Volunteer accountant jobs in manchester

Chief Executive Officer

Salary: £49, 282 - £54,495 per annum

Location: Gorse Hill Studios, Trafford, Manchester (Some remote working will be considered)

Contract Type: Full time, permanent

About Gorse Hill Studios

Gorse Hill Studios is a dynamic and ambitious youth and community arts charity. At the heart of our organisation is a belief that all young people deserve to feel valued, supported and inspired. We work with young people to build confidence, creativity and community connections, ensuring they have the opportunities and encouragement they need to thrive.

We believe that creativity can transform lives, and we are committed to placing young people at the centre of everything we do. Their voices, ideas and experiences help shape our programmes, partnerships and strategic direction.

We are entering an exciting phase of growth and development. Our team currently includes 20 core staff and a wider network of volunteers and creative practitioners, delivering a diverse portfolio of youth arts sessions, community engagement projects, creative wellbeing initiatives and partnership-led activity with local schools and organisations. The CEO will play a pivotal role in leading this portfolio, strengthening our impact, championing youth voice and ensuring young people continue to shape our future direction as we move into the next chapter of our development.

About the Role

As CEO, you will provide strategic, compassionate and visionary leadership, ensuring Gorse Hill Studios delivers its mission to empower and inspire young people. Reporting to the Board of Trustees, you will hold overall responsibility for the organisation’s performance, culture, operations and long-term sustainability. This role calls for someone who demonstrates strong strategic insight with the ability to influence and inspire others, using emotional intelligence and collaborative leadership to build positive internal and external relationships.

A fundamental part of this role is your commitment to embedding young people’s voice in decision making. You will champion their perspectives, ensuring programme development, strategy and organisational culture reflect the needs and aspirations of the young people we serve.

You will also be an ambassador for the charity, building trusted relationships with young people, partners, funders and the wider community. This role requires a leader who is values led, resilient and passionate about supporting young people through the arts and creative engagement.

Roles and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Governance

• Lead on the development and delivery of the charity’s long-term strategy, with young people meaningfully involved
• Ensure compliance with all statutory, regulatory and governance requirements, including Charity Commission expectations and safeguarding duties
• Provide clear, timely reporting to the Board
• Support the Board to operate effectively

Financial Management and Income Generation

• Oversee budgeting, financial planning and responsible management of all funds
• Lead a diverse income generation strategy
• Identify sustainable opportunities for organisational growth

Operational Management and Programme Delivery

• Oversee day to day operations and ensure systems are effective
• Ensure programmes are high quality, inclusive and reflective of young people’s needs and feedback
• Act as Designated Safeguarding Lead, or ensure robust safeguarding practices across the organisation

People Leadership and Culture

• Inspire, support and lead a dedicated staff and volunteer team
• Champion a positive, inclusive and collaborative working culture
• Oversee recruitment, wellbeing and performance management

External Relations and Advocacy

• Act as the primary spokesperson and ambassador for Gorse Hill Studios
• Build strong relationships with partners, funders and stakeholders
• Advocate for and with young people locally and nationally
• Represent the charity confidently at events and in the media

Skills and Experience

Essential:

• Senior leadership experience in the charity, youth, arts or wider non-profit sector
• Strong financial management skills
• Proven success in fundraising or income generation
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement
• Knowledge of safeguarding practices in youth settings
• Experience leading teams and developing positive organisational cultures
• Strategic leadership experience

Desirable

• Experience in the youth arts or creative community sector
• Understanding of the Trafford community landscape

Values and Commitment

We are committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from individuals who share these values and are passionate about empowering young people.

An enhanced DBS check will be required.

Application Details

To apply, please submit your CV and covering letter.

Closing date: 19 January

Interview date: 23 January at Gorse Hill Studios

Interviews will include a stakeholder panel and a formal interview.

REF-225 658

The Social Research Association (SRA) is an educational charity and membership organisation for social researchers, dedicated to advancing excellence in social research across the UK. We support the research community by:

· Growing and connecting an inclusive, diverse community of social researchers.

· Expanding career pathways and professional development.

· Advancing knowledge, best practices, and innovation in social research.

· Representing and advocating for the profession.

We are entering a very exciting period of increased member engagement by expanding our member benefits, researcher community offerings which include mentoring, and the launch of a new digital community platform. Alongside these new activities, it is important that our core activities such as training and events continue to run smoothly and this role is key to supporting those activities.

We are a small team of eight people and are working in a very inter-connected manner.

About the Role

The Finance and Administrative Assistant will provide essential support across three main areas: finances, events and training. This role is about being detail-oriented in the finance administration, well organised, supporting smooth communication, and helping our members and partners to engage with our services. The role will report to the training and conference manager. The successful candidate will have a strong background in finance administration, substantial experience of using Customer Relations Management Systems (CRM) and Xero (or similar systems), and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment. Above all, you should be eager to learn and ask questions. This is a new role for us – so we're excited to explore and shape it together.   

