Finance Officer

• Job title: Finance Officer
• Department: Finance Department
• Location: In and around the parish of All Souls
• Reports to: Finance Manager
• Working Hours: 5 days a week (35 hours/week)
• Annual Leave: 25 days plus bank holidays (prorated)
• Contract: Permanent

Introduction 

Welcome to All Souls Langham Place, a vibrant Anglican Evangelical Church in the heart of London's West End. Our passion and commitment revolve around the core principle of being 'All for Jesus!' This ethos underpins everything we do as a church, and we are grateful for the diverse and international community that forms our church family.

As an integral part of God's worldwide Church, we embrace a spirit of generosity and graciousness in our fellowship with other churches. At the same time, we remain firmly rooted in the unchanging authority of God's Word. We recognize that All Souls Langham Place is just one small but significant part of the grand tapestry of Christ's Kingdom.

All Souls Church is composed of four distinct charities, each with a unique role in fulfilling our mission. All Souls Langham Place serves as the central church body, providing a spiritual home and nurturing environment for our congregation. Langham Arts is dedicated to enriching our worship through music ministry. All Souls Serves the City (ASSTC) is our dedicated social action ministry, passionately engaged in serving and impacting the wider community. Through ASSTC, we actively demonstrate God's love and compassion to those in need. Lastly, the St. Paul's Trust plays a vital role in supporting the work undertaken by our church.

Together, these four charities collaborate to extend Christ's Kingdom, utilising the gifts and resources God has bestowed upon us. We firmly believe that Jesus is for all, and we aspire to be wholeheartedly 'All for Jesus.' With our rich heritage, exciting location, and a genuine desire to make a difference, we invite you to join us on this remarkable journey of faith and service.

Job Description 

As the Finance Officer, you will be responsible for overseeing various financial aspects within our organisation and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations. You must have a strong understanding of gift aid compliance, legislative changes, and financial account management. Additionally, you will act as the subject matter expert for finance systems and serve as a backup for the Finance Manager when necessary.

The Finance Officer is part of the All Souls staff team supporting the church's ministry, being part of team fellowship and prayer groups. The staff, church officers and wider church family work together to deliver our vision and, as we do so, we can live out our Christian beliefs in every aspect of the daily life of the church. As a senior member of the staff team, you will play a full part in the life of the Church, including weekly staff fellowship and prayer groups, occasional attendance at the Prayer Gathering and on occasions representing the church externally.

Responsibilities

• Accurately submit gift aid claims to HMRC for all charities under our organisation, ensuring adherence to regulations and guidelines.
• Keep abreast of legislative changes from HMRC related to gift aid and ensure all charities comply with the latest requirements.
• Oversee bank and investment accounts, liaising with banks and ensuring smooth information flow between the bank and charity trustees. Prepare monthly reconciliations for active bank accounts, SOLDO cards, Credit cards etc.
• Act as the subject matter expert (SME) for finance systems, overseeing the testing and implementation of new giving platforms, and providing setup and training for the team.
• Manage and train the Finance Admin Assistant to maintain a high standard of performance and development within the team.
• Be able to represent Finance in meetings when the Finance Manager is unavailable.
• Prepare and send budget reports to budget holders regularly, ensuring accurate and timely delivery.
• Prepare management accounts for two smaller charities, provide detailed explanations for variances to management and trustees, and assist the Finance Manager with the preparation of Management accounts for All Souls.
• Handle accruals and balance sheet reconciliations with confidence and accuracy.
• Ensure accurate inter-company balances across all charities, including those that are run separately.
• Assist the Finance Manager with preparation for year-end audits. Utilise accounting knowledge to anticipate pressure points and potential issues ahead of year-end audits.
• Maintain professional communication with external and internal stakeholders, actively participating in Financial Accounts and statutory audits and examinations.

Person Specification

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or relevant equivalent experience
• Proven experience in gift aid compliance and finance management
• Excellent knowledge of HMRC regulations related to gift aid
• Familiarity with finance systems and SAGE accounting software
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines
• Detail-oriented and capable of working with accuracy
• Committed to the evangelical Christian stance and mission of All Souls Church
• Ability to work alongside others while demonstrating Christian principles and behaviours
• Personal commitment to corporate prayer by prioritising attendance at staff prayer groups and meetings
• Leadership and team management skills (desirable)

Join our team and contribute to the financial success and compliance of our charitable organisation! 

Applications

Closing date: Sunday, 7 April 2024 at 23.59pm 

Interviews: From Monday 8 April 2024

The All Souls Church family is diverse as the global body of Christ is diverse and as London is diverse. Applications are welcome from people from ethnic groups which are a minority in the UK. 

There is an occupational requirement that the job-holder is a Christian under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010.