Camphill Village Trust Limited (”CVT”)
Job Description
POSITION
REPORTS TO
DIRECT REPORTS
LOCATION
Regional Finance Manager
Finance Director/General Managers
Communities finance team
Across North East CVT Communities
with ‘home’ office base of Botton
Community (nr Danby)
OVERVIEW
This role will be to take on specific responsibility for the Botton community accounting
function as well as collectively responsibility for the organisation, development,
maintenance and oversight of financial management accounting and budgeting systems and
preparation of annual financial accounts information (in charity SORP format) which
reconciles to the cumulative management account information; and develop robust cash
reporting and forecasting disciplines, for the three communities of Botton, Croft and
Larchfield Communities.
The job will include the following elements: Re –establishing and leading the accounting function at Botton community
 Re organising, managing and supporting existing finance officers in the other
communities and processing teams, to refine and improve local accounting systems
and controls and the efficiency and effectiveness of the combined team;
 Preparing ( where necessary) and reviewing management accounts and their
supporting working papers, reconciliations etc, for accuracy and consistency;
 driving reporting timetables and disciplines to ensure monthly management
accounts are completed;
 improving the quality and format of the management accounts pack and file ;
 driving and supporting the introduction of consistent monthly management
accounting disciplines across the three communities, including budget variance
commentary and key trend narrative for the community managers;
 developing and introducing new accounting controls across all three communities to
ensure consistency;
 developing a financial procedures and controls in line with any charity wide direction
of initiatives
 development and improvement of fixed asset registers;
 administration and reconciliation approval of bank accounts;;
 development of cash management and reporting systems;
 co-ordination of community cash flow reporting and production of rolling cash flow
forecasts for the three communities;
 assistance with annual budget preparation including reviews of each community’s
budgets and business plans;
 Various ad hoc projects to support the community managers incl costing and results
analysis, development of KPIs and monitoring of the strategic plans.
The North East Regional finance manager will work closely with the Finance director and
group financial controller and the three communities’ managers to provide necessary
support for all of the charity’s activities, particularly in the development and improvement
of timely, accurate and quality management information.
KEY RESPONSIBILITY AREAS









Production of timely month end aggregated management accounts;
development and improvement of systems and processes used to produce monthly
management accounts including enhancements to include balance sheets, cash flow,
dash board, commentary for the managers etc;
provision of support and guidance to community finance officers and the wider team to
assist them in improving use of SAGE to improve effectiveness, achieve consistent ways
of working and improved quality;
close liaison with community finance team to identify and help implement systems and
control improvements which will improve management accounting disciplines and
expand management information reporting;
preparation of annual financial statements information from management accounts.
Including SORP related information. Preparation of an annual audit file and supporting
other finance officers from the regional team in their year-end accounts and audit file
production.
co-ordination and liaison with Charity’s auditors and ensuring audit timetables are
adhered to;
Reviewing and recording all key financial systems across the three communities and
developing a common controls, procedures and policies , including all matters which have
taxation implications and ensuring other supporting mechanisms are in place (e.g.
improved fixed asset register);
maintaining and reconciling bank accounts and monitoring the overall cash position for
the three communities. Supporting the finance director and central financial controller in
the introduction of new treasury management systems and streamlining banking
provision. Developing regular and systematic cash flow forecasting at community level to
enable overall cash management to be improved and rolling cash flow forecast
information is available;
support the Finance director and local managers in improving the budgetary control
systems. Including, inter alia, supporting the annual budgeting process and reviewing
local outputs before submitting to the centre. Assisting finance officers to improve
budget phasing and managers with subsequent monitoring and variance reporting;

to act as a resource generally, supporting local finance officers and operational managers
with their queries, supporting the Finance Director and central financial controller team
members with any projects or initiatives which work across the charity.
SUCCESS CRITERIA





improved timeliness and format of management accounting information;
greater effectiveness and consistency of communities’ use of SAGE;
regular and co-ordinated cash flow monitoring and reporting;
improved systems of control across the charity;
improved budget monitoring and reporting across the charity.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & TRAINING REQUIRED TO PERFORM THE ROLE











Essential
Professional
Recognised CCAB accounting qualification.
Knowledge & experience of Charity accounts
& SORP.
Experience of preparation of complex
management accounts.
Experience of preparing & reviewing
cash flow forecasts & other
accounting information.
Knowledge & understanding of internal
controls& core accounting systems and
processes.
Past exposure to budget preparation &
monitoring.
Good organisation skills & methodical with
good time management skills, used to
delivering to tight timetables.
Excellent communicator with proven ability
to persuade others in a change management
environment & influence behaviours (e.g. to
re organise job roles and responsibilities).
Able to build relationships at all levels within
the charity, including finance professionals,
care provider colleagues, senior
management & trustees.
Able to evidence effective use of own
judgement, & ability to work proactively
while unsupervised.
Good delegation skills but prepared to roll
up sleeves & pitch in to carry other
administrative tasks;
Desirable ( but not essential)
 Detailed working knowledge of
SAGE accounting systems in a
multi company/cost centre
environment.
 Wider knowledge of modern
database type accounting
packages & ICT generally.
 Experience of costing.
 Preparation of financial models
to support business plans,
tenders, funding body requests
etc.
 Experience of coaching &
mentoring.
 Knowledge of tax compliance
issues ( PAYE and VAT)
 Enthusiastic, energetic & able to travel
regularly to the various communities within
the region.
 Experience of dealing expertly with external
stakeholders, e.g. funders, professional
advisers & bankers, regulators etc.
 Excellent Excel spreadsheet modelling skills.
Other
 Supportive of underlying Camphill ethos
 Satisfactory standard disclosure
TO PERFORM THE ROLE SUCCESSFULLY, COMMUNICATION & INTERFACE IS, OR MAY BE,
REQUIRED WITH:
INTERNAL
 Communities’ finance teams
 Communities’ management teams
(including co-workers)
 Senior Management team
 Central financial controller
 Trustees generally
EXTERNAL





Funders /Local authorities
Regulators
Professional advisers ( incl’ bankers)
Suppliers
IT support providers and similar
COMPETENCIES
Personal
 Planning and control
 Stress tolerance
 Energy
 Perseverance
Inter-personal
 Written and oral communication
 Persuasiveness
 Listening
Professional
 Judgement
 Decision making
 Integrity
 Problem analysis
Managerial
 Leadership
 Change Management
 Initiative
 Inclusive