Finance Officer

Application Pack

September 2017

Dear Applicant

Re: Finance Officer

Thank you for your interest in the above position with Polka Theatre.

In order to help you with your application, please find enclosed:

  • Background/summary of company's work and activities
  • Job Description and Terms of Employment
  • Equality Monitoring Form

You should forward a completed application form and ensure you complete the supporting statement of why you think you are suitable for the position. Please provide the names of two people who will act as referees for you, one of whom should be your present or most recent employer, indicating if we are able to contact this person prior to offering the successful candidate the job. Please also indicate your present or most recent salary.

Applications should be sent by email (), post or delivered in person to Polka Theatre no later than 5pm on Friday 6thOctober 2017. If you have any enquiries then please email . Interviews will be heldw/c 9th October2017.

We regret we are unable to acknowledge receipt of applications. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not been successful.

Thank you for your interest in working for Polka. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Bernadette Cava

Head of Finance and Administration

Background Information on Polka Theatre

Polka Theatre began life as a touring company in 1968 and has been operating its own theatre building in Wimbledon since 1979. For the past 38 years, it has attracted annual attendances of over 90,000 children, parents and teachers and is currently one of the very few theatre venues in the UK dedicated to child audiences. It has two permanent performance spaces providing work for children from birth to 12 years. It also has a creative learning studio for participatory activities.

Its mission it to use the power of performance to light up children's imagination and creative potential, whatever their background or ability, through thrilling and playful world-class theatre and a creative programme of learning in a welcoming and stimulating setting. It offers a range of productions: from fantastic world premieres of new plays for children, like The Box of Photographs, Operation Magic Carpet and Error 404, toinventive shows for Early Years children, such as Shake, Rattle & Roll and Under The Rainbow, and adaptations of well-loved stories like Peter Pan and The Borrowers.

As well as being internationally renowned as a pioneer of theatre for children, Polka is a much-loved local theatre and a vibrant part of Wimbledon life. The company has strong links with schools, libraries, businesses and other voluntary organisations in the community and a broad creative learning and community engagement programme. And the venue offers a range of additional facilities for visitors including a café, garden, playground, show-related displays, and colouring, reading and dressing-up corners.

Polka regularly co-produces and collaborates with other companies; recent examples include Hatch with The Royal Opera House, The Paper Dolls with Little Angel Theatre, How To Hide A Lion with Oxford Playhouse, To Dream Again with Clwyd Theatrand Babe, The Sheep Pigwith Tom O’Connell Productions.

POSTFinance Officer

REPORTING TOHead of Finance and Administration

BASISFull time on completion of 3-month probabtionary period at part-time(0.8)

SALARY£21,008 per annum

PURPOSE OF ROLE

  • The Finance Officer role provides book-keeping and administrative support for the Finance Team in all aspects of their work. The Finance Team prepare Monthly Management accounts for the Trustees and Financial Accounts to trial balance for audit in accordance with current SORP regulations, and is responsible for the implementation of, and accurate reporting of all financial transactions entered into by the organisation.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Purchase Ledger

Inputof authorised and coded invoices to accounting software and payments using online banking system.

Managementof supplier accounts including email communications, including paper filing of all associated audit trail

  • Sales Ledger

Generation of invoices from department requests input and banking of payments received, outstanding balances reconciliation. Input daily sales payments generated from Box Office software and reconcile weekly. Input from and filing of Shop and other sales records on Excel spreadsheets to accounting software

  • Payroll Ledger - RTI and Auto Enrolment

Weekly and monthly payroll input preparation from a range of employment contracts and all associated paperwork filing in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1994 and 2003.

  • Nominal Ledger

Assist with monthly reconciliation of control accounts including bank accounts, company credit card accounts, the Box Office Sales control account

  • VAT – Cultural Exemption

To allocate the Purchase and Sales Ledger codes accurately for quarterly submission to the HMRC. Assist with the preparation of the return.

  • Administration

Liaise and assist with all departments to facilitate the accurate and timely operation of their administrative information system.

The maintenance of Petty Cash records on an imprest system.

Sourcing and ordering of general stationery supplies to budget and monitoring of toner requirements for office printers, franking machine and photocopier.

Distribution of date stamped post

Banking of Sales Ledger cash received.

Attendance at the bi weekly Company Meetings.

Person Specification

Experience

  • A minimum of two years’ experience in a finance role
  • A minimum of two years’ experience working with accounting and payroll software (e.g. Quickbooks, Sage or MYOB)
  • GCSE Maths grade C or above or equivalent qualification
  • Hold a recognised book keeping or finance qualification i.e. AAT
  • Have a demonstrable commitment to a career in this field
  • Have an understanding of the charitable / not for profit sector

Skills

  • Excellent numerical skills with a meticulous eye for detail
  • Computer literacy with a good working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and the Internet
  • Good telephone manner and excellent written communication
  • Excellent time management, organisational and administrative skills
  • Ability to work under pressure and to deadlines
  • A flexible and enthusiastic approach

Contract

The contract is subject to a 3-month probation of 4 days per week, the successful completion of which will lead to a full time contract of 5 days a week being offered.

Hours

Initially, the working week will be 32 hours, 4 days per week from 10am to 6pm, extending to 40 hours, 5 days per week following a successfully completed probationary period.

The theatre operates a system of time-off-in-lieu (TOIL) for any additional hours worked and no overtime payments are provided.

