Finance Assistant – maternity cover, 2017

Changing Faces
Job Description: Finance Assistant – maternity cover (part-time; 0.5 wte); 6- month Fixed Term contract

Job Purpose

To ensure that incoming monies from donors are recorded accurately in an efficient and timely manner.

Job Specification

1.The Finance Assistant is responsible for support and cover for the Finance Officer primarily with the timely and accurate recording of income:

a)Donations received in the post

  • Accurate and timely recording of all incoming monies in cheque, cash, accurate coding and allocation to Restricted or Unrestricted Funds
  • Accurate recording of all cash and cheque receipts as banked

b)Donations received via online systems

  • Accurate and timely recording of all incoming monies by BACS and online fundraising systems such as JustGiving, via the charity’s website, payroll giving, including importing of online donations, and accurate coding and allocation to Restricted or Unrestricted Funds

c)Gift Aid records

  • Accurate data entry relating to Gift Aided donations
  • Ensuring Gift Aid records tally with those maintained by the fundraising team, to ensure that only eligible donations are claimed for Gift Aid

d)Reporting

  • Production of donation reports from online systems for fundraising colleagues

2. Finance administration

  • Maintenance of accurate and tidy paper records
  • Archiving of financial records in accordance with document retention policy

3.Any other support for the finance team as reasonably required.

Person Specification

The Finance Assistant is required to be able to demonstrate:

Professional qualifications, experience and knowledge

Essential

Book-keeping/accounting

  • Basic understanding of book-keeping principles
  • Basic understanding of book-keeping/accounting software, preferably Sage Line 50
  • Experience of using book-keeping/accounting software, preferably Sage Line 50

IT and administration

  • Advanced Excel skills
  • Track record of record-keeping in a company, charity or similar
  • Proficiency and confidence in other Microsoft Office, Outlook and internet use
  • Proven ability to implement administrative systems effectively

Desirable

  • Experience of working in a financial capacity in a charity or voluntary sector organisation.
  • The role would suit an individual seeking a first step in charity finance.
  • Understanding of Gift Aid
  • Experience and expertise in salesforce

Personal skills and abilities

Essential

Communication

  • Excellent communication skills both orally and on paper

Work approach

  • Thoroughly well-organised
  • High levels of accuracy and exceptionally high levels of attention to detail
  • Proven ability to manage workload and cope with competing priorities
  • Reliability about time-keeping and keeping to deadlines

Initiative and flexibility

  • Proven track record as a self-starter able to work on own initiative
  • Good team player
  • Proven integrity with sensitive and confidential information
  • Initiative to identify improvements to procedures
  • Aptitude for problem solving

Desirable

  • Personal, family or professional experience of disfigurement.

Accountability

The Finance Assistant is accountable to the Finance Manager. Day-to-day task allocation and supervision will be given by the Finance Officer.

Extract of organisational chart:

Core Competencies

Changing Faces has a Competency Framework with seven core competencies and two Levels:

1Standard Expected of All Staff

2 Specialist Standard

Core Competencies / Definition / Level required
1. Team and cross team work / Working cooperatively and constructively, building good working relationships within own team and across teams towards shared organisational objectives / 1
2. Commitment to quality / Focusing on delivering the highest standards ensuring all activities and services fulfil or exceed the needs of Changing Faces clients and stakeholders / 1
3. Communicating and Influencing / Giving information and/or expressing ideas in a written form and verbally in a manner which is appropriate to the audience and context, and able to gain agreement and commitment by persuasion and influence / 1
4. Flexibility and change / Recognises and responds positively to the need for change in responsibility, culture or environment, and generates new ideas which contribute to the success of Changing Faces / 1
5. Decision making / Makes well-informed, effective and timely decisions which meet the requirements of the situation / 1
6. Equality and diversity / Valuing, respecting and treating people with dignity and respect, regardless of their age, gender, disability, ethnic origin, nationality or colour, sexuality, gender reassignment, carer responsibilities, HIV/AIDS status, lawful trade union activity, political or religious belief. / 1
7. Management and leadership / Providing leadership to develop, promote and drive Changing Faces’ vision and strategic objectives. Managing projects, staff, volunteers and/or resources supporting people to deliver and develop. / 1

