Director of Finance & Resources

Job description

Job responsibilities

Accountable to: Chief Executive Officer, St Johns Hospice

Responsibilities for: Chief Executive and Finance and Resources Board sub-committee

Key Working Relationships

• Chief Executive
• Senior Management Team
• Departmental Heads
• Facilities Team
• Catering and Courtyard Cafe Team
• Reception Team
• IT Team
• Retail Team
• Finance and Resources sub-committee members
• Financial and charity regulators
• Auditors
• Insurers

Main Duties

Financial Management

• Production of annual accounts in accordance with all regulations including Charities Act and Charities SORP ready for audit
• Liaison with Auditors over legislative changes to format of financial statements
• Responsible for entire accounting of Hospice and ensure the operation of sound financial controls over the Hospices activities
• With the Trustees, ensure all significant risks to Hospice finances are understood and appropriate protective measures are in place
• Liaison with Trustees via the Finance and Resources sub-committee on issues relating to financial governance and function
• Responsible for safe custody of Hospices financial assets
• Production of annual budgets ensuring assumptions made are valid and reasonable
• Monitoring actual performance against budget and production of management accounts as required by the Trustees
• Liaison as required with external bodies such as Charities Commission, Companies House, HMRC and local health and social care commissioners
• Managing daily cash flow and ensuring availability of funds to meet liabilities
• Liaison with bankers and investment managers
• Authorisation of Hospice expenditure, ensuring all expenditure is wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the Hospice
• Production of figures to support funding and grant applications and subsequent liaison with funders to ensure compliance with conditions
• Ensure maintenance of a register of legacies expected and received, and provide Trustees with analysis as required
• Maintain and develop costing models for the operational service areas of the Hospice and for one off projects
• Take lead responsibility for compliance with all taxation relating to the Hospice including, but not limited to, VAT, Gift Aid, Corporation Tax, Income Tax, via payroll issues, and National Insurance contributions

Facilities Management

• Be responsible for the provision of a safe Hospice environment in accordance with statutory requirements
• Ensure the Hospice has the physical resources to support its strategic plans, including our digital transformation journey
• To agree and monitor annually the Hospices Estates Strategy on behalf of the Board within the context of the refurbishment programme
• Advise the Trustees and Senior Management Team on planning, maintenance and on any major issues concerning the buildings and estate within the context of the refurbishment programme
• Advise the Trustees and Senior Management Team in ensuring best value returned from capital and major revenue expenditure on estate within the context of the refurbishment programme
• Manage third party contracts relating to facilities
• As part of overall risk management ensure adequate insurance is in place and any property risks are identified and minimised wherever possible.

Business

• To work with the Trustees, Chief Executive and Senior Management Team on the business development of the organisation providing strategic and financial leadership
• Lead on the development of IT services, in conjunction with the IT Manager, and the Digital Transformation Group to ensure the Hospice fully utilises IT and data to aid quality of service delivery
• Be responsible for relevant elements of policy setting, business planning and contract setting.

St Johns Hospice Shops Limited, St Johns Hospice Lancaster Limited and St Johns Hospice Catering Limited.

• As a Director on the relevant Boards, be involved with strategy and direction of the businesses
• Hold Company Secretary responsibility for all statutory reporting requirements
• Oversee financial management of subsidiary including production of management accounts, budgets and statutory accounts.
• Provide senior oversight of the Hospices charity shops, cafe and gift shop, ensuring they contribute to the Hospices financial strategy and operate in line with the Hospices values and charitable objectives.
• Support the development of commercial opportunities, customer service standards and operational improvements across the charity shops, cafe and gift shop.
• Ensure trading activities comply with relevant legal, regulatory, health and safety, food hygiene, employment, taxation and charity trading requirements.
• Oversee lease arrangements, ensuring obligations and lease terms are monitored, supporting periodic reviews, and contributing to negotiations for new leases and renewals as required.

Management and Leadership

• As a member of the Senior Management Team, provide visionary leadership sensitive to the values of the Hospice and charity sector
• Actively support the vision, philosophies and core values of the Hospice and act as a positive role model to the Hospice team and wider community
• Empower others to take responsibility for decision making
• Meet regularly with all staff for whom the role has line management responsibility, fostering positive communication and engagement
• Carry out regular progress meetings and annual appraisals with staff, setting objectives and identifying training needs in line with hospice policy
• Ensure all staff undertake annual mandatory training and have their competencies assessed where appropriate
• Work with the Trustees, Chief Executive and Senior Management colleagues to ensure the professional and efficient operation of the Hospice
• To undertake continuous self-development, ensuring that you have the required skills and competence to carry out the job role as well as supporting the development of your teams
• Attend relevant meetings, providing advice on finance and IT matters where appropriate, and participate fully in the development of Hospice policies, procedures and standards
• Network and foster good relationships with colleagues both internal and external to the organisation, particularly commissioners of the service
• Be responsible for relevant elements of policy setting, business planning and contract setting
• Ensure effective recruitment and induction of all new staff in accordance with HR legislation and Hospice policies and procedures.

