Interim Director of Finance and Operations

The role

We have strong foundations and need our interim Director of Finance and Operations to support and steward the Charity, while our CEO establishes herself. We’re looking for a qualified accountant with a demonstrable record of achievement in a similar role in a charitable, social enterprise, CIC or public sector organisation.

The purpose of the role is to ensure: 

• A culture of strong strategic and financial planning and incisive business intelligence including the delivery of timely and user-friendly management information  
• Effective commercial and semi-commercial relationships and agreements in place with partners which strike the right balance re financial sustainability and charitable impact.   
• Transparent management of the Charity’s invested funds (which are externally managed by two fund management companies and a property advisory firm, reporting to the Board’s Investment Advisory Committee).
• A comprehensive governance and control environment, complying with the Charity Code  
• Effective management of Maudsley Charity Trading (a trading subsidiary of the Charity) which through an agent runs the conferencing facilities at the ORTUS and other key relationships  
• That an effective programme management and operational plan structure is in place   
• Effective management of a range of business operations including Facilities, IT, Business Systems, HR, Information etc.  

Strategy/ Board

• Ensure the delivery of the organisation’s strategy, supported by a 5-year rolling financial plan, disciplined budgeting and effective and timely forecasting of financial performance for the CEO and the Board.
• Continue to review and implement our investment strategy which supports the organisation’s strategy and to manage the relationships with our investment and property managers to deliver this.
• Provide our trustees with strategic financial advice and assurance on all financial and corporate governance matters.
• Work with the CEO to develop the Charity’s culture in line with its strategic goals and support team members in new ways of working.
• Build relationships across the NHS Foundation Trust and partner organisations, including our fundraising partners. Connect to and build a network of support with peers in NHS Charities, sharing knowledge and ideas and ensuring that the Maudsley Charity represents best practice in the sector.
• Exercise delegated authority with probity and integrity. Deputise for the CEO in her absence and as necessary, acting as an effective ambassador for the Charity and making decisions in her absence when required.

Commercial

• Undertake the commercial management of the conference and events business operated out of the ORTUS (Maudsley Charity Trading).
• Manage the relationship with the ORTUS contractor(s).
• Manage the property relationships.
• Improve the financial framework in order to provide robust commercial information and measure performance.

Finance

• Manage the finance function and control all financial systems, process and transactions, ensuring that high-quality and timely management and accounting information is routinely prepared and supplied to managers, the CEO and the Board.
• Work with the Director of Programmes to ensure financial rigour and probity in all grant allocation processes and to test costing and business plans for large scale grant bids.
• Ensure an effective external audit process is in place with regular reporting to the Board.
• Prepare the annual financial accounts and liaise with the statutory auditors; ensure that the requirements of the Charity Commissioners and HMRC are met.
• Drive the continued modernisation of the infrastructure, systems, policies and procedures across the business particularly to ensure the development of a robust finance system to enable the CEO and Board to make informed financial decisions.
• Support managers in preparing and presenting business plans and business cases.
• Ensure effective insurance, payroll, pension and other benefit arrangements are in place and correctly administered to provide best value for the Charity and employees.

Governance including Risk Management

• Ensure that the business has a strong framework of governance, highlighting any issues to the CEO and ensuring compliance at all times.
• Ensure that the regulatory requirements of all statutory bodies and regulatory regimes, e.g. Charity, NHS and HMRC, are met.
• Hold the Charity’s Risk Register, ensuring risks are identified and mitigated across the Charity.

Operations

• Work with the CEO on the business planning and Board reporting processes.
• Ensure an effective programme management and operational work plan structure is in place across the Charity and working well for the team and board.
• Ensure the effective delivery of business operations across the Charity, particularly Facilities, IT, HR and information management.

Management

• Manage and mentor the Finance & Operations team.
• Ensure that the Finance & Operations team delivers on its plans and is efficient and effective by:
• providing regular progress reports against objectives, KPIs and milestones
• contributing to the annual planning and budgeting process
• managing the available expenditure budget and reforecasting the expected outturn regularly throughout the year
• Take an active role in the Charity’s senior leadership team, working collaboratively to identify and maximise opportunities outside your area of responsibility

The application process

Key dates

Closing date for applications: Friday, 7th February 2025

Panel interviews, in person: Monday 17th February 2025

To make an application, please contact Sekai Lindsay at Harris Hill on sekai.lindsay@harrishill.co.uk  and visit the role on the Harris Hill website.

View the Job Pack online

Read the Interim Director of Finance and Operations Job Pack online.