Role internally known as Finance Manager – Operations

Job description

The Royal Institute of International Affairs is an independent policy institute based in London. Our mission is to help build a sustainably secure, prosperous, and just world through improvement in international relations.

After years of rapid growth, we need to consolidate and simplify our internal organisation and take a clear, strategic look at our priorities and the balance between costs and income (which includes donations, grants and memberships) and modernise our financial systems and processes.

To support this, we seek a qualified Senior Finance Business Partner who will play a key part in delivering the change we are working towards. In this role, you will work closely with the Head of Finance and will be responsible for budgeting, forecasting and management reporting of the Operations departments of the institute as well as overseeing the day-to-day performance of the accounts payable and accounts receivable work, quarterly VAT returns and payroll. You will support the streamlining of our internal processes and the modernisation our financial systems. This role is pivotal in ensuring the financial health and operational efficiency of the institute.

You will directly manage the performance and development of two Finance Officers.

We are an equal opportunity employer, we value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics. We encourage applications from all backgrounds. If there is anything we can do to improve your experience or support you, please get in touch at HR@Chathamhouse.org.

Key Responsibilities

Delivery and Strategy

Financial Management and Reporting

• Coordinate and prepare accurate monthly management accounts to a tight schedule, which includes month-end journal calculations and balance sheet reconciliations.

• Assist the Head of Finance in the preparation of the annual statutory accounts by taking responsibility for producing certain disclosures and analyses. Support financial audits and provide audit schedules as necessary.
• Quarterly submission of VAT returns and VAT decision-making regarding sales invoices.
• Work closely with the Head of Finance and colleagues on internal recharges on monthly basis.
• Develop and monitor strong financial controls across all processes and report any exceptions to the Head of Finance.

Financial Analysis and other tasks

• Work closely with Finance leadership to identify and implement changes to processes to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Finance Department and the organisation.
• Processing monthly payroll journals.
• Supervise the processing of supplier invoices, foreign currency invoices and payments and sales invoices ensuring they are processed efficiently and accurately.
• Lead Finance contact for payroll, coordinating and managing the payroll processing on a monthly basis, collaborating with the HR team to ensure correct inputs and outputs, ensuring accurate statutory logging and payroll reporting.
• Support special projects, such as annual tax returns, income and funding analyses, financial reports, and any other ad-hoc work as required.
• Support the implementation of a new finance system and ensure processes are efficient.

Budgeting and Forecasting

• Collaborate with the Head of Finance in developing quarterly forecasts and the annual budget, emphasising accurate projections for operational departments.

• Provide insightful variance analysis where actual results do not align with expected budgets and forecasts.

People

• Act as a business partner to the operational colleagues, HR and budget holders assisting them in analysing and interpreting their numbers, producing accurate forecasts and budgets and responding to ad-hoc queries.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

• Lead and mentor direct reports, fostering a high-performance and collaborative culture.
• Promote financial literacy across the organization, equipping non-financial staff with key insights.
• Actively contribute to the delivery of the Chatham House EDI strategy.

Key Requirements

Essential Skills & Experience

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with post-qualification experience
• Proven track record of strategic financial management and business partnering.
• Demonstrated experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis in a complex organizations.
• Experience managing accounts payable and receivable functions.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex financial data.
• Experience managing and developing finance teams.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage effectively with senior leadership and external partners.
• Proactive and self-motivated approach, coupled with excellent communication skills.
• The ability to work accurately and continuously maintain high standards.
• High proficiency in Excel and familiarity with financial systems.

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Experience in the not-for-profit, public sector, or international policy environment.
• Familiarity with financial systems such as Microsoft Great Plains and Business Central.

Benefits 

Benefits include approximately 37 days annual leave (including public holidays and Chatham House closure days), pension salary exchange, employee assistance programme, parental leave, flexible working and other benefits designed to suit your lifestyle. All of this, in a professional, engaging and intellectually stimulating environment.

Salary: £65,000 per year. 

Contract: Full-time, Permanent.

Location: Hybrid (Office/Home), minimum 2 days in the office per week.

Closing Date: Please note that we will review applications on a rolling basis. Early applications are strongly encouraged, as the advert will be closed once suitable candidates have been identified.

The Job Description as outlined above will not be available once the closing date has passed. Please ensure you keep a copy for your own record.