Key Responsibilities:

*Manage and maintain accurate financial records for the organisation, including accounts payable and receivable

*Manage weekly accounts reconciliation process

*Preparing financial reports, issuing invoices and chasing debtors for training and events

* Assist operations manager with budgeting and forecasting

Training and events

* Provide administrative support to the operations and training manager by managing the training and events inbox, bookings and attendance.

*Assist in monitoring of training and events by running feedback reports

*Provide more general administrative support for regular training events and the annual conference

* Coordinate meetings and events, liaising with trustees, volunteers and colleagues

General

* Develop and implement administrative processes and procedures to improve efficiency

* Provide exceptional customer service to internal and external stakeholders

* Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion

Who We’re Looking For

We know that great candidates don’t always meet 100% of the criteria. If you’re excited about this role, and keen to go on this exciting phase of our development, we encourage you to apply.

Essential Experience & Skills

● You have worked in a finance administrative role where you’ve managed multiple tasks and met deadlines.

● You have experience using digital tools like Customer Relationship Management systems (CRM) and accounting software. You don’t need to be highly technical, but you should be comfortable navigating systems, updating records, and assisting others with basic queries.

● Responding to customers/clients via emails

● You have experience supporting projects or coordinating tasks

● Intermediate level of excel skills, e.g. produce monitoring reports on training bookings

Desirable Experience (Nice to Have, but not required)

● Knowledge of financial regulation for charities, e.g. the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP)

● Experience working in a membership organisation, charity, or similar setting.

● Familiarity with basic data management (e.g. updating records, handling databases).

● Experience coordinating online or in-person events

● Experience of changing website content or interest in learning

What We Offer

28 days of annual leave (pro rata) + bank holidays

Fully remote working (with occasional travel for meetings, not anticipated to exceed 10 per year)

Even though we're fully remote, we offer a few days of face-to-face induction to help you connect with the team and organisation right from the start.

Personal and professional development including payment for one subscription to a relevant membership/professional body

Our culture

It is important part of our mission to represent the profession in all its diversity. To do that, we are committed to developing a talented workforce that represents that diversity.  We are an inclusive and welcoming organisation and committed to ensuring our culture and ways of working enable all of our people to thrive at work, and not negatively impact on their private lives. 

Interview Process & Accessibility

We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process that gives all candidates the best possible opportunity to show their value.

• We will provide interview questions 2-3 days in advance to help candidates prepare.
• We will reach out to you in advance of the interview to check if there are any needs or requests that will make the process work better for you. We’ll strive to meet any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.
• Interviews will be held online, but we can arrange an in-person interview if preferred. In-person interviews would need to be held in London.
• We anticipate one interview and it’s likely this will be a mix of questions and a task.

Cystic Fibrosis Trust is the only UK-wide charity dedicated to uniting for a life unlimited for everyone affected by cystic fibrosis (CF). We are working towards a brighter future for everyone with cystic fibrosis by funding cutting-edge research, driving up standards of care and supporting people with the condition and their loved ones every step of the way. 

Our team of dedicated staff, volunteers, and Trustees work alongside people affected by cystic fibrosis to fund life-changing research, promote world-class clinical care, and provide information, advice and support and our work relies on the generous donations of our supporters. 

About the role

As Director of Finance and Resources and with an oversight of a £15m budget, we are looking for a strong, corporate business leader operating at a senior level to help take Cystic Fibrosis Trust forward on our exciting journey towards a life unlimited by cystic fibrosis and optimising our finance and resources to deliver maximum impact for people with cystic fibrosis.

You will lead and develop a high performing multidisciplinary team of Heads including Finance, IT, Facilities, People and Organisation Development, Strategy and Business Intelligence, Company Secretariat functions as well as work closely with the Senior Leadership Team, Board of Trustees and other internal and external stakeholders. Please note this is a UK based role.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Financial leadership of the Trust’s financial management strategy and statutory reporting and audit processes as well as reporting to our Boards and Committees.
• Digital and information systems: Lead IT and Digital development and implementation strategies, including delivery of the new CRM replacement going live in 2026 (MS Dynamics).
• People and Organisation Development: Lead best practice in our people management strategies, policies and practices as well as championing diversity and inclusion and staff learning and development.
• Business planning: Support organisational business planning and strategy development working closely with the CEO, Board of Trustees and our other internal and external stakeholders including people with cystic fibrosis.
• Facilities: Ensure our working environment and facilities support the delivery of our objectives in a cost effective and supportive way.
• Compliance and Governance: Be Company Secretary, ensuring appropriate governance systems and controls are in place and for reporting to relevant statutory bodies.  Be responsible for our Data and ensuring compliance with GDPR, have oversight of Safeguarding and oversee complaints management and employment law compliance.

