Senior Finance & Operations Officer – Educational Trust

The role

We are seeking an exceptional, highly motivated Senior Finance and Operations Officer to support the Chief Operating Officer, playing a key role in the financial health and operational effectiveness of the charity.

You will be both financially and technologically literate, leading on development and support of our back-end systems.

You will be responsible for day-to-day financial management, compliance and operational support, ensuring the smooth running of the internal systems that underpin our mission.

This broad role also supports operational areas including HR administration, procurement, IT coordination and governance, working closely with teams across the organisation to deliver efficient and effective support services.

This is a hands-on role and requires a person with a flexible, disciplined, ‘can-do’, teamworking and solutions-based outlook.

We are a positive, hard-working and high-achieving team and seek a like-minded person to join us. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to an organisation with national impact.

Who are we looking for? 

The Educational Trust is for everyone, and we are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of our society.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and experiences, and particularly encourage candidates from communities that are underrepresented in our workforce, including people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and disabled people.

We are especially interested in people who share our values—empathy, understanding and respect—and who are motivated to use remembrance and education to challenge prejudice and help build a more compassionate future.

Please note we are not in a position to sponsor visas so applicants should already hold a right to work in the UK. Applicants should also reside in the UK.

Job purpose and role

The Senior Finance and Operations Officer plays a key role in supporting the financial health and operational effectiveness of the charity. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role is responsible for day-to-day financial management, compliance, and operational support, ensuring the smooth running of internal systems that underpin the organisation’s mission.

The postholder will be responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, processing income and expenditure, supporting monthly reconciliations, and contributing to the preparation of management accounts and annual audits. They will assist in developing budgets and forecasts, monitor financial performance against targets, and ensure that financial procedures are followed in line with charity sector regulations and internal controls.

In addition to finance, the Senior Finance and Operations Officer will support operational areas including HR administration, procurement, IT coordination, IT support, systems development and governance processes. They will work closely with teams across the organisation to ensure efficient and effective support services, contributing to a high-performing and well-governed charity.

This role requires strong numeracy, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities. The successful candidate will be a collaborative team player with a proactive approach, capable of working independently while providing high-quality support across functions. 

Main Responsibilities

· Undertaking day-to-day book-keeping function (eg bank reconciliations, checking and setting up payment runs)

· Supporting the COO with financial and fundraising matters

· Be the organisational IT and systems lead (eg provide hands-on support with IT, software platforms, manage relationships with external suppliers)

· Responsible for maintaining, developing and updating the charity’s CRM database (Salesforce) to ensure accurate, secure, and accessible supporter and donor information for effective engagement

· Provide recruitment support to managers (eg monitor recruitment inbox, coordinate interviews)

· To play a key role in the Operations Team and assist with general enquiries where needed

General

· Undertake any other duties which may reasonably be requested

· Provide support and cover of duties across the wider team where necessary

· Work as part of the team to realise the charitable aims and organisational strategic plan

Person Specification  

Essential

· Strong experience with day-to-day finance management and systems including Xero

· Strong experience in working with a CRM database (ideally including Salesforce)

· Strong experience with MS 365, Office, Word and Excel

· Ability to multi-task and prioritise effectively

· Strong attention to detail

· Strong understanding of handling sensitive and confidential information including GDPR compliance

· Ability to work sensitively with stakeholders

· Ability to work independently and as part of a team

· An interest in and commitment to the values of the organisation

· Understanding of and commitment to diversity and inclusion

Desirable

· Experience of charity finance and regulations

· Experience of HR and general admin support

· Experience of LLM AI usage (ChatGPT, Claude etc)

Personal Qualities

· Energetic with a pro-active approach, who brings new ideas to the team

· Well organised, with a common-sense approach, and willingness to learn

· Sensitive and thoughtful when working with complex historical content

· Strong team player with good interpersonal skills

· Available to travel and attend off site events from time to time

Why Join Us

· Play a central role in the financial health and smooth running of an organisation with national impact

· Support work seen by millions across the UK each year

· Be part of a moment that brings the nation together each year to shape a better future built on compassion, empathy and respect

· Develop your skills across finance, operations, HR and IT in a varied role

· Join a supportive, mission-driven team

This job description is intended as a guide to the main responsibilities of the role, not as an exhaustive list of duties and tasks. The Educational Trust examines and updates job descriptions periodically to ensure they relate to the role being performed.

All staff are required to support key activities such as attending events therefore using annual leave in peak periods may be restricted.

For more information about the role, or to be recommended please contact our recruitment team: Melissa – melissa@theworkavenue.org.uk or Yael – yb@theworkavenue.org.uk

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