worst recession in 60 years, and has continued to pay a dividend every year. We have about half the empty space of our more traditional competitors. We are now experiencing more demand for space than we ever have done in our history, and the completion of The Foundry in London, our biggest project to date, has increased our profile.

We have ambitious growth plans; in the near term this is likely to include new projects in Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff and London. We plan to continue to improve financial performance, increasing dividends and share value, at a rate to enable the company to repay debt for the first time and invest in our long term future. We are planning a share issue in 2015 to raise funds for further significant growth. Our joint venture, Ethical IT, has doubled in size in two years and is continuing to achieve rapid growth.

It is therefore a very exciting time for Ethical Property, and we have considerable potential to expand.

Our commitment

We are serious about the commitment we make to our employees in providing an enjoyable, relaxed and productive working environment. Equally, we expect our employees to be serious about the commitment they make to the company, and their colleagues.

The Post

The Finance Assistant will have day to day responsibility for the core financial processes of Ethical Property’s property management contracts. You will play an important part in ensuring that financial information for the property management contracts are accurate, timely and robust during a period of change and growth. The Finance Assistant will be managed by the Management Accountant.

Key Tasks

Your responsibilities will include:

  • Maintenance and management of the ledgers on the accounting system (Quickbooks and Netsuite online).

Purchase ledger

  • Process all purchase invoices within the existing procedures for properties, including coding, posting to the accounting system, obtaining authorisation, preparing invoices for payment by BACS, sending out remittances, preparing cheque payments;
  • Liaise with finance team and budget holders to ensure accurate invoice coding
  • Management of the ledger on Quickbooks and Netsuite, including allocation of payments, supplier statement reconciliations, supplier queries;
  • Posting credit card analysis for Ethical Property’s Property Management contract credit card holders;
  • Dealing with internal queries from colleagues on invoices and payments;
  • Filing all purchase ledger paperwork.

Sales ledger

  • Raising sales invoices for rent, management of monthly tenant recharges, raising booking invoices for meeting and conference rooms, ad hoc sales invoices as required on Quickbooks and Netsuite
  • Ensure invoice entries for conference and meeting room bookings are uploaded to Quickbooks from the booking system, Centre charge, reports.
  • Applying tenant changes, tenant move in / out, management of tenant deposits;
  • Management of the ledger, including allocation of receipts, customer statements,
  • Credit control on a weekly basis, supply debtor reports to Management accountant and Relevant Regional/Centre Manager on a monthly basis
  • Responding to tenant queries in a timely manner;
  • Filing all sales ledger paperwork.

Bank and cash

  • Posting bank payments and bank receipts,
  • Processing petty cash receipts and payment;
  • Management of purchase ledger BACS or cheque payments;
  • Bank account reconciliations;
  • Filing bank statements and other paperwork.

Other responsibilities may include

  • Provide support and cover to the finance team;
  • Continuous review and improvement of internal processes in consultation with colleagues, to improve the services we provide to tenants;
  • Attending company-wide events such as the annual Staff Conference, Christmas Party, training and any other commitments;
  • Any other tasks in line with the role.

Finance Assistant, Oxford – Job Description – July 2015

Person Specification

This is a busy role which will require an organised and methodical approach.

Essential knowledge and experience:

  • Significant experience in running finance ledgers (sales, purchase and bank) in complex organisations;
  • Ability to act quickly and effectively using their own initiative;
  • Meticulous attention to detail;
  • Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise work, multi-task and remain flexible;
  • Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines;
  • Excellent communication skills at all levels;
  • To be able to work alone and as part of a wider team;
  • To be trustworthy, personable and reliable;
  • A commitment to provide a good service to our tenants, suppliers and colleagues;
  • Ability to maintain a professional standard of presentation and communication with colleagues and tenants at all times;
  • Excellent IT skills, including computerised accounts packages and Microsoft Office - at least to intermediate level in Excel;
  • A commitment to social and environmental issues.

Personal competencies and skills:

  • Collaborative approach with strong team-work skills;
  • Customer-focussed approach to providing a finance service;
  • A high level of personal organisation.

Contractual details

This is a permanent contract with a three month probationary period. The post is full time based on 37.5 hours per week. The salary will be £19,500 – £23,500 a year, depending skills and experience. The role is based in Oxford at our head office.

Benefits include 25 days holiday entitlement pro-rata for the first year in addition to all public bank holidays. We offer a 3% to 7% company contribution to a pension, a free company bicycle scheme with bicycle maintenance costs, childcare vouchers, season ticket loans, interest free personal loans, as well as other benefits.

