Finance Manager

Finance Manager
We are seeking a Finance Manager to join the growing Reaching Higher team and bring our finance function fully in-house. We are looking for a skilled and detail-oriented professional who will play a pivotal role in ensuring strong financial systems, accurate reporting, and sound financial planning. The successful candidate will demonstrate a proven track record in financial management and governance, budgeting and forecasting, payroll and pension oversight, and the ability to provide clear strategic insight and analysis to support organisational growth and sustainability.

Purpose of this Role

Our finance functions are currently partially outsourced to an external contractor. Our income has grown significantly over the past five years and our Board have now decided to employ a Finance Manager and bring financial expertise in-house. In this new position as the Finance Manager at Reaching Higher, you will play a vital role in ensuring accurate financial reporting and planning, payroll and pension management, and financial governance and compliance. You will support all aspects of Reaching Higher s work and development through ensuring strong financial systems.

You will work closely with our team to ensure that all day-to-day finance requirements are met, including accurate grant finance monitoring and reporting to multiple funders. You will also work closely with our senior leaders and board to build the charity s financial resilience and the financial awareness of our wider team.

You will work closely with the Executive Assistant & Administrator and report to the Executive Director, as well as working closely with the Executive Team, Treasurer and wider Board.

About Reaching Higher

Reaching Higher is a youth organisation which works with over 2000 young people aged 9-21 each year across Croydon and surrounding boroughs. Developed in partnership with local churches, we are a youth-led charity with a Christian ethos and this role is restricted under basis of faith. We have a particular emphasis on providing mentoring support to young people and supporting their development as leaders. We have established strong links with key local, London and UK-wide organisations and our approach leads us into regular working contact with partner schools, community groups and churches.

Please see our job specification table below for more information.

Qualification

- AAT or Accountancy body qualified preferred, with at least 5 years experience

Experience

- Experience of maintaining accounting ledgers

- Experience of charity accounting & SORP principles

- Experience of a Finance Manager role

- Experience of using Microsoft packages with excellent IT skills

- Experience of working in a small team

- Experience preparing monthly / quarterly management accounts

- Experience preparing annual statutory accounts and being involved with audit processes

- Experience managing financial operations, planning, reconciliation, reporting and analysis

- Experience of working with and co-ordinating income and expenditure across multi-project budgets

- Experience running monthly payroll

- Knowledge of a range accounting software preferably Xero

- An understanding of our work and the sector Reaching Higher operates in

- An understanding of good financial management and the importance of care and accuracy

- Knowledge of financial governance, including accounting regulations and best practice

Skills

- Well organised, efficient and accurate

- Able to maintain confidentiality and deal with sensitive information

- Articulate with good verbal and written communication skills ability to work with and support non-financial officers and managers

- Ability to propose new and maintain existing controls within the organisation

- Ability to work independently on multiple projects, organise own workload and prioritise

- Ability to take responsibility for the finances of the charity, and work with the senior team to ensure financial stability and/or growth

Personal Qualities

- Demonstrable commitment to working in ways which promote equality of opportunity

- Commitment to continuous professional development

- Confident in working alone or at home

- Strong work ethic, results-motivated and solutions-focused

- Ability to work on own initiative, be pro-active, consider implications and make decisions.

- Capable of working to tight deadlines

- Ability to take an agile, flexible and responsive approach to management and responsibilities

- Willing to strive for quality and excellence, setting high goals and committed to continuous improvement

- Commitment to equality and diversity and an understanding of how to promote them in your work