Head of Finance

The role is hybrid, so for full time hours would mean 40-60 percent of the time worked from our Bradford offices (2-3 days).

**Context**:
CAP is a national charity that is driven to help release people from debt, poverty and their causes through partnering with local churches. We do this by providing a variety of services: CAP Debt Help, CAP Job Clubs, CAP Release Groups and CAP Life Skills. We also help churches teach basic budgeting and money management skills through our CAP Money course. Our debt help service involves holding client assets. CAP is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The continued success of our work rests on a bedrock of vital background functions, which includes the finance department.

**Purpose**:
The finance department is going through an exciting period of transformation. Working alongside the Chief Financial Officer and the Head of Financial Planning & Analysis, this role will help shape the strategy and delivery of excellent forward-facing financial planning, statutory and regulatory reporting, costing and client asset management.

This role will be responsible for identifying opportunities for continuous improvement whilst driving efficiencies across the finance department. Taking ownership of providing potential solutions to enable us to strengthen our core financial processes, from both a systems and process perspective, whilst encouraging thought and challenge around our current ways of working.

Reports to**:Chief Financial Officer**

Direct Reports**:1 x Assistant Financial Accountant, 5 x Finance Assistants**

**Responsibilities**:
**Accountabilities**:

- Build and develop a strong finance operations function with robust internal and external controls through active line management and regular training
- Drive the annual statutory reporting process - developing a clear timeline, planning and negotiating with our internal communications team to deliver a high quality annual report for Trustee approval and sign off
- Lead the external audit process, negotiating fees, timetables and take the lead role in all meetings with the Audit Partner and their team. Use judgement to consider whether audit responses should be challenged or accepted. Prepare action plans and report audit findings to the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee.
- Oversee the CASS annual audit process, which includes negotiating fees, timetables and take the lead role in all meetings with the Audit Partner and their team. Use judgement to consider whether audit responses should be challenged or accepted. Prepare action plans and report audit findings to the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee.
- Develop and deliver comprehensive and insightful regular balance sheet reporting and forecasting (capital expenditure, cashflow, liabilities and reserves) to support the financial sustainability of CAP, highlighting risks or opportunities to enable informed decision making by Executive Team and the Board
- Identify and implement process and system improvements, shaping and improving the effectiveness of the finance operations team.
- Take the leading role in the finance ledger system replacement procurement, design & implementation
- Provide support to ensure key operational and financial targets are delivered
- Develop, recommend and implement cash and capital management systems and reporting
- Provide assessments of capital expenditure business cases and strategic opportunities to support and influence decision making
- Support the month end and annual accounting processes to ensure accurate reporting of the financial performance
- Advise the Chief Financial Officer on technical areas of expertise, undertaking research as required, in particular financial reporting, VAT and tax.
- Provide financial accounting advice and support to the Head of Financial Planning & Analysis in the preparation of budgets
- Submission of all mandatory external surveys and reports as required by deadlines (ONS, FCA etc)
- Manager accountabilities:

- Manager is proactive in creating a culture of personal development in the team, including but not limited to conducting Annual Appraisals and Development Reviews (AADs), and coaching style catch ups for every direct report
- Manager is a secure and honest leader, able to acknowledge mistakes, lead with vulnerability and build a high trust team
- Manager has excellent written and verbal communication skills and can tailor these to the audience and situation as needed
- Consistently and professionally articulates the needs of the team to wider stakeholders, whether as part of specific projects or business-as-usual tasks
- Manager is able to balance team workloads, boundaries and health using appropriate and effective strategic methods such as LEAN, problem definition and ideation tools

**Senior Leadership accountabilities**:
Strategy. Understands the organisation and industry context, knows how to set strategic plans and execute them well.

Operational oversight. Delivers on the department¿