Applications

Discover more about the company at our website,

If you think this role is for you please visit our website ( and download the Application Pack, please email your application to

The deadline for applications is 9.00am onTuesday, 21st July 2015

Interviews will be held on Thursday,30th July 2015 at The Old Music Hall, 106-108 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JE.

Finance Assistant, Oxford -Application Pack - July 2015

Application for: Finance Assistant, Oxford

Application Process

The questions within the Application Form have been designed to gain the information we need in order to assess your suitability for this post against its job description and person specification. Decisions to short list candidates will be based on your answers to this form only.

We ask you to also complete our Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, located at the end of the Application Form below, for easy access. This will not be used for shortlisting purposes, but for monitoring our Equal Opportunities Policy and to ensure that no intentional or unintentional discrimination is taking place in our recruitment process.

When completed, please return these forms to .

If you require, for any reason, to submit your application in an alternative format, please let us know (contact the HR department on 01865 403235 / 207827 or ). If you want to send your forms (Application From and the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form) by post please address it as “confidential” to the HR Department, The Ethical Property Company, The Old Music Hall, 106-108 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JE.

Important Information

  • We use the person specification to shortlist candidates. Please ensure you make full use of section four of the application form to identify how you meet the person specification.
  • You must be eligible to work in the UK in order to apply for this role.
  • Please submit your Application Form and the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form in the current Word document; we are unable to process applications in PDF format.
  • Please note that we do not accept CV’s or applications from recruitment agencies.

1) YOUR DETAILS

Full Name: / E-mail:
Day time phone number: / Evening phone number:
Full address:
Where did you hear of this post?Please delete as appropriate. /
  • Charity Jobs
  • Ethical Property Website
  • 2MRecruitmentSolutions
  • Other, please comment:
/ When would you be available to start work?

2) EDUCATION AND TRAINING

2.1) EDUCATION

Please start with your most recent exam/qualification and work backwards. Please note that if you are appointed we will ask to see proof of your qualifications, e.g. certificates. (You may add more rows to this section, to do this, right click anywhere in the bottom row, select ‘insert’ and then select ‘insert row below.’)

Dates / Name and Location of institution / Exams/qualifications gained and subject

2.2) PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND COURSES ATTENDED

Please start with your most recent exam/qualification and work backwards. Please note that if you are appointed we will ask to see proof of your qualifications, training and/or accreditations where appropriate. (You may add more rows to this section, to do this; right click anywhere in the bottom row, select ‘insert’ and then select ‘insert row below.’)

Dates / Course attended / Exams passed or qualifications gained

3) WORK EXPERIENCE

3.1) EMPLOYMENT

Please start with your most recent employment and work backwards. (You may add more rows to this section, to do this; highlight the section, right click, select copy and then paste at the end of the table)

Name, location and size of employer / Dates employed from/to / Annual gross salary / Reason for leaving
Position and duties
Name, location and size of employer / Dates employed from/to / Annual gross salary / Reason for leaving
Position and duties
Name, location and size of employer / Dates employed from/to / Annual gross salary / Reason for leaving
Position and duties
Name, location and size of employer / Dates employed from/to / Annual gross salary / Reason for leaving
Position and duties
Name, location and size of employer / Dates employed from/to / Annual gross salary / Reason for leaving
Position and duties

3.2) VOLUNTARY WORK

Please describe any voluntary work you have done which is relevant to this post. Please start with your most recent experience and work backwards.(You may add more rows to this section, to do this; right click anywhere in the bottom row, select ‘insert’ and then select ‘insert row below.’)

Name / location / Position / Duties / Field / Dates worked from/to

4) PERSONAL STATEMENT TO SUPPORT YOUR APPLICATION

Please explain clearly how your work experience (both paid and unpaid), skills and training help you meet the enclosed person specification. (This section does expand).

5) WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THE POST

Please explain why you are interested in this post and what has motivated you to apply for the position. Please include details of any additional skills, interests and experience which you feel may be relevant to your application with The Ethical Property Company and which have not been mentioned elsewhere on the form. (This section does expand).

