Finance and Office Manager

Finance and Office Manager for Epping Forest Heritage Trust

1. About the Trust

The Trust is a small charity with a big mission; to conserve, protect and celebrate the heritage of Epping Forest and engage, educate, and inspire others to so the same. The Trust is the only membership charity operating across the whole of Epping Forest, which is London’s largest open space, covering 6,000 acres stretching form Manor Park, in East London to Epping in Essex, and with an additional 2,000 acres of “buffer land”. Most of the Forest is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.

The Trust manages the Epping Forest Visitor Centre at High Beach, offers a programme of guided walks and a range of conservation activities in the Forest. The Trust also campaigns to protect the Forest.

2. About the Role

You will be working with the team at the EFHT offices, located in the heart of Epping Forest. This is a very exciting time to join the Trust, as it continues to expand its work to do more for the Forest and the communities that surround it.

This role requires someone with a finance qualification or significant experience as a bookkeeper to deliver sound financial management of the Trust, as well as someone able to deliver sound office management. This role gives you a real opportunity to support the development of the Trust as it delivers its vital work to protect the Forest.

This post will report to the Chief Executive and work closely with the small staff team and Finance Committee members.

3. Key Terms

Employer: Epping Forest Heritage Trust

Title: Finance and Office Manager

Reports to: the Chief Executive. Works closely with the team and Finance Committee

Salary: £32k per annum, pro rata for 15 hours a week

Place of work: The Warren Lodge, Loughton, Essex IG10 4RN

Hours: 15 hours per week with flexibility as to how these are worked across the week.

Probationary Period:  three months.

Pension: The Trust provides an Auto-enrolment Pension

with an employee contribution of 5% gross salary and a 3% employer contribution.

Annual leave entitlement:  25 days pro rata plus Bank Holidays plus 3 days between Christmas and New Year

4 . Job Description 

The purpose of the role is :

To take lead responsibility for the effective financial and administrative management of Epping Forest Heritage Trust.

To ensure effective financial and accounting functions, supported through Quickbooks are discharged effectively.

To work with the Chief Executive to manage our finances, producing management accounts and budgets to enable effective financial management and planning.

To manage the smooth administration of the Trust.

5. Main Responsibilities and Duties

To take lead responsibility for the effective financial and administrative processes of Epping Forest Heritage Trust and, together with the CEO, manage our finances, producing management accounts, budgets and forecasts for effective financial management and planning.

Financial

5.1 Manage bank accounts, including petty cash, banking of cash & cheques and bank reconciliations

5.2 Manage cashflow and investment funds

5.3 Maintain Purchase Ledger, processing, approvals, payments

5.4 Maintain Sales Ledger, processing, debt collection

5.5 Input of all data to Quick Books Online (QBO) for Purchase Ledger and Sales Ledger by Tag and Class to aid reporting and ensure accurate reconciliations

5.6 Prepare quarterly management accounts, by extracting QBO reports by Tag for quarterly reporting against Budget or Forecast

5.7 Support the production of appropriate finance papers for the Finance Committee and Board of Trustees, and attend Finance Committee

5.8 Prepare year end management accounts for the charity for the Independent Examination

5.9 In conjunction with Chief Executive and staff prepare annual budgets/forecasts and maintain an effective budgetary control and reporting system

5.10 Ensure we have the right financial information and processes to complete financial reports to funders on a project by project basis, working with the Chief Executive

5.11 Actively support fellow team members in budgetary management

5.12 Process the monthly payroll via IRIS Software and make related payments to staff, Inland Revenue and pension companies

5.13 Liaise with the Independent Examiners during the annual audit and any other work required of them by the charity

5.14 Working with the Chief Executive ensure filing of all relevant financial information

5.14 Advise the Chief Executive/Finance Committee on financial issues affecting the charity

Office management

5.15 Manage the office on behalf of the staff team including managing stationary, office supplies, cleaning etc

5.16 Manage the smooth administration of the Trust including including managing the admin@ email & calendar;  IT administration/renewals; Insurance and other contract renewals

5.17 Help with the planning of key organisational meetings including the AGM, Trustee and Finance Committee meetings

Membership Administration

Working closely with the Membership, Marketing and Fundraising Manager:

5.18 Issue renewal reminders

5.19 Bank Monies in, log transactions in Donorfy and regularly review data

5.20 Manage the new welcome process

5.21 Support the Membership, Marketing and Finance Manager with membership administration and data analysis

6. Person specification

Qualifications and knowledge  

• Qualified accountant or experienced bookkeeper, ideally with an understanding of charity accounts.
• An understanding of administrative/office/membership processes and how to run them efficiently.

Skills and Experience  

• Strong financial skills and the ability to use them in a small organisation.

• Experience of developing and running administrative processes.
• IT literate with the ability to use word, excel and financial management and customer relationship software

• Ability to work on own initiative as well as part of a small team
• Flexible and ability to prioritize.

Aptitudes  

• A membership/customer/client focus.
• Attention to detail.
• Enthusiasm for the work of the Trust.
• A commitment to equal opportunities
• Ability to maintain confidentially

7. How to Apply

Please send a CV plus a covering letter (2 pages maximum) descirbing how your skills and experiences meet the person specification and the job requirements.

Please also complete and return the Equal Opportunities monitoring form.

Return by email to: recruitment@efht.org.uk with “F&OM application” in the email subject line. Saving and naming your CV and covering letter as including your full name.

Closing date: Thursday 21st November

If selected for interview, you must be able to demonstrate that you have the right to work in the UK, and that you have the qualifications listed in your application.

Candidates should note that any offer of employment made by Epping Forest Heritage Trust will be subject to satisfactory written references.

Epping Forest Heritage Trust is committed to a policy of providing equal employment opportunities for everyone and does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, belief or religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability. We encourage applications from all those interested and qualified.

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