The Organisation

We’re Children’s Hospices Across Scotland. But Most people know us as CHAS.

For over twenty years CHAS has been offering a full family support service for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions.

We're committed to making sure that no matter how short their time together may be, it is a time filled with happiness and fun.

Through our hospices, home care services and hospital presence, CHAS provides child palliative care, family respite and support throughout Scotland, including dedicated bases in Aberdeen and Inverness.

With the help of the Scottish Government, we commissioned a ground-breaking

piece of research that established, for the first time, the full scale of the number of children in Scotland with life-shortening conditions. It is from this work that we know three children die each week but the more compelling statistic for us was that we are reaching only one of these families. We need to do much more to reach out to every family that needs our help and this theme of reaching every family is at the very core of our three-year strategic plan.

Our three-year plan has four key strategic themes:

• Reach By transforming the way we deliver care, we will reach more babies, children and young people with palliative care needs across Scotland.
• People By attracting, developing, supporting and retaining staff and volunteers of the highest quality, we will be able to offer the highest standards of care throughout Scotland.
• Growth Our fundraising activity will generate the increased income required to realise our ambition and our improved support infrastructure will ensure we make the best use of our resources.
• Influence Our work in research, advocacy and education will inform improvements in paediatric palliative care. This, in turn, will benefit children with life-shortening conditions and their families across the whole of Scotland.

Role Overview:

Working to promote our core values, the Finance Operations Manager will lead a dynamic team to deliver an effective finance and payroll service which supports managers and staff across CHAS.  Ensuring that all required financial reporting is produced for statutory and management purposes through efficient and robust working practices.  This role will be instrumental in modernising the finance and payroll operations within CHAS which contribute significantly to the objectives of the CHAS Plan to be delivered effectively.

You will also play an active role in the wider Corporate Services team meetings contributing to the planning, implementation and delivery of CHAS aims and objectives

Duties and Responsibilities

General Financial Management

• Day to day management of the finance team (3 staff) ensuring the provision of timely and accurate information within appropriate
• Within the finance team ensure resources are prioritised and individual skills of staff and volunteers are both utilised and developed.
• Act as the Authorised officer for CHAS’s payments, BACS, credit card and online banking system
• Manage the ongoing development of the Finance and Payroll systems (Sage 200?)
• Ensure compliance with VAT and Gift Aid legislation
• Prepare annual Corporation Tax Return for CHAS Trading Limited

Payroll:

• Develop, lead and manage the in-house payroll function, ensuring that payroll information is maintained through the design of systems which collect, calculate and process accurately.
• Manage the payroll function ensuring that all legislative requirements relating to monthly payroll, pension and statutory payments are continually reviewed and met
• Manage the accurate recording and reporting of payroll transactions, ensuring that payroll costs are correctly attributed to departments across CHAS and CHAS Trading
• Review monthly and annual pension returns for Lothian Pension Fund and NHS Scotland schemes ensuring all payments are properly remitted accordingly.
• Prepare annual salaries budget

Financial Accounting and Audit:

• Work with the Director of Finance and Corporate Services to produce both the draft and final consolidated Financial Statements for CHAS and CHAS Trading
• Manage all year-end financial accounting procedures, ensuring the production of all supporting schedules and analysis for year-end audit files
• Review and authorise all required reconciliations, adjustments and disclosure notes
• Acting as the first point of contact for external auditors, manage ongoing relations during the year and lead on planning and managing the annual audit programme

Management accounts and reporting:

• Responsible for the ongoing development and production of monthly departmental and consolidated accounts for CHAS and CHAS Trading with supporting analysis
• Manage the provision of complex financial information, analysis and advice in a manner readily understood by non-finance specialists
• Working alongside the Strategic Finance Business Partner manage the collation and preparation of revenue and capital budgets and under taking interpretation and analysis thereon.
• Manage the programme of CHAS and CHAS Trading monthly financial reconciliations, budget analysis and complex accounting journals in detail, ensuring any issues identified are promptly resolved

The position encompasses a combination of key accounting and payroll responsibilities for CHAS. The finance team is lean in nature, so it is important that the Finance Operations Manager is able to use their initiative to manage changing priorities. Furthermore, the successful candidate will be capable of identifying process and system improvements.

The Successful Candidate

The successful candidate will either be a qualified or qualified by experience accountant with a demonstrable experience of involved in managing a finance function overseeing transactional activities (ideally including payroll) and involvement in both the monthly and annual reporting cycle

In addition, the candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• A proven track record in leading, motivating and developing a finance team
• Previous involvement of developing and implementing financial policies and procedures
• Relevant experience in preparing monthly and annual accounts
• Experience with a range of Financial and Payroll IT Systems with the ability to analyse and implement improvements
• Highly developed analytical and problem-solving skill
• The ability to work quickly to a high standard under pressure and deal with competing demands
• An excellent attention to detail
• First-class planning and organising skill
• Excellent communication, influencing and inter-personal skills
• Knowledge and previous experience of payroll would be highly desirable

The salary banding for this position ranges from £36,331 to £38,061 and further benefits