To be the right person for this role, the requirements you will need to meet include:

• To be a qualified accountant (CCAB recognised or equivalent) with minimum five years post‑qualification experience and ongoing CPD. 
• Successful experience in a business leadership role to operate at a Director/Board level and as a senior leadership team member. 
• Experience of developing effective short and long term business and financial strategies.
• Managing complex budgets, financial modelling and projections.
• Experience of directing, leading and developing multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience of working successfully in a changing organisation where flexibility, agility and adaptability are essential.
• In-depth and up to date knowledge of best practice financial management and reporting under the Charity SORP and charity governance practices.
• In-depth and up to date knowledge of best practice HR/people management, knowledge of employment law and Data Protection regulations.
• Strong understanding of IT systems management and development and the ability to champion the use of digital solutions.
• Understanding and commitment to diversity and inclusion and our charitable cause, mission and values.
• Highly numerate with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to travel for work and/or work occasional unsocial hours if required.

Please note that this role will require a satisfactory DBS check before joining us and we will arrange the DBS check for the successful candidate.

You will also need to have the Right to Work in the UK before joining us and we will check this. We do not hold a Home Office Sponsorship Licence and therefore cannot offer visa sponsorship for any of our roles.

If this sounds like the right role for you and if you think you would fit well within a passionate, friendly and high-performing and highly supportive team, please get in touch!

Closing date and interview date

Closing date for completed applications is midnight Monday 12 January 2026.

Interviews expected Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 January 2026.

Please note we reserve the right to bring forward or extend the closing date if necessary.  Therefore, if you are interested in this role, please submit your application as early as possible.

No agencies please. 

How to apply:

For more details about the job and requirements, please visit our website or use the application button provided.

Our commitment to an inclusive workplace

Cystic Fibrosis Trust aims to be an inclusive workplace where everyone belongs, can be themselves and achieve their full potential. We want to attract, develop, and retain staff with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives; particularly people who have cystic fibrosis, people who identify as being from an ethnic minority group, as LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities. 

It is our policy not to discriminate against any person because of their age, gender reassignment, being married or in a civil partnership, being pregnant or on maternity leave, disability (physical and mental), race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, sexual orientation or union membership.

Benefits: Benefits include flexible working, 30 days annual leave plus recognised bank holidays (pro-rata if part time), contributory pension scheme, healthcare cash plan covering dental, optical, 24/7 GP service, and an employee assistance programme.

REF-225 504

Summary

EduSpots is an innovative, dynamic, and community-orientated UK and Ghanaian registered charity which connects, trains, and equips grassroots voluntary educators (named ‘Catalysts’) to drive community-led change through education spaces named ‘Spots’. Our vision is of a world in which communities unite to create the futures they want to see, through education.

Since 2016, through collaborating with over 400 local voluntary community educators and actors – named ‘Catalysts’ – who take a central leadership role in the development of the network, we have supported 50 communities in creating and running community-led and owned education spaces named ‘Spots’’. Together, we are developing a model for a community-led education space with accompanying network engagement that could have global relevance. 

Our Ghana-based team creates collaborative learning opportunities through three leadership programmes for Catalysts which are increasingly facilitated by the EduSpots app: the Ignite, Catalyse and Inspire Mentoring Programmes. These enable the Catalysts to lead EduKidz (early years education), DigLit (digital literacy), EcoSTEM (STEM and environmental education) and Ignite Equity (gender equity) clubs for learners typically aged 3-16, alongside locally designed education projects, reaching over 10,000 learners of all ages annually. 

We are in an exciting period of our development, having more than doubled our income, programme breadth and reach in the last two years, with a recent independent evaluation by Expectation State offering further evidence in support of our model’s outcomes. We have been recently selected for two accelerator programmes, who are supporting us as we consider the scaling potential of our model. In the period, we are aiming to double our network reach, bringing an additional 50 Spots into the network.

We won the Tes International Award in 2018 and the Big Give Supporters’ Choice Award in 2022, and we were recently selected as a finalist for the 2023 Their World Scale-Up Innovation Prize. In 2021, our Founder was a Finalist in the UNESCO-backed $1 million Global Teacher Prize.

We are excited by our future. 

About this role 

The Global Head of Operations is a new role being introduced in 2026 with the core purpose of strengthening systems, processes and strategic delivery across both EduSpots Global and EduSpots Ghana, offering hands-on support to the CEO and wider staff across a range of areas.

In this senior role, you will work closely alongside the CEO, offering her the advice and skills needed to move EduSpots successfully through a complex period of growth in a challenging fundraising context, enabling more learners and Catalysts to participate in a unique community-led model of education, whilst sharing our practice more widely.

We are looking for an organised and empathetic strategic leader, ideally with strong or developing skills across project management, finance, HR and MEL skills and an ability to work independently in a fast moving work environment.

