Senior Finance Officer

The role profile is in draft form and will be finalised in conjunction with the successful candidate, to provide the opportunity to shape the role and success factors.

Job Title: Senior Finance Officer 

Team: Finance 

Location: Hybrid (split between home-working and either London, Cardiff or Edinburgh)

Salary: £31,760 - £47,640 (Grade 3) (pending review)

It’s a very exciting time to join the Ramblers. We have been instrumental in helping Britain experience the great outdoors for almost 90 years. But we are looking to the future, not the past.

We know not everyone has the same access to the outdoors, so we’re continue to fight for change. We campaign, protect paths and lead walks so no matter who you are, you can enjoy the benefits of getting out into the fresh air and wide-open spaces.

We need your drive, knowledge, skills, and creativity to help us raise awareness of the Ramblers and what we stand for, helping the charity grow its supporter base and meet our brand goals. Ultimately, you will help open up the joys and wellbeing benefits of walking to many more people.

About us

You might know us for our group walks, thousands of which take place every week across England, Scotland and Wales.

But there’s a lot more to the Ramblers. Since 1935, we’ve been fighting for the public’s right to enjoy Britain’s landscapes. We do it through campaigning for changes in legislation, opening up green routes in cities, maintaining paths and signposts, saving lost paths … and so much more.

Purpose of Role

Reporting to the Head of Finance, the Senior Finance officer will lead on the day-to-day financial administration. They will provide a high standard of service in key financial and operational functions to include Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Cash management and Banking.

Key responsibilities

• Oversight and maintenance of the purchasing system iDocuments including administrative role, setting up new users and ensuring workflows are configured correctly
• Matching invoices to purchase orders
• Reconciliation of supplier statements
• Preparation of BACS payment runs
• Liaison with colleagues and budget holders to ensure:

- Purchase Orders are raised in advance of spend being committed,

- Purchase Orders are correctly coded

- Invoices are correctly matched to POs

- Goods Receipts Notes are created promptly

• Collaborating with suppliers and colleagues to resolve queries, disputes, or outstanding invoices
• Ensuring supplier details are up-to-date, old details are removed and any change requests are checked in line with best practice
• Carrying out spot-checks on procurement documentation pre-audit
• Manage the filing, storage, archiving and security of documents meeting all Data Protection requirements and responsibilities

Month end tasks, including preparation and maintenance of:

• Aged Debtors reports, with detailed notes on overdue invoices
• Aged Creditors reports, with explanations about any outstanding invoices
• Deferred and accrued income balance sheet account reconciliations
• Accruals and prepayments schedules, to include posting month end journals
• Reconciliations between iDocuments purchasing system and SUNsystems finance system
• Income analysis and pipeline monitoring
• Ensure all Direct Debit payments and associated invoices are posted in the correct period and reviewed periodically
• Monthly credit card reconciliation
• Posting other month end journals as required

Ad-hoc finance team tasks:

• Support to annual audit process.
• Finance inductions for new staff members.
• Credit card administration

Quarterly tasks:

• Preparation of gift aid claim to HMRC

Impact

• Impact: This role is a key player in the finance team and will be crucial in ensuring the Ramblers’ finances are run professionally and efficiently, and our budget holders are well-supported to help them to manage the budgets for their areas.

Other

• Undertake such other duties as may be reasonably required of the post
• Engage and proactively develop excellent working relationships across the organisation

The Person

Qualification

• AAT Level 4 or CIMA/ACCA part-qualified (minimum)
• GCSE English and Mathematics or equivalent.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Knowledge: This section specifies the theoretical understanding or specific expertise needed for the role. 

• Knowledge of and experience in Accounts Payable, including making BACS payments
• Extensive experience of working within an Accounts Department preferably in the non-profit sector
• An understanding of basic book-keeping
• Solid working knowledge of Excel is essential
• Working knowledge of accounting systems (SUNsystems preferred)

Skills

This section details the specific abilities and competencies required to perform the job effectively:

• Exemplary attention to detail
• Strong verbal and written communication aptitude
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel, as well as familiarity with accounts and purchasing software (experience with SUNsystems and/or iDocuments desirable)
• Ability to thrive under tight deadlines, exhibiting exceptional organisational and multi-tasking skills
• Able to identify coding inaccuracies and take appropriate corrective action
• Aptitude for identifying problems, generating solutions, and implementing them effectively
• Strong ability to manage time, prioritise tasks, and maintain orderly work processes
• Expertise in addressing user needs, resolving issues, and providing excellent service
• Ability to generate new ideas and approaches to improve processes or products

Experience

This section specifies the practical, hands-on experience required for the role:

• Proven experience of working in a finance team
• Experience working with different departments or teams within an organisation
• Knowledge of finance in the not-for profit sector

Personal Attributes

• Proactive communication with stakeholders and colleagues at all levels
• Self-starter: Takes initiative and is motivated to go beyond basic job requirements
• Dependable: Trustworthy and responsible, ensuring tasks are completed accurately
• Detail-Oriented: Pays attention to detail, ensuring accuracy and thoroughness in work
• Personable: Friendly and approachable, able to build rapport with colleagues and clients
• Innovative: Embraces new ideas and technologies to improve processes
• Willingness to learn and attend appropriate training and development courses and opportunities
• Commitment to excellence and being part of a high performing team

 

Salary on appointment

This statement outlines the salary policy for the job role.

• Salary Range: The role has a defined salary range from £31,760 (the minimum salary) to £47,640 (the maximum salary).
• Initial Salary Offer: The initial salary offer will be at the bottom of the range or possibly up to 10% above the base salary, depending on the candidate's skills and experience.

This approach is designed to ensure that new hires are compensated fairly but within the structured pay range for the role.

 

The Ramblers promote diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

 

Values and Behaviours 

Our values are the core principles that guide us daily in our work and our membership of the Ramblers. We all share the passion that walking is for everyone and by living our shared values we can ensure the Ramblers is an organisation to be proud of. Our values will earn trust for the Ramblers brand which will allow us to open up a world of walking opportunities for even more people. 

 Inclusive – We make everyone feel welcome and part of the Ramblers community. We make sure we all feel respected and accepted and know our contributions make a difference in achieving our mission.   

  Inspiring – We strive to inspire people through the way we act and the things we say. We channel our passion and ambition so others are moved to help us achieve our mission.   

  Empowering – We empower and encourage each other to make a positive contribution to our teams and the Ramblers. We do all we can to make sure everyone has the ability, and feels confident, to take action.    

  Responsible – We take responsibility for ourselves and those around us seriously, by always acting in a safe and supportive way. We care about the environment and make sure we do what we say we will do.