Salary and Terms of Employment

Contract / Fixed term: to October 2017.
Applications are particularly welcome from candidates who would be able to start w/c 22nd May or w/c 29th May
Location / Changing Faces, The Squire Centre, 33-37 University Street, London WC1E 6JN
Probationary period / 6 months
Salary / Grade G
Starting Salary: £19,100 per annum, pro rata for 0.5 wte: £9,550 pa
Full Salary Range: £19,100 – £21,200 per annum
Hours / Part-time: 18.5 hours per week
Normal office hours are 9 am to 5 pm
Holidays / England: 25 working days per annum plus 8 statutory holidays
Notice period / One month either way after satisfactory completion of the probationary period
Pensions / Auto Enrolment, including 5% employer contribution
Other benefits / Life Assurance cover after satisfactory completion of the probationary period, Childcare vouchers, Cycle scheme, Season Ticket loan scheme
Access / Wheelchair access to the premises (ground floor only); accessible WC
Disabilities / We are committed to making every reasonable adjustment to the workplace or working arrangements to accommodate people with disabilities
Disclosure and Barring Service / No check required.
Application procedure

Changing Faces is working towards Clear Assured and welcomes applications from anyone with the requisite experience and abilities. Please let us know on 0345 4500 275 or if you need this Job Description or the Application Form in a different format.

Applicants should complete the Application Form and return it together with their CV by 12 noon on Friday 12th May 2017. Short-listing will be carried out by assessing how candidates meet the criteria listed in the Person Specification. Two Referees should be named but will be contacted only with applicants’ explicit consent, after any interview.

Short-listed candidates will be notified by 5.30 pm onMonday 15th May. Please ensure you have included a contact telephone number for that day on your Application Form.

Interviews will be held on Wednesday 17th Mayin London. We will attempt to be flexible in the case of holidays.

Background information about Changing Faces

Changing Faces began its work in 1992 to create a better and fairer future for people with disfigurements. Today Changing Faces is a £1.8m charity which employs around 30 staff, supported by hundreds of volunteers across the UK. The team includes professionals from psychology, social work, counselling, teaching, health economics, human rights law, local government, management, public relations, communications and fundraising.

Our purpose

Changing Faces is here to help people who have a disfigurement find a way to live the lives they want. We are caring campaigners – caring and empowering in supportive, friendly, positive and inspiring ways, and campaigning in our education and advocacy work by being forthright, informed, counter-cultural and determined.

We are here to help people conquer fears, take the first steps and ultimately take control, by being on a client’s side and by their side as they define their own sense of identity, their purpose and realise their dreams. We help build people’s confidence to live their life on their terms. And we challenge prejudice, respect differences and speak to a world that needs to change.

What we want to achieve

Our ambition is to create an enlightened society which fully accepts and values people who have a disfigurement.

  • We want each person who has an unusual appearance to be engaged fully in living their life without the anxiety or fear of potentially being ignored, physically or verbally abused, harassed, restricted, rejected or ejected.
  • We want to see a world which consciously assumes that anyone with a disfigurement is capable of achieving at school, finding love, reaching their career goals or simply going to the pub with their friends on a Friday night.
  • A world where people positively welcome a new baby with a cleft lip and palate, invite the school friend who has Aperts syndrome to their child’s birthday party, and shake the hand of an interview candidate who has vitiligo.
  • We want every teacher to have the same level of ambition for a pupil’s academic future, whether they have a disfigurement or not.
  • We want every employer to address their unconscious bias and behaviours so these do not influence their judgement when looking at someone’s suitability for a role or promotion.
  • We want everyone who shapes our culture to commit to rejecting and discarding centuries-old myth and stigmatising language and imagery, which are the origins and excuses for disfigurement prejudice and discrimination.
  • We want nothing short of a complete re-framing of disfigurement which tells the truth about this experience and acknowledges people’s rights to acceptance on equal terms.

What we do

  • We support adults, children and families to live confident, happy lives
  • We train health care professionals to provide our unique package of support alongside medical treatment or surgery
  • We educate and inform businesses, the NHS and public bodies, schools, and the media to develop new beliefs, expectations and practices
  • We influence opinion formers to ensure our important message is heard
  • We challenge the public and policy makers to think differently and create a fair society
  • We stand up to prejudice wherever it appears, strengthening the case for face equality

Our values

  • Equality: We challenge face and body prejudice and demand fairness
  • Confidence: We help people embrace their appearance and realise their potential
  • Unity: We work together and collaborate with clients and others to make a bigger difference
  • Rigour: We have high professional standards and are evidence driven.

April 2017

Changing Faces, Registered Charity 1011222; Charity registered in Scotland SC0397251