Head of Finance & Operations

Job Purpose
The Head of Finance and Operations (HFO) will play a pivotal role as a key member of LinkAble’s Senior Management Team, working closely with the CEO and the Head of Services and Quality. The HFO will lead the finance function, providing strategic insight, producing accurate financial reports, and pricing new contracts and tenders. This role is supported by a Finance Assistant and involves line management of the Recruitment and Retention Manager. Additionally, the HFO will oversee external HR and IT advisors to ensure the organisation operates efficiently and effectively.

Finance

• Provide strategic financial leadership, ensuring robust oversight of all financial operations.
• Produce timely, detailed, and accurate monthly management accounts for the CEO and Finance Committee.
• Collaborate with colleagues to develop and maintain the Annual Budget, financial forecasts and projections.
• Manage and support a part-time Finance Assistant, while also recruiting and overseeing volunteers or finance trainees to assist with financial transactions.
• Administer payroll in collaboration with LinkAble’s outsourced payroll provider.
• Ensure compliance with financial regulations, including charity SORP, and uphold best practices in financial management.
• Maintain appropriate financial reserves in alignment with LinkAble’s reserves policy.
• Work closely with the Head of Services and Quality to maximise net income from the Surrey County Council contract.
• Manage the audit compliance and oversee the year-end audit process, ensuring timely and accurate provision of information to external auditors.
• Complete and submit statutory financial returns to regulatory bodies, including the Charity Commission, Companies House, Ofsted, and Local Authority Commissioners.
• Support bid and tender preparations by effectively presenting direct and indirect costs to funders, ensuring full cost recovery principles are applied.

People

• Ensure all HR policies and procedures are current, compliant, and aligned with best practices.
• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion across all Recruitment and HR processes, ensuring hiring managers are well-trained in EDI and safer recruitment practices.
• Oversee the annual staff survey process, track outcomes, and monitor the implementation of action plans on a quarterly basis.
• Foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture, promoting teamwork, staff well-being, and professional development.
• Oversee training and development programs, ensuring all mandatory and specialist training is completed on schedule.

Governance and IT

·       Play a leading role in the Digital Transformation Project, embedding new systems within finance and recruitment.

·       Maintain and regularly review the charity’s Risk Register, proactively managing organisational risks with the Property, Risk and Compliance Committee.

·       Lead on GDPR compliance, ensuring high standards of data protection, information governance, and confidentiality.

·       Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess organisational performance, providing insights and recommendations to the CEO and the Board.

·       Oversee the collection, analysis, and reporting of management information, ensuring Trustees and the Senior Management Team have a clear and accurate view of organisational performance.

·       Be a proactive and effective communicator, fostering collaboration across teams and demonstrating flexibility and innovation in problem-solving.