Job Opportunity – Financial Controller

The Conservation Collective (CC) is a growing global network of locally focused independent environment foundations which support grass-roots nature restoration projects. There are now thirteen of these foundations, including seven in the Mediterranean, across Greece (Argolic, Ionian and Cyclades Islands); Italy (Tuscany) and Spain (Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca); two in the UK (Devon and the Highlands & Islands of Scotland); two in the Caribbean (St Vincent & the Grenadines and Barbados), one in Lamu, Kenya  and one in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka. These foundations are supporting some really brilliant and inspirational projects and are making a huge impact in each of these places.

  • The central network has developed a best practice framework for creating new foundations.
  • The foundations raise money from people and businesses that have a strong connection to a particular area and distribute the funds to the most effective local grass-roots conservation initiatives across marine, landscapes, energy and waste. The bottom-up approach involves, empowers and strengthens local communities, seeing environmental renewal as inextricable from economic renewal.
  • A central team serves to seed, strengthen and support member foundations.
  • Demand for the model and the pipeline is growing fast, and the growth trajectory could see the network going from 15 to 30 local foundations by 2025.
  • The team currently includes an exec director, a network director and a communications manager. It is overseen by a Board of Trustees.

 

Details

2.5 days per week

Salary: negotiable dependent on experience c. £40-45,000 pro rata

Location: working from home

Reporting to: Executive Director

 

The role will be to maintain and develop a sound and secure system of financial management and control, and carry out financial administration for the Conservation Collective.

 

Key relationships: You will work closely with CC’s exec director, network director, and outsourced annual accountants.

 

The role and key responsibilities:

  • Leading on day-to-day financial operations, liaising with accountants to produce statutory accounts, and lead on financial planning, working closely with the Exec Director.
  • Working closely with the team to advise on the continuous improvement of financial and operational processes to ensure the organisational maturity required to deliver strategic objectives.
  • Integrating a universal financial software system for the main charity and for the local foundations (QuickBook or Xero).
  • Modelling for future charging structures in order to add membership contributions as a fair and representative income stream.
  • Bookeeping:
    • Processing invoices and expenses on a monthly basis.
    • Recording all income in the excel file, and in due course in the database. This includes donations via cheques, BACs and DonorBox, as well as processing gift aid.
    • Allocating income to correct CC entity and carry out monthly reconciliations, including transfer.
    • Recording and overseeing annual /regular donations to the CC and issue timely invoices to donors.
  • Working to improve the format of financial reporting within the organisation including analysis to support CC’s activities and fundraising, working closely with the CC team.
  • Creating and managing budgets for the CC, its projects and partnerships. Advising member foundations on budgetary queries.
  • Producing monthly/bi-monthly income vs expenditure reports and other reports as required.
  • Developing and maintaining programme and project reporting and management systems as required.
  • Assisting and supporting the team with the preparation of financial reports for funding applications and reports to funders.
  • Supporting the Exec Director in developing board papers in advance of all board and board committee meetings, including updating our management accounts, developing cash flow forecasts and preparing necessary papers.
  • Managing the relationship with the outsourced accountants for the submission of accounts & annual return to Charity Commission

 

You’ll be the right person for this job if: 

  • You are a qualified accountant, or in the process of becoming one
  • You can take financial data from a variety of sources (e.g. accounting software, bank, budget spreadsheets) and present it to a non-financial audience in a format
  • that delivers key financial and risk information to enable good decision making
  • You are organised, methodical, strong on detail, and able to map out deadlines and plan ahead
  • You thrive in an entrepreneurial environment
  • You are interested in people (working in a small, supportive team)
  • You are interested in the issues and approach our charity addresses
  • You are able to communicate effectively with finance and non-finance colleagues at all levels
  • You are able to provide financial analysis to support key decision-making – to wrangle financial data into usable insights

 

Contact Jade Brudenell with a CV and cover letter:

jade@conservation-collective.org