This role has the potential to grow into a Director of Global Operations or Deputy CEO role in time for outstanding candidates, and carries significant organisation-wide responsibility.

Candidates should hold a genuine passion for educational equity, a strong belief in the power of community-led models to transform lives at scale and a high level of flexibility in a fast-changing yet friendly and playful work environment.

Whilst this role is remote, and open to all global candidates, you will need to have understanding and experience of UK law, accounting and policy development, or a strong appetite to build experience in this area quickly.

Main duties and responsibilities 

Systems

• Work with the CEO and staff to proactively strengthen systems and processes across the organisation, including monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks and operations. 
• Support the wider team with IT, including general skill development, leading the Google Space system. 
• Monitor compliance to organisational policies and lead the quarterly review of the organisational risk register, working with the Ghana Head of Operations. 

Finance 

• Work with the Finance and Admin Officer to produce monthly and quarterly global management accounts, cash flow analysis and to complete the annual audit. 
• Lead the financial planning of the organisation, working with the CEO and the Ghana Head of Operations to create the annual budget. 
• Work with the Ghana Head of Operations to strengthen financial systems, processes, and training across the organisation. 
• Work with the Ghana Head of Operations to prepare budgets for funding bids as needed.
• Work with the grants team to track grant spending and produce consolidated financial reports (including expenditure from the UK and Ghana) for donors. 
• Ensure EduSpots’ new accounting software (QuickBooks) is fully embedded and utilised.
• Oversee bank account management, including payments, checking bank statements, and reviewing bank reconciliations for UK and Ghana.
• Ensure staff payroll (likely to be outsourced) and payments to freelancers / consultants are done accurately and in a timely manner.

HR

• Work alongside the CEO, Head of Operations, Safeguarding and Inclusion Managers  and wider staff to develop strategies to sustain and strengthen a high performing and friendly work culture. 
• Work across the team to strengthen HR and performance management structures, informed by best practice and legal frameworks. 
• Lead the recruitment of staff, consultants and volunteers in the UK (advertising roles, drafting contracts, contacting referees and completing all filing and administration relating to recruitment).
• Onboard new staff, provide training on policies and procedures, and track key information (leave, appraisals, etc) for UK staff. 
• Regularly review and keep the Staff Handbook up to date.
• Depending on skill-set, work with the CEO to lead professional development for staff across the organisation, liaising with trustees and advisory group members.

Administration & Governance

• Manage and maintain databases and our Google Drive system. 
• Ensure compliance with GDPR and adherence to our child safeguarding and protection policy. 
• Maintain insurance renewals, tracking and filing.
• Review and keep up to date all organisational policies in line with current legislation, working with the Trustees and Directors. 
• Assist the CEO in the administration relating to EduSpots’ governance, including board meeting arrangements and minute taking.
• Support the CEO in all ad-hoc tasks that arise, working closely alongside her to ensure the smooth running of the organisation. 

Strategic insight 

• Work closely with the CEO and staff/Catalysts across the organisation to ensure all EduSpots’ decision-making is strategic and in the best interests of the Catalysts, Sparks and Communities we partner with. 

Other areas 

• Depending on experience, you may in time take on management responsibilities for some staff, but this role is principally a systems strengthening and quality improvement role, working closely with the CEO to offer advice and additional capacity. 
• Depending on experience, you may support with grants writing / management and/or community fundraising. Experience of fundraising would be of significant benefit to the organisation in this key leadership role. 

Personal Specification 

Essential 

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience of operations in a small/medium charity context. 
• Self-starter with the ability to hit the ground running and work with minimal supervision with high levels of flexibility.
• Self-motivated, with an ability to motivate and energise others.
• High level strategic understanding, critical thinking and the ability to strengthen systems in a fast-paced high performance environment.
• Excellent communication, both oral and written.
• The ability to thrive and adapt in a fast-paced, creative and impact-driven culture. 
• Strong administrative skills with a high level of attention to detail. 
• Experience in creating user-friendly tools and processes to support project and quality management.
• Experience using Google Suite, with strong Excel skills.
• Tech savvy – ability to learn new tech tools efficiently.
• Experience coordinating others. 
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills with strong empathy and cultural sensitivity 
• Strong personal alignment with the mission, vision and values of EduSpots. 

Highly desirable 

• Experience supporting charity Boards, and working with external bodies including auditors, tax authorities, and other official bodies is highly desirable.
• Experience complying and strong familiarity with UK charity regulations and requirements.
• Experience preparing budgets and financial reports for donors/grants. 
• Experience of working in a cross-cultural team.
• Experience of working with an international charity would be advantageous. 

Please send a tailored covering letter and CV addressed to the CEO Miss Cat Davison by Wednesday 31st December with a hope to meet shortlisted candidates for a first-round interview in the week starting Monday 12th January.