6) FURTHER INFORMATION – RIGHT TO WORK IN THE UK

Permit to work
Are there restrictions to your residence in the UK that might affect your right to work in the UK?
Yes / No (delete as appropriate) If yes, please provide further information:
If you have selected ‘yes’ above, do you give us permission to contact the UK Visas and Immigration Service to carry out an ‘Employer Checking Service’ verification if you are successfully appointed to the role?Yes / No (delete as appropriate)

7) REFERENCES

Please provide details of two referees below. Please note that if you are appointed we will ask to check at least two references, one being your most current employer where possible. We do conduct thorough reference checks, from work ethics and skills to salary level and numbers of sick days and will need the name, relationship, phone and email for each referee. Please note, should you be successful to interview stage we would like to request these references in advance of the interview. Please indicate if this is OK or not.

Referees Details / Reference One / Reference Two
Company Name
Contact and Relationship to you
e.g. Mr Smith, Line manager
Email address
Phone number
Work address
Can we make contact if you are invited to an interview? / Yes / No / Yes / No

8) DECLARATION

I authorise the Ethical Property Company to obtain references to support this application once an offer has been made and accepted and release the organisation and referees from any liability caused by giving and receiving information; and I declare that the information I have given in this application is correct and true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Any false statement may be sufficient cause for rejection or, if employed, dismissal.

Signed: / Print name: / Date:

Contact Details

The Ethical Property Company, Old Music Hall, 106-108 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JE

T: 01865 207810

F: 01865 207828

E:

W:

Next steps…

Please complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, on the next page. It will be treated in the strictest confidence and forms no part of the selection process. The form is filed separately to your Application Form and no-one outside of the HR department will see this form. The form has been located below for easy access for candidates. Please keep these forms in Word format.

Finance Assistant, Oxford -Application Pack - July 2015

Finance Assistant, Oxford -Application Pack - July 2015

Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form: Finance Assistant, Oxford

Our recruitment process is monitored to check that unfair discrimination is not taking place in our recruitment process. The information you provide on this form will help us to monitor our Equal Opportunities Policy and make sure that it is working in practice. It will be treated in the strictest confidence and forms no part of the selection process. The form is filed separately to your application form, and no-one outside of the HR department will see this form.

If you are disabled and may need additional arrangements to be put in place for interview please contact the HR department on 01865 207827/403235.

You are welcome to contact the Human Resources Team (tel: 01865 207827/403235) in confidence at any point during the recruitment and selection process to discuss any support required for participation at interview or any reasonable adjustments we can make that will help overcome any operational difficulties presented by the job.More information can be found on

1. / What is your legal sex?This is the sex given on your birth certificate. / Male / Female
2. / Is your gender identity the same as the gender you were assigned at birth? / Yes / No / Prefer not to say
3. / Date of Birth: / DD/MM/YY
4. / Country of Nationality:
5. / Disability
The Equality Act 2010 considers a person to be disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities. Further information is available at:
Do you consider yourself to have a disability? / Yes / No
If yes, please indicate which of the following areas is most appropriate to you
  • Specific learning disability (e.g. dyslexia or dyspraxia)
  • General learning disability
  • Social/communication impairment (e.g. Asperger’s syndrome)
  • Blind or serious visual impairment not corrected by glasses
  • Long standing illness or health condition (e.g. cancer, HIV, diabetes)
/
  • Mental health condition
  • Physical impairment or mobility issues
  • Deaf or serious hearing impairment
  • Other type of disability
  • Prefer not to say

6. / Sexual orientation - How would describe your sexual orientation?
  • Bisexual
  • Gay man
  • Gay woman/lesbian
/
  • Heterosexual
  • Other
  • Prefer not to say

7. / Ethnicity
Please state what you consider your ethnic origin to be. Ethnicity is distinct from nationality and the categories below reflect the 2001 census ethnicity classification system.
  • Asian or Asian British- Indian
  • Asian or Asian British- Bangladeshi
  • Other Asian background
  • Asian or Asian British- Pakistani
  • Chinese
  • Black or Black British- Caribbean
  • Black or Black British- African
  • Other Black background
/
  • White
  • Gypsy or Traveller
  • Mixed- White & Black Caribbean
  • Mixed- White & Black African
  • Mixed- White & Asian
  • Other Mixed background
  • Arab
  • Any other ethnic group
  • Information refused

8. / Religion and/or belief - Which group do you most identify with?
  • Buddhist
  • Christian
  • Hindu
  • Jewish
  • Muslim
/
  • Sikh
  • Spiritual
  • No religion
  • Other religion/ belief
  • Prefer not to say

Finance Assistant, Oxford -Application Pack - July 2015