Head of Finance

Department: Business Support Team

Reporting to: Director of Finance and Operations

Grade: UK Grade F

Contract Type: Fixed term contract

About HelpAge

HelpAge International works with partners and a diverse global network of more than 170 organizations over 90 countries, supporting millions of older people to live safe, dignified, and healthy lives. Through our partnership and collaborations, we work to ensure the inclusion of older people across society and strive to deliver a just and fair world for everyone, whatever their age.

About the Job

The Head of Finance will provide strategic leadership and oversight of HelpAge International’s financial operations. This role is essential in ensuring the financial health and sustainability of HelpAge and will supervise over six Finance Business Partners dispersed in different countries globally. The position holder will be expected to have a good understanding of, and working experience with UK financial laws and policies as well managing various donors rules and regulations.

Key areas for impact/influence and responsibilities

As Head of Finance, you will :

• Manage the Global Finance function (2 Senior Finance Business Partners, Senior Finance Officer, Systems & Management Accountant), to ensure a professional finance service that delivers on organisational strategy.
• Lead in the preparation of the annual income and expenditure budget, UK statutory accounts, proper accounting for VAT, annual audit. Provide advice and guidance on donor financial reporting
• Lead on the preparation of financial management information, ensure the financial accounting system is developed and maintained to meet organisational accounting needs.
• Produce monthly management accounts for Directors
• Ensure adequate financial support to the localisation of countries , including overseeing the relevant financial processes and reporting.

Skills and experience required

You will be someone with:

• A fully qualified and recognised accountancy qualification e.g., ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent.
• Strong hands-on accountancy experience with relevant experience working in a complex international NGO
• Experience of the production and interpretation of management accounts.
• Ability to design and implement new financial procedures.
• Proven ability to lead a diverse team of finance professionals and ability to work with senior managers on financial issues and with non finance staff.
• Knowledge and experience of the production donor reports including EC, UN, ECHO, USAID, DEC, GFFO and understanding of their compliance requirements.

Key Behavioural Competencies

At HelpAge International, we believe in the importance of empowering our people to be change makers and leaders at all levels. We expect our people to embrace and live our values, challenging themselves every day to identify issues that are most important to older persons and their communities, and to make an impact that matters.

In addition, as an HelpAge employee you are expected to:

Working Collaboratively with Others: Work collaboratively, building mutual trust and respect, with external organizations and partners to achieve our strategic aims and objectives; being accountable for the work we do together.

Adaptability and Flexibility: Adapt to new directions or opportunities arising within the organisation and in our work area; being flexible in our role, constantly using the feedback to learn more and evolve further.

Supporting and Facilitating Change: Lead behavioural and cultural change through embracing a supportive, collaborative and highly inclusive environment where everybody feels supported, respected and engaged.

Extend HelpAge’s Reach and Impact: Extend HelpAge’s reach and impact by creating and identifying new business development opportunities and building relationships with new partners.

Diversity and Inclusion: Lead and promote a culture of including the voices of older people across our support, convening and thought leadership roles, in a way that is transformative, empowering and highly inclusive of those marginalised by gender, economic status, disability and other factors of discrimination.

Leading Others (for managers): Demonstrate strong leadership to own unit/department and manage people in a well and reputable manner. Create an atmosphere of trust and an enabling environment where staff can contribute their best and develop their potential.

Safeguarding

HelpAge International is committed to safeguarding the communities with which we work, our partners, staff and any others who we come into contact with. The post holder will also be responsible for:

• Preventing harm and abuse from our people, operations and programmes to anyone that encounters our work.
• Reporting all safeguarding incidents you see, hear, hear about or suspect, using our internal reporting mechanism.
• Complying with all safeguarding framework policies and practices.
• Completing mandatory training courses relating to our safeguarding policy framework and complying with HR vetting procedures.

SAFER RECRUITMENT

All employments at HelpAge International will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include misconduct disclosure schemes and terrorism finance checks.