Payroll and People Management

• Provide support to ensure monthly payroll is completed correctly for St Johns Hospice and St Johns Hospice Shops Limited employees
• Correct and timely payment of HMRC and pension contributions
• Ensure all statutory returns filed correctly and on time
• Ensure pension schemes are operated correctly

Risk Management

• Develop, implement and maintain effective risk management strategies across the Hospice, with specific regard to the responsibilities of the job role, including, but not exclusive to, business sustainability, finance, IT, data and health and safety.
• Act as the organisations Senior Information Risk Owner taking responsibility for the risk assessment process for information and cyber security risk.

Governance

• Ensure that Hospice policies, procedures and standards are adhered to at all times with particular regard to those concerning finance, information governance, IT and data.
• Ensure compliance with Information Governance and General Data Protection regulation
• To develop key performance indicators to monitor quality and compliance of service provision
• To support implementation of the Hospice Organisational Strategy and Business Plans.

Other

The responsibilities set out in this document may change from time to time through discussion with the post holder. In addition, the post holder might, at the discretion of the Senior Management Team, be required to take on other tasks in the wider interests of the Hospice.

Duties and Responsibilities to St Johns Hospice - full details can be found in the uploaded recruitment pack

1. Confidentiality

2. Health and Safety

3. External Interests

4. Statutory Training

5. Flexibility

6. Safeguarding

7. Disclosure and Barring

8. Equality and Inclusion

9. Volunteers

Person Specification

Practical & Intellectual skills (including any specialist knowledge)

• Ability to work both strategically and operationally.
• Excellent analytical and interpretive ability.
• Digital transformation prowess.
• Ability to present to a broad range of people internally and externally, including non-financial colleagues.
• Computer literacy and report writing skills.
• Well-developed leadership skills that encourage commitment and participation from others.
• Demonstrate effective organisational skills and the ability to implement new systems of working and have a proven ability of meeting tight deadlines.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills.
• To be able to reflect on personal practice and make changes where required.
• Demonstrate an understanding of confidentiality and information governance.

• Knowledge of donor databases.
• Knowledge of commercial lease negotiations and/or management.
• Knowledge of fundraising, retail or subsidiary trading operations.
• Working knowledge of Copilot.

Qualifications

• Recognised accountancy qualification i.e. qualified with the ICAEW, CIMA, ACCA, or CIPFA etc.
• Documented evidence of continuing professional development.

• Higher degree or equivalent in a relevant finance, business, charity accounting or management discipline.
• Management or leadership qualification.

Experience

• Professional experience that demonstrates recent, consistent and effective working at Director/senior management level that includes responsibilities and for leading finance and other services.
• Experience of developing, delivering and monitoring financial strategy.
• Awareness of company secretarial, legal and tax issues relating to companies and ideally charities.
• Preparation, interpretation and communication of management accounts and their significance.
• Preparing financial accounts for audit and overseeing the audit process.
• Reporting to Board level.
• Treasury management and cash flow forecasting.
• Experience of investment and portfolio analysis.
• Risk management.
• Working knowledge of payroll and pensions administration.
• Experience of empowering people to achieve through the establishment of clear and definable objectives.
• Experience of developing risk management strategies.

• Experience of directing within a charity/third sector organisation.
• Negotiating with commissioners.
• Proficient use of Sage or similar accounting software.
• Experience of managing HR processes.

Disposition / attitude / adjustment

• Ability to foster good relationships and gain the confidence and trust of trustees, staff, volunteers, service users and other partners.
• Ability to organise and undertake a diverse workload with constantly shifting demands.
• An empowering style - valuing the contribution of others.
• Strong commitment to service excellence and continuous improvement.

Health & Physical

• Good attendance and punctuality record.
• Ability to work at a computer for most of the day.
• Energy, drive and resilience - ability to deliver under pressure.

Circumstances

• Not prohibited from holding an Executive position.
• Work shifts over 5 days Monday to Friday.
• Ability to work outside of normal working hours and be on-call when necessary.
• Work flexibly according to the needs of the service.
• Full UK driving licence and use of own car.

Equal Opportunities

• Commitment to equal opportunity and social justice.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details

Employer name

St John's Hospice

Address

Slyne Road

Lancaster

LA2 6ST

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.sjhospice.org.uk/