Holiday

28 days a year, including statutory holidays on successful completion of the probationary period

Staff Benefits

-Polka Theatre operates an auto enrolment pension scheme with Now Pensions. Contribution rates are 1% Employee and 1% Employer until 5th April 2018 after which they rise to 3% and 2% respectively, subject to regulation changes

-Complimentary tickets for Polka Theatre productions, subject to availability

-Salary Sacrifice and Bicycle loan scheme

-Industry specific training and development opportunities

APPLICATION GUIDANCE NOTES

Please read the person specification and job description carefully. You should ensure that you meet all the essential criteria before submitting an application.

The supporting statement is an important part of the application as it is your opportunity to explain specifically why you want the job and what makes you a suitable candidate. It is important that you provide us with clear examples which demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills and experience required for the job.

Shortlisting will take place as soon as possible after the closing date and will be carried out by at least two people. When shortlisting we will be making an assessment of how closely your application meets the selection criteria set out in the person specification.

Information provided by you as part of your application will be used in the recruitment process. Any data about you will be held securely with access restricted to those involved in dealing with your application and in the recruitment process. Once this process is completed the data relating to unsuccessful applicants will be stored for a maximum of 12 months and then destroyed.

All offers of employment are made subject to receipt of written references, proof of address and documentary evidence of entitlement to work in the UK and a DBS check.

By submitting your completed application form you are giving your consent to your data being stored and processed for the purposes of the recruitment process, equal opportunities monitoring and your personnel record if you are the successful candidate.

Polka Theatre strives to be an Equal Opportunities employer. The aim of our policy is to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, class, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, marital status, sexual orientation, age, physical disability, trade union activity, political or religious belief. Selection criteria and procedures will be kept under review to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities. All employees are required to comply with, and actively promote, this policy.

Polka Theatre particularly welcomes applications from sectors of the community under-represented in this field of the arts. Please complete the appropriate section on the application form to help us in this. Please also mark on the form if you require special arrangements for interview, or please call to discuss.

Please let us know if you require special arrangements for interview, contact Bernadette Cava on 020 8545 8325 or email: so that suitable alternatives can be discussed.

APPLICATION FORM FOR

FINANCE OFFICER

Personal details

Family Name: (in block capitals) / Forenames:
Address: / Postcode:
Contact numbers:
Mobile
Landline / Email address:

Eligibility to work in the UK

Do you require a work permit to work in the UK? Yes/ No / If yes, please give details:

Working with children

Do you have a DBS certificate?
Yes/ No / If No, can you state that there is no reason why you might be considered unsuitable to work with children?
Yes/No / If No, please give details

Most Recent Employment (Paid or Unpaid)

Name and address of employer
Job Title / Dates employed
Current or final salary / Period of notice required
Reason for leaving
Please give a brief outline of your main responsibilities

Previous Employment (Paid or Unpaid)

Please list all previous employers. Continue on a separate sheet if necessary.

Dates / Name and address of employer / Job title and main
Responsibilities / Reason for leaving

Education, Training & Membership of Professional Bodies

Please give details of all qualifications obtained and those currently being pursued

Dates / School, university, college etc. / Course and Qualifications obtained

Please provide details of any work-related training you have undertaken

Dates / Course title / Subjects covered

Please provide details of membership of professional bodies

Supporting Statement

Please include in your statement:

  • Why you are applying for this job
  • How your personal and work experience, education and training enable you to satisfy the requirements of the job as set out in the person specification

(Please feel free to extend onto a second page, if necessary, or attach a typed supporting statement)

References

Please give the name and address of two referees who can provide an employment reference to cover the last three years of employment or education. One of these should be your current or most recent employer.

Referee 1 (current or most recent employer)
Name
Address
Email address
Contact telephone number / Referee 2 (previous employer or other)
Name
Address
Email address
Contact telephone number
May the reference be sought now?
(please tick as appropriate)
 YES
 NO / May the reference be sought now?
(please tick as appropriate)
 YES
 NO

I confirm that the details given on this application form are, to the best of my knowledge, true and accurate.

If you give any information which you know is false, or you withhold any relevant information, this may lead to your application being rejected, or at a later date, if you have already been appointed, to your dismissal.

I understand that the information given on this form may be used for registration purposes under the Data Protection Act. Unsuccessful applications will be destroyed after 6 months.

Signature: Date

Equality Monitoring Form

To help us monitor our equal opportunities policy, we would be grateful if you could complete this Equal Opportunities monitoring form. When your application is received, this form is removed and is not used during the short-listing process. The information submitted is kept in the strictest confidence, following Data Protection requirements, and will only be used to monitor and analyse the progress of the Theatre’s Equal Opportunity Policy.

Post applied for:Finance Officer

AGE

0 – 19
20 – 34
35 – 49
50 – 64
65+
Prefer not to say

ETHNICITY

White
British
Irish
Gypsy or Irish Traveller
Any other White background
Mixed
White and Black Caribbean
White and Black African
White and Asian
Any other Mixed Background
Asian/Asian British
Indian
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Chinese
Any other Asian background
Black/Black British
African
Caribbean
Any other Black background
Other
Arab
Any other ethnic group
Prefer not to say

DISABILITY

Non-disabled
Visual impairment
Hearing impairment/Deaf
Physical disability
Cognitive or learning disability
Mental health condition
Other long-term/chronic condition
Prefer not to say

GENDER IDENTITY

Female (including male to female trans women)
Male (including female to male trans men)
Non-binary (for example, androgyne)
Prefer not to say

SEXUAL ORIENTATION

Bisexual
Gay Man
Gay Woman / Lesbian
Heterosexual / Straight
Prefer not to say

How did you find out about this job vacancy?……………………………………………………………

Polka Theatre

240 Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1SB

+44 (0)20 8543 4888