Head of Operations and Finance

We’re delighted to offer the opportunity to lead our finance and operations functions. The Head of Operations and Finance will support the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to implement effective management systems across the charity. This includes responsibilities across financial management, governance, human resources, programme operations and data management. 

This role has exciting scope to drive strategic operational thinking as we grow and establish new working practices.
 

ABOUT US

We’re a small, creative and fast-growing charity that was established from inside The Economist in 2012. We support children, aged 10 to 16, from under-served backgrounds to develop essential skills for the modern world. We do this by enabling them to join inspiring discussions about the news, which teaches them to think critically, communicate effectively and understand global issues.

OPPORTUNITIES WE CAN OFFER YOU

● Real impact: you’ll support the team to make a real difference to children’s ability to think critically, listen well, express themselves and understand the big issues of our time

● Growth and development: you’ll join a fast-growing charity with opportunities to grow your skills and responsibility as the organisation takes on bigger challenges. We invest in training and development and will support you to build the skills and experience as you need, for example, working with you to find expert mentors within The Economist Group

● A friendly, driven and highly-effective team: we are deeply committed to being an inspiring, happy place to work, where we learn and achieve things that matter together. We work collaboratively and supportively, with the freedom to use our own judgement and be creative

● Flexible working: our core hours are from 10am to 4pm with a minimum of two days spent in the office each week (Wednesdays and Thursdays)

● Other benefits: Economist Group benefits include a great central-London office (The Adelphi Building near Charing Cross), private medical insurance, a cycle to work scheme and more
 

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial management

● Lead the setting, tracking and reporting of budgets and fundraising targets

● Maintain accurate records of income and expenditure on a cash and accrual basis

● Manage bookkeeping for the charity, including invoicing and bank reconciliations

● Keep accurate records of funding allocations, especially restricted and unrestricted income

● Work with our accountant to produce end-of-year accounts and prepare for audit

● Build strong relationships within The Economist Group finance team to support with financial management and compliance

● Ensure the charity remains tax compliant, including managing quarterly VAT returns and reviewing funding contracts

 

Operations, people and governance

● Build and maintain operational processes across the organisation which support the successful delivery of our work globally

● Support the team to accurately monitor and evaluate their progress towards targets

● Work with senior leadership and hiring managers to continually improve the recruitment and onboarding process

● Line manage the Programme Officer and support them to deliver programme and admin support

● Work with our company secretary to prepare annual accounts

 

Data management

● Manage GDPR-compliant data collection and storage, with accurate and up-to-date data to report on key targets

● Manage the presentation of data so that it is clear and accessible

● Build strong relationships across departments in The Economist Group to support with data management and legal contracts

● Work with team members to create and deliver comprehensive data metrics and collection plans and track progress towards KPIs on projects

● Work with our Head of Design and Product to lead on an upcoming digital transformation project including choosing an appropriate Customer Relationship Management system (CRM)

 

REQUIRED SKILLS, ATTRIBUTES AND EXPERIENCE

Skills and attributes
 

A clear and compelling communicator: you’re able to effectively engage different stakeholders verbally, in writing and using numbers

A creative problem-solver: you generate solutions to complex problems by listening to the needs of the team, conducting your own research and analysing solutions

Meticulous in your work: you have exceptional attention to detail and take pride in your work

Goal-oriented and driven: you use your initiative and are motivated by targets

Highly organised: you are able to manage competing priorities and have excellent time management

Adaptable: You are flexible to changing circumstances and handle unexpected challenges with resilience and flexibility

Leadership and Management: you are able to lead and embed cross-organisational change and manage individuals

Advanced data skills: you are confident in working with large data sets

 

Experience

You must have…

● A proven track record of developing and implementing operational policies and procedures, ensuring compliance and best practice

● Experience managing charity finances – you are confident with managing charity finances including managing restricted funding, reporting on fundraising pipeline status and preparing financial accounts

● Knowledge of charity tax law – you have experience managing VAT on donations, managing tax returns and have some understanding of corporation tax

 

You might have…

● Relevant professional qualifications in business administration, accounting or a related field

● Experience of implementing a CRM system

● Experience of working for an organisation operating globally

 

We’re particularly keen for you to apply if you are from a community under-represented in the charity sector or have lived experience of facing extra barriers because of your background.

If you require any adjustments for your interview, just let us know.