We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced finance professional to join our team and play a vital role in our continued success. As Finance Manager, you will have the opportunity to positively impact local lives by leading and overseeing all aspects of our financial operations. You will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy, timeliness, and compliance of our financial reporting, while also providing strategic financial insights to support our mission. You will be a member of the Wider Senior Leadership Team (SLT), working closely with the CEO, Board of Trustees, and internal teams to ensure our financial sustainability and resilience. This is a hands-on role with a mix of strategic and operational tasks and is essential to the success of our 3-year strategy, maintaining best practice financial controls and budgetary oversight, and meeting statutory obligations.

You will be part of an upbeat, skilled team within a values-led organisation that focuses on the wellbeing of its staff. You’ll make an important contribution to our culture of togetherness, inclusivity, respect, and passion in our mission to see no good food going to waste in the South West.

Duties & Responsibilities

Leadership

• Lead and mentor a small finance team, fostering a culture of professionalism, accountability, and continuous improvement, ensuring the day-to-day smooth efficient running of the finance function.
• Contribute to strategy development and implementation as part of the wider SLT.
• Work closely with the CEO, Deputy CEO and Board of Trustees to facilitate good governance and risk management, including attendance at the monthly Finance Sub-Committee.
• Manage, maintain and develop financial systems and controls, increasing their impact and quality and implementing best practices in financial management.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant financial regulations and reporting requirements (e.g. Charity Commission, HMRC).
• Ensure FSSW fulfils its legal and regulatory requirements around GDPR.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, including our Auditor and peers across the FareShare network.
• Act as a local ambassador for FSSW.

Finance Operations Management

• Undertake the day-to-day bookkeeping (Xero, Dext, ApprovalMax) including accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank, payroll, banking, and general ledger maintenance.
• Manage the staff payroll and pension process, monthly HMRC reporting and payments, including monitoring of VAT, tax, and gift aid, and prepare required returns.
• Lead on procurement practices, including relationship management of key suppliers such as insurance, utilities, IT providers to ensure best value for money.
• Petty cash controls across all FSSW sites.
• Debtor management, including liaising with internal membership account managers.
• Other finance administration activities as required.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Manage all aspects of the financial cycle, including budgeting, forecasting, fixed asset management, reserves management and financial reporting.
• Prepare monthly management accounts and supporting commentary for presentation to SLT and Trustees.
• Provide insightful financial analysis and reporting to inform and support decision-making and funding applications across the organisation, including quarterly reviews.
• Prepare year end accounts to trial balance and lead the annual audit process.
• Ensure Restricted Funds are allocated correctly and assist with the monitoring of their budgets and cash flow in conjunction with the SLT.
• Assist the Deputy CEO to collate relevant evidence e.g. invoices for grant monitoring and reporting.
• Ensure day-to-day management of IT and data protection.
• Complete administration duties such as filing to Charity Commission and Companies House as directed to comply with statutory reporting requirements.

General

• Respond to communications via telephone, email, in person or via inhouse IT/systems.
• Be willing to receive and engage positively with any visitors to the warehouse and office space.
• Support FSSW events.
• Carry out any other duties that may reasonably be required in support of the main purpose of the role, including liaising with the wider FSSW team.
• Uphold high quality customer care and standards of conduct when dealing with all stakeholders and the public.

Person Specification

As an employer committed to Equal Opportunities, we will assess applications in line with these criteria that we consider either as being essential or desirable for this post. Please explain in your Covering Letter why you meet the points in the Person Specification.

Essential Criteria

• Full/part qualified accountant (ACA/ ACCA/ CIMA or equivalent)
• Minimum of three years’ experience in a financial leadership role; setting and curating a positive workplace culture
• Proven experience in budgeting, financial analysis, and year end reporting
• Demonstrable experience of managing and mentoring a finance team
• Hands on experience of preparing year end accounts to trial balance and managing the year end process both internally, and externally with external independent examiners and auditors
• Proficiency in accounting software, Microsoft, and Google products
• Proven track record in driving a culture of continuous improvement and best practice internal controls
• Strong communication, interpersonal and leadership skills
• Excellent organisation skills to ensure daily operations are carried out safely and efficiently
• Ability to plan, multi-task and manage time effectively
• Excellent attention to detail, comfortable using own initiative, managing priorities and workload
• Excellent analytical, problem solving and decision-making skills; with a solution focus
• Able to foster a culture of cooperation and togetherness
• Business partnering with CEO, SLT Treasurer and Trustees and other functional managers
• Proactive, resilient, and able to work under pressure
• To subscribe to the ethos, vision, and mission of the organisation
• Ability to work within a team of varied individuals with a positive attitude
• Able to demonstrate a commitment to equal opportunities, diversity, and inclusivity

Desirable Criteria

• 3-5 years PQE
• Experience preferably gained in a charity, food systems or logistics and transport or FMCG environment
• Familiarity with charity SORP
• Budgetary management in excess of £1 million
• Experience with Xero
• Committed to reducing food waste and fighting food poverty

Other Requirements

• Willing and available to work outside normal working hours occasionally if required
• Willing to be based in Bristol with some travel to alternative site
• Predominantly office based with some flexibility for working remotely
• Proof of right to work in the UK

Safeguarding statement

FSSW is committed to safeguarding and protecting the adults that we work with. As such, this post is subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks where appropriate. We ensure that we have policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and a safe working environment.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

FSSW are committed to being an equal opportunities employer and it's important to us that this is reflected in the diversity of the people who work for the Charity. We actively encourage applications from global majority candidates, LGBTQIA+ candidates and candidates with disabilities. We value the positive impact that wide representation has on FareShare South West. Please call or email if you’d like to chat about the FareShare South West community in more detail.

Application Process

Please submit a CV and a covering letter (one side of A4) explaining how you meet the Person Specification. Please also submit the equal opportunities forms to: recruitment@faresharesouthwest.org.uk before midnight on the 27th October 2024. Interviews will be conducted w/c 4th November.

For an informal chat about the role, please contact our Chief Executive, Lucy Bearn on Lucy.Bearn@faresharesouthwest.org.uk.

Further information about FSSW can be found online at faresharesouthwest.org.uk