Finance Associate or Senior Associate

There are eight skills that are essential for success in all areas of life. Research shows that they underpin academic progress, support wellbeing and lead to higher career and success. Unfortunately, those from less privileged backgrounds have fewer opportunities to build these skills. We exist to change the systems that allows this to happen.

Joining Skills Builder is not like working anywhere else. We combine the fun and dynamism of a start-up, the professional development opportunities of a corporate, the innovation of a digital native and the social impact focus of a charity. Thanks to our relentless focus on culture, our team consistently say they have never worked anywhere as collaborative, supportive or mission oriented.

We are serious about delivering social mobility through our vision that one day everyone builds the essential skills to succeed. That means we are ambitious and set high standards for ourselves. We are reflective, inclusive and supportive. In practice this means that everyone makes time for others in the team, we get stuck in to solve problems together, we make time to listen and reflect and the whole team is involved in developing our strategy.

We are working toward systemic change by rapidly scaling our approach. The Skills Builder Partnership already consists of over 700 organisations. Our strategy of collective impact means we already have the backing of key sectoral players like CIPD, BITC and the Careers & Enterprise Company.

As the Finance Associate or Senior Associate, you will be in charge of our bookkeeping and management accounts as well as some of our operations. You will use your accounting knowledge to solve problems and answer strategically important questions. With exceptional attention to detail, you will spot things that others have missed and ensure the accuracy of our finances.

You will be part of a team that is constantly innovating, streamlining and improving. Our operations and financial systems are already highly-automated but we are always looking for the next innovation. Working closely with the Strategy and Operations Manager and the COO, you will have the support, time and space to help build best-in-class financial operations that enable our mission.

This is a unique opportunity to apply and build your expertise in a flexible, supportive environment. You'll learn how to use the latest technologies, recruit a fantastic team and join up bookkeeping with strategic decisions.

We have big ambitions and your scope to grow, learn and achieve matches that. If you want to benefit from working with an inspiring team, with huge potential for learning, growth and development, we want to hear from you.

What it's like working for Skills Builder - quotes from our Team Survey:

"I'm proud to work for Skills Builder, the impact we have and am privileged to be able to work with such brilliant colleagues."

"It's always an absolute delight for me to work with just about any member of the team."

"I've said it before, I'll say it again: the support I've been getting in line management is simply amazing! Whether it's about development goals or workload management, I feel truly listened to and I'm benefitting hugely from being coached and/or mentored where relevant."

Key responsibilities

(1) Financial management

• Lead the month-end process, from reconciliations through to reporting.
• Manage accounts payable and receivable, overseeing automated invoices and payments.
• Manage the annual audit process.

(2) Operations

• Supporting effective recruitment of our rapidly growing team to ensure that we are able to attract the best talent.
• On-boarding all new staff including scheduling induction and completing requisite employment and reference checks.
• Collaborating across teams to innovate and constantly improve our systems and processes.

(3) Organisational reporting

• Collaborating across the team to provide accurate and timely financial information.
• Producing finance reports for the board.
• Support leadership and the wider team with budgeting and reporting.

Technical Skills and Experience

• Financial literacy and numeracy, with an understanding of financial management or bookkeeping.

Benefits

Salary: £32,000 - £42,000 (pro rata)

Start Date: As soon as possible

Working hours: Flexible but ideally 18 hours per week

Holidays: 25 days per year, plus bank holidays

Location: London or remote

Application Process

Applications should be made via our online form . This round of applications ends at 9am on 3 rd January 2019 with interviews taking place on w/c 10 th January 2022.

Skills Builder Partnership is a Top 100 Employer. We champion equal opportunities, and actively encourage applications from all qualified individuals.

Our recruitment process is designed to give you a sense of what this role as part of the Skills Builder team would be like. Our process is transparent and inclusive, following best practice. For example, we blind-score applications and use the Skills Builder Universal Framework when assessing candidates' essential skills.