Finance Officer

Brief description

The Gardeners’ Company – formally known as the Worshipful Company of Gardeners – is a flourishing membership organisation that combines ancient roots with a 21st-century mission. 

We promote contemporary horticulture in all its forms, working to support the sector through educating, inspiring and connecting with one another. You can read more about our work below.

We’re seeking a qualified bookkeeper to become our new Finance Officer, joining a small team, all of whom work part time and mostly remotely. The Finance Officer will work closely with the Company’s Clerk (Chief Executive) and the Treasurer (a member of the Company and former Audit Practice Chair at Deloitte).

You will take a leading role in managing the Company’s finances: undertaking a range of day-to-day tasks; working on financial reporting and governance; and supporting the Company’s effective administration and development at a time of growth and renewal.

Job overview

Salary: £6,500–£7,000 per year for one day/week (full time equivalent of £32,500–£35,000)

Paid holiday allowance: six days per year including public holidays. The leave year runs from 1 July; holiday allowance prior to that date will be on a pro rata basis

Pension: a 5% employer's contribution to the pension scheme is offered

Reporting to: the Company’s Clerk (Chief Executive) 

Contract length: permanent, following a three-month probationary period

Hours of work: part time: eight hours (one day) a week on average

Within the Company calendar, some periods are busier than others and it is hoped that the successful candidate would be able to work flexibly to accommodate this, distributing the average eight hours/week as appropriate, in conjunction with the Clerk. The successful candidate will need to be able to work at least some of their hours between Monday morning and Thursday lunchtime each week.

Start date: as soon as possible

Location: generally working remotely (from home), but candidates should live within commuting distance of the City of London and there will be occasional in-person office days and meetings

Application process

Application deadline: 09.00 on Monday 10 March

Interviews: week beginning Monday 17 March (in-person in the City of London)

To apply: upload your CV and covering letter as pdf files (max. two A4 pages each) at this link: https://cutt.ly/finance-officer

In the covering letter, please describe why you’d like to work for us and how you meet each of the qualities listed in the person specification. 

Job description

Day-to-day responsibilities

• Record income and expenditure

• Reconcile bank accounts

• Reconcile events and produce P&L schedules 

• Pay invoices from the bank account, at the Clerk’s direction

• Log receipt of members’ payments for events; chase late payers where necessary

• Submit monthly pension contributions to the Company’s pension provider

• Undertake the Company’s payroll function (via Xero); issue payslips and submit data to HMRC

• Prepare and submit quarterly VAT returns

• Issue annual requests for quarterage (subscription payments) to members; monitor receipt of payments and provide reports for the Clerk to follow up where necessary

• Place funds on deposit to maximise interest income, in conjunction with the Clerk and Treasurer 

Reporting and governance

• Record manual journal entries for accruals, prepayments and deferred income

• Prepare quarterly management accounts (P&L, balance sheet, and breakdown of prepayments and accruals) in a timely manner, showing income and expenditure against budget

• Prepare year-end financial accounts and submit for external review

• Assist the Clerk and Treasurer in preparing papers for the Finance Committee

• Attend Finance Committee meetings as required

Budgeting

• Assist the Clerk and Treasurer in preparing the organisational budget

• Assist the Clerk and Events Officer in putting together budgets for functions, visits and other events – as and when required

Strategy/organisational development

• Propose and implement refinements to the Company’s financial management and reporting procedures

• Help to develop a culture of feedback and learning across the organisation, seeking to learn from failures as well as successes 

The successful candidate will need to remain flexible and adaptable to change in the role over time. 

This job description is a guide to the nature of the role, but doesn’t form part of the contract of employment. The post-holder’s duties may evolve to reflect changing circumstances.

Person specification

Essential

• Minimum AAT Level 3 bookkeeping qualification (or equivalent)

• Strong numerical skills

• Good written and oral communication skills 

• Trustworthy and honest, with a high degree of integrity 

• Accurate and methodical, with strong attention to detail

• Highly reliable, organised and efficient, capable of managing time, juggling multiple tasks and reacting to changing priorities 

• Capable of using initiative and working independently without close supervision

• Ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively within a small team 

• Highly experienced in using accounting software, with a working knowledge of Xero 

• Comfortable using technology including spreadsheets (Excel and Google Sheets) and quickly getting to grips with new software

• Located within commuting distance of the City of London; willing and able to travel for occasional meetings and in-person work days

Experience of Livery companies and/or the City of London is not required.

About the Gardeners’ Company

The Gardeners’ Company is a Livery Company – a membership organisation with a long history and close ties to the City of London. Today our members come from a wide range of backgrounds; all are united by a passion for horticulture, gardens and the natural world.

We were founded in mediaeval times – the first record of our organisation dates back to 1345 – by gardeners who practised their craft in the City of London. We were formally constituted with the grant of a Royal Charter in 1605.

The Gardeners' Company runs a busy events programme comprising lectures, talks and presentations by eminent horticulturalists; outings to explore and learn about beautiful gardens and landscapes; and formal dinners and lunches at historic City of London venues.

Through offering warm hospitality and this wide range of shared activities, the Company builds relationships among its members, as well as with partners from the horticulture industry and across the City of London. The resulting bonds of friendship and trust are the vital foundations upon which we carry out the remainder of our work. This work takes three forms.

First, as a small organisation, we run a limited number of in-house projects that focus on areas where we can achieve the greatest impact. Much of this involves nurturing the next generation of horticulturists. Our Schools Outreach programme uses engaging presentations and outings to introduce school children – from diverse ages and backgrounds – to the myriad career opportunities available to them in horticulture. We also support those later in their career journeys, offering awards and scholarships to student and apprentice horticulturists.

Second, we work with partners to incubate new horticultural initiatives. Our members generate ideas, attract collaborators and provide start-up resources (whether financial or in-kind), with the intention of establishing new projects that can flourish independently. In recent years we’ve helped to set up: a horticultural training programme (Future Gardeners); the habitat-development and advocacy work of Pollinating London Together; and the Livery Climate Action Group. 

(In parallel, the Company Charity – a separate entity, but one that is largely funded by donations from our members – awards close to £100k in grants to horticultural projects each year).

Third, and most ambitiously, we want to help bring about a coordinated response to the many challenges facing the horticulture sector. We want to act as a convenor and catalyst for change, bringing key players together for a much-needed national conversation. With our unique position – spanning horticulture, the City, the charity sector, and a wide range of other disciplines – we believe we are well-placed to play this role, and over the coming years, our efforts will increasingly focus on this important area of work.